TOWN OF CONCORD

ALCOTT SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE

 

A.     Purpose

The Alcott School Building Committee is charged to oversee the construction of the new Alcott School building within the scope of the design prepared by SMMA in 2001 and the budget approved by 2002 Town Meeting, Article 60. The Committee has final authority on all design decisions and will make recommendations to the Town Manager on all financial, contractual and schedule matters. The Building Committee shall be the point of contact for all community groups for all issues regarding the project

B.     Membership and Operations

The Alcott School Building Committee shall be appointed by the Board of Selectmen to coordinate and facilitate the construction of a new Alcott Elementary School.  The committee shall have nine voting members­

·        One Member or designee of the Board of Selectmen

·        One Member or designee of the Concord School Committee

·        Seven community Members

The community members shall bring as many of the following areas of expertise as possible: general construction, HVAC expertise, architectural, financial, recreation, and education technology.

The Committee shall elect its own chair, keep minutes of its deliberations, observe the Open Meeting and Public Records law, and comply with other laws and regulations fostering a free and open discussion of ideas.

Building Committee members shall serve through completion of the project, which is expected during the summer of 2004. In the event that any Building Committee member is not able to serve through 2004, the Board of Selectmen shall be notified so an appropriate replacement can be found.

Staff assistance shall be coordinated through the Town Manager and the Superintendent of Schools.

C.     Powers and Duties

The Alcott School Building Committee shall monitor the construction of the new school building through occupancy, and close out the old school building or manage the demolition of the building as appropriate. Specific duties will include:

·        Supervise architect(s) to prepare construction documents and all architectural services during construction.

·        Assist School Department in development of documents for School Building Assistance Bureau (SBAB) reimbursement.

·        Review construction bids and recommend a general contractor or contractors to the Town Manager who will approve and execute all contracts.

·        Discuss with the Town Manager the Committee’s recommendation regarding the hiring of appropriate owner’s representatives. Using the information provided by the Building Committee, the Town Manager will retain appropriate owner’s representatives.

·        Monitor the construction of the building.

·        Evaluate for cost and effectiveness all proposed change orders and recommend to the Town Manager approval of change orders.

·        Recommend to the Town Manager the payment of contractor requisitions.

·        Manage the work of the architectural firm and its consultants and recommend action by the Town Manager as it relates to the firm’s contract with the Town, including payments and negotiations.

·        Complete the project on schedule, within budget, and minimize the expenditure of contingency funds.

·        Serve as the point of contact for all individuals and community groups for all issues regarding the project, including but not limited to safety policies and procedures for building and site users, an occupancy plan, communication, etc.

·        Establish regular communication channels with the Town, Alcott School families, and neighbors regarding the project progress through periodic newsletters and public meetings.

·        Make a final report to the Board of Selectmen and School Committee upon substantial completion of the project.  The report shall include information concerning final costs for the project, the status of SBAB reimbursement applications, any significant additions to or deletions from the project compared with the original plans prepared in 2002, and any recommendations the Committee may have concerning on-going operation and maintenance of the building.  The report may also include any recommendations from the Committee concerning lessons learned from this project that may be applicable to future Town construction projects.

D.    Other Considerations

In order to ensure a successful building project, the Committee will work with the following individuals and groups.

The Town Manager

The Town Manager has final approval regarding all financial matters and is responsible for all contracts related to the project. The Alcott School Building Committee shall have primary responsibility for making decisions and recommendations related to the Alcott project.  Therefore, the Committee will:

·        Engage the Town Manager throughout project as needed.

·        Recommend approval of all changes to schedule and cost to the Town Manager.

·        Recommend the payment of all contractor requisitions to the Town Manager.

·        Review construction bids and make recommendation of a general contractor to the Town Manager.

·        Solicit bids and recommend appropriate consultants/contractors to the Town Manager, including Project Manager and owner representatives.

·        Although the Town Manager is the official spokesman for the Town, the Building Committee will speak about the building project on behalf of the Town Manager by agreement and where appropriate.

·        Expect the Town Manager through the Town Finance Director to maintain and monitor total project cash flow, balance sheet, and budget projections.

·        Expect that the Town Manager will designate appropriate channels of communication between Town and School Departments regarding safety, operational, and other issues.

Elected Officials and appointed Committees

The Committee will:

·        Report on progress (i.e. budget, schedule, important decisions) to the Board of Selectmen and School Committee on a quarterly basis starting in July 2002.

·        Confirm the School Committee’s recommendation on items such as the technology plan where appropriate and within the established budget.

·        Update the Finance Committee concerning the financial aspects of the project from time to time. The Committee anticipates that a Finance Committee Observer will regularly attend meetings.

·        Work with the Facilities Planning Committee as requested on issues that relate specifically to the Alcott project.

Town and School Staff

The Committee will:

·        Expect that the School Superintendent will identify an appropriate interface between the school department and the construction project. The representative of the School Department will be present at Alcott School Building Committee meetings and will attend construction meetings where appropriate.

·        Expect that the Alcott School Principal will attend Committee meetings and construction meetings where appropriate. The Principal will relay problems and issues from staff, families and neighbors for Committee consideration and resolution.

·        Expect that the School Department will maintain an organized central file of original and substantive documents throughout the project sufficient to satisfy SBAB auditing and Town requirements.

The Project Management (PM) Firm

On behalf of the Town Manager, the Committee shall be responsible to supervise the work of the Project Manager. The Committee will have a designee available to receive questions and issues during site meetings and during normal working hours. Responsibilities for this task may rotate.

The PM will:

·        Perform on a day-to-day basis the duties of an Owner’s Representative including safety inspections, construction mitigation, dispute resolution, and move assistance.

·        Represent the best interests of the Town of Concord and Alcott School Building Committee on a day-to-day basis throughout the project. 

·        Keep the committee fully informed regarding all matters affecting the successful outcome of the building project, including change orders, missed dates, poor communications, etc., throughout the life of the project.

·         Evaluate and make recommendations on requisitions and potential changes in cost and schedule.

·        Organize and maintain construction records, shop drawings and files to supplement the Town files at the conclusion of the project. Upon completion, the PM will provide a digitized set of as-built plans to the Building Commissioner’s Office, as well as a printed copy.

·        Develop regular communications to the community.

The Architectural Firm Symmes Maini and McKee Associates (SMMA)

The Alcott School Building Committee expects that SMMA will:

·        Attend all appropriate Alcott School Building Committee meetings and communicate all necessary information on a timely basis to the Alcott School Building Committee and PM firm.

·        Evaluate Change Order requests.

·        Provide requisition approval, construction clarifications and construction observation, among other services, consistent with its contractual requirements.