COURT FACILITIES AND COUNTY SPACE NEEDS COMMITTEE

JUNE 2, 2010

 

** NOT APPROVED **


Members Present:  D. Pullen, D. Fanton, G. Benson, D. Cady, P. Curran, C. Crandall

            (Absent: D. Russo)

           

Others Present:  M. Alger, M. Armstrong (Bovis), M. Balling (Bovis), A. Finnemore, M. Healy,  M. Kukuvka (LaBella), J. Margeson, T. Miner, T. Parker, B. Riehle, D. Roeske

           

Call to Order:  3:05 p.m. by Committee Chairman David Pullen

 

Approval of Minutes: 

 

            The minutes of May 5, 2010, were approved following a motion made by Legislator Fanton, seconded by Legislator Curran and carried.

 

COURT FACILITIES PROJECT, CONSTRUCTION MANAGER UPDATE:  

 

            Mark Balling and Mark Armstrong from Bovis Lend Lease presented their progress report (copy attached to original minutes).

 

Budget Review – Cost Report:

 

            Work in place was at about 10 percent through the end of April, and about 8 percent for the month of May alone.  Structural steel is being stored off-site and is about 75 percent fabricated.

 

Change Event Log: (Review of only the open items)

 

·         #4 Building Management System, Separation of Courthouse from Office Building (Potential credit of $1,600) – No different from last month’s report (the charge of $66,000 is void, and the credit of $1,600 from the contractor is still being negotiated).

 

·         #8B North Elevation Window Revisions (Potential credit of $2,500) – County employees removed windows on the north side of the existing building due to asbestos caulk and lead paint.  Javen Construction owes us a credit for that.

 

·         #11 Construction Manager Trailer Equipment and Cleaning (Potential credit of $4,540) – Same as before; some credit due, amount needs to be reconciled.

 

·         #13 Undercut Unsuitable Soils (Estimate of $5,000) – So far, there have been no additional removals needed for foundations to proceed.  The two spongy areas where the slab will be still need to be excavated, with about 12 inches of material to be removed.  It’s not a large amount.  SJB will certify compaction so that the areas are of required density to build on.

 

·         #16 Revise Electric for Increase in Size of Elevator Motors (Estimate of $2,500) – Still don’t have a proposal from the contractor; they’re waiting for a price from their supplier.

 

·         #18 and 18A Infill of Existing Well below Estimated Depth of 60 feet (Estimated credit of $1,600) – The existing well at the corner of the County Office Building was discovered to be 60 feet lower than originally thought.  They were going to infill the additional depth, but decided to cap the well.  This change should end up being a credit of $1,600, rather than an addition of $500.

 

·         #19 Water Service Revisions ($14,863) – Will be part of Change Order #4.  The Village Water Department requested these revisions.  The plans had included a backflow preventer building to be installed where the little building by Office for the Aging is currently.  The Water Department is requiring that the piping, a valve, and some fittings be replaced, and the planned building needs to be about five feet longer.  Estimates were used for the original bidding documents, because communication wasn’t received from the Village in time, so this change was unavoidable.

 

·         #20 Storm Sewer Revisions between Courthouse and County Office Building ($1,500) – Interference and some changed conditions with the existing piping.  Work won’t actually take place until phase 3.

 

·         #21 Elimination of 3 Water Coolers from the Contract (Credit of $1,345) – Received credit; part of Change Order #4.

 

·         #22 Credit for Locker Materials (Credit of $3,981) – Javen’s vendor can’t accept Purchase Orders from a for-profit company, so the County will purchase the lockers and have Javen install them.  This is just a paper transaction.

 

·         #23 Revisions to Sanitary Manhole #5 to Lower Cover ($1,500) – This change may be voided.

 

Change Order Summary Report:

 

            The items that were pending on last month’s report are now approved.

 

Allocated Allowance Summary:

 

            There was nothing new to report on the Wireless Duress System.

 

Safety Report:

 

            Mark Armstrong reported that there was one safety warning issued this month for a worker with no fall protection while removing an existing window.  He was written up and the issue was fixed immediately.

 

Work Summary for the Month of May:

 

·         Foundation footings and walls underway

·         Temporary chiller and AC-1 completed

·         Storm water catch basins installed

·         New waterline installed

·         Pre-construction meeting for crane and steel erection

·         Stom Water Pollution Protection Plan (SWPPP) fencing and inspections

·         Testing of sanitary manholes and piping completed

·         Abatement of north elevation window caulk and window removal (by County)

·         AC is up and running again in the existing Courthouse

 

Sixty-Day Look Ahead (June and July):

 

·         Installation of waterline – most of the line is installed; tie into new building

·         Sanitary sewer piping and structures inspected

·         Storm water catch basin inspections

·         Excavation of building pad completed

·         Foundation excavation completed

·         Installation of concrete footings and foundation walls completed

·         Installation of footer drains completed

·         Foundation backfill, waterproofing, and insulation completed

·         Start of structural steel erection – scheduled to begin June 9, to be complete in July

·         Start of steel joists and metal decking – complete in July

 

            In response to a question, Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Kukuvka from LaBella explained that the concrete firewall being erected between the existing Courthouse and the addition prevented having to bring the existing Courthouse up to modern code.  The existing building will be improved, will be in compliance with handicapped accessibility, and will actually be safer due to the fact that the hallway into the addition will now be a legal exit, but the level of renovations will not require bringing it up to new construction code.  Chairman Crandall asked about the interior of the windows in the existing Courthouse that have been covered by the firewall.  Mr. Armstrong explained that the windows will be infilled and dry-walled.

 

            Mr. Armstrong noted that they’ve been documenting and photographing and SJB is performing testing on the concrete, rebar, and soil.  Code Enforcement seems comfortable with their procedure.  Mr. Kukuvka pointed out that NYS Building Code requires some independent testing, and SJB is providing most of that service for us.  It’s another method of quality control.  Chairman Crandall questioned if this testing would be mostly on structural issues, or if it would get into electronics.  Mr. Kukuvka explained that the testing is for welds, concrete breaks, earth work, soil density, pavement, asphalt, storm water, and things like that, but not for HVAC and electronics.  That would be another type of inspection, but not necessarily required by NYS Building Code.

 

            Legislator Fanton questioned the access to the dumpsters as pictured on the cover of Bovis’ report which are located on the river side of the addition.  Mr. Kukuvka explained that now the plan is for the dumpsters to be located at the railroad track end of the addition.  Mechanical equipment will be located at the end of the addition and the northeast corner.  There will be access to the back side of the addition, but not a lot of room.  Mr. Fanton noted the proposed location for the new maintenance building in the northwest corner of the lot and that there would only be 50 to 60 parking spots left in the back lot after construction.

 

            Committee Chairman Pullen asked if the revised completion date of the end of January was still valid, to which Mr. Armstrong responded that it was.

 

            Mr. Pullen questioned if the total cost for change orders to date was within normal range, as it seems to be quite low.  Mr. Balling replied that the usage of construction contingency compared to work in place is low.

 

NYSERDA INCENTIVES:

 

            County Administrator John Margeson referred to committee action taken last year to authorize pursuit of potential grant funding through the New York State Energy, Research, and Development Authority (NYSERDA).  As a result of LaBella’s design to install certain electric energy efficient equipment in the Courthouse addition, we were notified last week by NYSDERDA that we have been granted a $47,448 grant to help offset the cost of that energy efficient equipment.  Mr. Margeson and Deputy County Administrator Mitchell Alger met with a gentleman from the consulting firm NYSERDA is using in Rochester regarding the procedure to access those funds.  It will be our responsibility through Bovis and LaBella to ensure that the energy efficient equipment is, in fact, installed and is up to specifications.  Someone from NYSERDA or their consulting firm will come down when the project is complete to visually inspect.  If they acknowledge that the specified equipment was installed and does meet specifications, we will receive a check for $47,448 sometime around June or July 2011. 

 

            Mr. Kukuvka acknowledged how good this news was.  They had reported to the committee that a NYSERDA incentive of between $20,000 and $30,000 was all we could expect for a project of this size.  The equipment this covers is anything that involves electric primarily, such as motors, ballasts, frequency drives, and things like that.  They’re looking for electrical energy efficiency.  It’s nothing new or added, just more efficient equipment.  The way the incentive works, is if you raise the threshold of energy efficient in electrical equipment, they will give you more incentive.  You have to spend a little more money to get the incentive for the overall long-term, life cycle cost savings.  The initial cost of the equipment is more, but the incentive helps to offset some of those increased costs.  Awards that Mr. Kukuvka has seen around the state have been fairly modest.  Given the state’s situation, he was pleased to hear the amount of our potential award.  Mr. Kukuvka responded to a comment about future implementation of solar panels by stating that some counties are doing that, but from a pay-back standpoint, it is too long term if you’re doing it for that reason.  The state has been decreasing incentives for solar (down from $5 per kilowatt to $1.50), and they are starting to appropriate money by different zones in the state.  The Syracuse-Rochester-Buffalo zone is pretty cloudy, so we may get worse incentives than an area like Long Island where there’s more sun.

 

OFFICE FOR THE AGING/VETERANS’ FACILITIES AT CROSSROADS:

 

            County Administrator John Margeson reported on a conversation with Office for the Aging Director Kim Toot and IDA Director John Foels.  As it stands today, they intend to occupy the building on Monday, June 28.  Mr. Margeson and Mrs. Toot will be working with Public Works Superintendent David Roeske to coordinate crews to move furniture except that coming in by truck.  The Office for the Aging will be shut down for the move, with the exception of their Meals on Wheels Program, and there will be someone taking phone calls.  By July 6, they will be operating out of the new building.  Information Technology Director Deborah Button is working on the acquisition and installation of the telecommunications system.

 

Next Meeting:           Wednesday, July 7, 2010, at 3 p.m.

 

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 3:40 p.m. following a motion made by Legislator Fanton, seconded by Legislator Cady and carried.