Alna Facilities Planning Committee

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Date: January 28,2008

Time: 07:00 - 09:00

Location: Firehouse

Meeting Minutes:

Alna Facilities Planning Committee

Minutes for Meeting of 1/28/08

Alna Fire Station   7:00 P.M.

Present: Nick Caristo (NC), John Green (JG), Gordon Davis (GD), Fred Gumkowski (FG), and Kathy Pendleton (KP), Tom Albee (TA), Brian Lawrence (BL)

Absent:   Cliff Russell

Also in attendance: Roger Whitney and Paul Ouellette

NC opened the meeting with the observation that he believes that if a vote were taken today re Town facilities planning that it would result in a 50-50% split. JG commented that one of the committee’s objectives should be to so develop and explain the two options that the result would be with a good majority agreeing one of the proposals.

NC reported that he met with Holme Inspection Services who just completed a survey of the existing Town Office. The general condition of the Office was adjudged   to be good and the building was fundamentally sound. There are obviously some minor repairs, painting and etc.   There are other issues re the handicap ramp, stairway headroom, etc which must be dealt with.   Also, as has been observed before, the offices upstairs cannot legally be continued without a fire escape and other modifications.

NC has had discussions with the State Attorney’s office regarding the requirements to go out for competitive bidding for additions to municipal buildings. In their opinion, competitive bidding is not required. However, it was the committee’s opinion that it would be politically prudent to put the addition to the old firehouse out to bid nevertheless.

Additionally, based on our description, AG office didn’t feel that our building situation required an elevator to meet code.

It was determined that we still need a cost update for a new firehouse w/ a town meeting room option. NC will check into this. Numerous other items remain to be resolved such as: a Power Point presentation, building drawings and specifications, finance options, wording of warrant (warrants) for the town meeting, etc.   See agenda.

GD raised the issue of a 3^rd option in the form of a “no build” option. This was prompted by the fact that there might be certain costs associated with bringing the existing firehouse up to code even if no addition is approved by the town. A lengthy discussion ensued but in the end the committee decided not to develop such an option.