TOWN OF PROVINCETOWN
BUILDING COMMITTEE
The following minutes are available on-line as a service and are not the official record due to changes in formatting for the Internet. The minutes may have attachments that are not included here in this format. The official, complete paper copy can be viewed during regular office hours, Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Office of the Town Clerk, 260 Commercial St. Provincetown, MA 02657.
Meeting Minutes of January 31,
2001
Members
Present: Paul
Redlund (Co-Chair), Joyce Guide, Jane Donoghue, Rex McKinsey
Members Absent: Regina Binder(Co-Chair) (excused)
Others Present: David Ditacchio (Marine Superintendent), David Guertin (DPW Director), Rachel Crosby (Recording Secretary)
Call to Order: Co-Chair Paul Redlund called the Meeting to order at 11:05 A.M.
REPORT BY CO-CHAIR – re: Job Meetings on MacMillan Pier
Project
Paul Redlund distributed and referred to copies of the Job Meeting reports submitted by the Resident Engineer (Susan Whittaker). A primary problem has been the pile driver test failures. There is the potential for a substantial loss of time, complicated by the steel mill schedules. Mr. Redlund complained that there seemed to be confusion over responsibility and process and that the flow of information was not optimal.
The Committee discussed their responsibilities as a group and, specifically, Mr. Redlund’s responsibilities as Chair. Joyce Guide distributed and discussed a memo written by Mr. Redlund, dated January 19, 2001, stating that she felt Mr. Redlund had overreached his authority in the memo and was acting as an individual while representing the Building Committee. Mr. Redlund suggested that Joyce Guide go to the Job Meetings in his place. Joyce Guide reiterated that the members of the Committee needed to act collectively and that actions, memos, etc. should be discussed beforehand.
The Committee discussed the contents of Mr. Redlund’s memo, including the responsibility for approving the contract for the repairs to the Courtesy Float. The Committee also discussed the procedure for approval of payments and David Guertin confirmed that cost overruns would come to the Committee first. Mr. Redlund stated that he had been told that the grant funding sources were concerned because they were not being informed of how the grant money was being spent. Mr. Guertin explained that the cash flow projection was not ready because the pile drive failure had delayed the start of the Project and therefore it was not yet certain how and when the money was going to be spent. David Guertin clarified which contracts were and were not within the “purview” of the Building Committee. The contracts that the Building Committee has authority over are (1) the engineering contract with FS&T, (2) the general contractor’s contract with AGM, and (3) the Barnstable County Dredge contract.
David Guertin and David Ditacchio discussed how and when the Courtesy Float would be returned to service. Mr. Guertin explained how the Courtesy Float repairs could have become part of the Pier Project financial considerations. He confirmed that the Marine Department will be paying for the current repairs. The Committee discussed when and if the current Courtesy Float would be again taken out of the water for inspection/repair.
David Guertin agreed to a meeting between DPW’s Sandy Turner and the Committee to explain how the Project funds were being accounted for and expended. Mr. Guertin and the Committee confirmed that the first $2.8 million spent will be from Town funds and once they are exhausted, the books will be sent to Massachusetts Development. MassDev will then take over as the funding administration authority.
In reference to Mr. Redlund’s memo, David Guertin said that the Town Manager Keith Bergman felt the questions were important and would be answered eventually, but that they would not be considered demands to be immediately addressed.
Mr. Redlund agreed to call each Committee member in the future to notify them that a meeting notice was about to be posted and to ask them for agenda items. Mr. Redlund said he would like to have Joyce Guide accompany him to the next Job Meeting. Joyce Guide said she would attend the next few meetings and that eventually she and the other Committee members could rotate attendance responsibility.
REPORT BY F.S.T. – re: Mistake that led
to test pile driving failure
David Guertin said no one yet currently clearly understood why the failures occurred and that they were now attempting to gather more facts to determine causes. He said that he could not offer an accurate explanation at this point and would not be able to do so until the engineers concluded their investigation. Mr. Redlund asked about FS&T’s comment that a mistake had been made and David Guertin said he was not sure of the origin of that comment. Mr. Guertin and the Committee reviewed the bore sampling procedures used when the Project had first been designed. Mr. Guertin discussed what exactly had happened during the pile driver tests. The test piles were supposed to withstand 170 tons, but were showing signs of weakness at 120 to 140 tons. Mr. Guertin confirmed that the test piles had been driven at or near the sites of many of the original boring samples.
A PhD from the company who did the original borings is currently studying the various data from the test piles and will be issuing a report. Mr. Guertin said that they expected to receive today an estimation of whether the original pile design had been accurate. He said that the Town held FS&T responsible for issues such as this and that there was contractual recourse for problem resolution. Mr. Guertin discussed various engineering ways the problem might eventually be resolved. He said that he expected resolution with one week.
David Guertin discussed the claim from FS&T concerning a potential $90,000 liability owed to the steel mill. AGM is currently simply waiting and Mr. Guertin confirmed that their work had been blameless. How the financial harm to AGM is to be remedied is still undecided. David Guertin explained how the steel in the piles would be tested.
Mr. Guertin said that when the new pile drive information is ready it would be sent to AGM, who will, after consulting steel mill schedules, generate a new construction schedule.
Paul Redlund asked about FS&T’s statement about hiring a minority firm to do the work on the storm drains and Mr. Guertin said he did not know about that. Mr. Guertin reported that the work on the change orders resulting from the Committee recent recommendations to reduce costs will be completed by FS&T within a week and a half, with the exception of the electrical work, which will require more time. AGM will then generate estimated actual cost savings.
Rex McKinsey asked about the Project items that had been eliminated by the Building Committee and specifically about the $20,000 required by FS&T to generate new drawings. David Guertin said that a lump sum payment had been agreed to with FS&T for the drawings and that there were no economies of scale for multiple items. The $20,000 will become part of a credit consideration, subtracted from the savings calculated by AGM. Piling reworking costs could come out of contingency fund and/or the cost savings.
Mr. Guertin confirmed that only the piles for the finger pier extensions will be wood.
COMMENTS
AND QUESTIONS TO AGM
AGM not required to attend Building Committee meetings.
REPORT
BY DPW DIRECTOR – re: Contract to
repair Courtesy Float
Discussed above.
MISCELLANEOUS
ú None
OLD BUSINESS - none
ú Information on test piles and the new Courtesy Float will be available at the next Building Committee meeting. FS&T can attend that meeting. The new handicapped access to the beach will probably also be on the agenda. Joyce Guide requested that the new handicapped access and the Courtesy Float designs be submitted to the Harbor Committee.
MINUTES
January 16, 2001 – Paul Redlund moved to approve as written, Jane Donoghue seconded and it was so voted, 3-0, 1 abstain (Rex McKinsey).
ADJOURNMENT
Joyce
Guide moved to adjourn at 12:26 P.M. and it was so voted unanimously.
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These minutes were approved by a vote of the Provincetown Building Committee at their meeting on ________________, 200__
Respectfully Submitted:
_____________________________ ________________________
Building Committee Signature Title
Rachel Crosby
Rachel
T. Crosby, On-call secretary