Essex Town Administrator's Report

Posted

Board of Selectmen’s Meeting of March 9, 2020

Report covers from February 22, 2020 to March 6, 2020

Items requiring Board vote or discussion are noted with an asterisk (*)

A. Town Department Reports/Requests

No items.

B. Computer Systems

(1) Renewal of Antivirus Client Licenses

A portion of the Town’s antivirus software client computer licenses are set to

expire soon. As such, I placed the necessary order for the renewal licenses and

will install those to the central antivirus server when they arrive.

Recommendation: No further action is necessary.

C. Personnel

No items.

D. Procurement/Ongoing Projects

(1) Route 133 Bridge Replacement Utility Coordination Meeting Summary(*)

I participated in the subject meeting on February 26, 2020. The meeting was

organized by Mass DOT as part of ongoing design work for the eventual

replacement of the Route 133 bridge over the Essex River in downtown Essex.

The project is presently at the 25% design stage and DOT needs to continue to

collect feedback from all utilities (including the Town’s water and sewer utilities)

with respect to maintaining service during and after the project.

At the meeting, we learned that the project is on track for construction bid

advertising around May of 2021, with a 12 to 18-month duration (subject to

change). With respect to utilities, since cranes will be working on the site, one

major requirement is a temporary relocation of the high voltage lines along the

causeway, in order to safely work in the area. Short electric outages will likely be

required when cutting over to and then cutting back from the temporary lines. We

do not expect the need for a water shutoff (valves can be used) and sewer service

will be maintained with pump trucks when temporary pipes are put into operation

for those utilities. A temporary bridge just landward of the existing bridge will

keep traffic moving while the new, permanent bridge is being constructed and

trucks up to four axles, school buses, and fire trucks will be allowed at all times.

Recommendation: Board discussion as necessary.

(2) Public Safety Facility Project Update (*)

Selectman Pereen and I participated in a public safety facility project meeting on

February 27, 2020 and Chairman Spinney participated in a project meeting on

March 5, 2020. The project contractor is still working diligently on foundation

footings and walls, which has been slowed down by the presence of ledge on the

site. The contractor has also released a revised schedule, which anticipates a

delay with respect to the ledge removal work and, as the Board has discussed in

the past, an overall delay to deal with winter conditions and other smaller matters.

Recommendation: Board discussion as necessary.

(3) Change Order: Relocation of HVAC Condensers to Public Safety Bldg. Roof (*)

In the past, the Board agreed in concept concerning the need for the relocation of

some HVAC condensers to the roof of the new public safety building, along with

a roof hatch and ladder/stairs. We will have a final price with recommendations

from our representatives by meeting time.

Recommendation: Formal Board approval of the change order for condenser

relocation and access.

(4) Change Order: Time Extension for Public Safety Building Project (*)

The Board discussed in the past the concept of extending the public safety facility

project completion date through the end of January, 2021. The extension was to

allow the contractor to absorb most small setbacks and would really only mean

moving into the new facility at the beginning of February, 2021, as opposed to

mid-January. More recently, our contractor has indicated that even more time is

desired, through late-March, 2021. While the exact date for building occupation

is not critical to the Town, going beyond the end of January, 2021 has much more

of a potential to require the payment of additional project carrying costs.

At the last meeting, the Board asked Chairman Spinney, Town Building

Committee Chairman O’Donnell, and me to work with our contractor and our

project professionals to arrive at a proposal that provides the extra time, but with a

minimum of carrying costs. We have learned that extending the Builders’ Risk

policy for sixty days (the months of February and March, 2021) will cost the

Town approximately $3,500. While the contractor is not looking to be paid for its

“General Conditions” during the extension period, our Project Manager will

require about $70,000 for full coverage and our architect will require about

$30,000. This brings the carrying cost of the extension to a total of $103,500, if

full coverage is desired. However, there may be a way to complete the project

with only part-time coverage.

Recommendation: Board discussion as necessary.

(5) Change Order: Additional Bedrock Removal Work at Public Safety Site(*)

As discussed in the past, the geotechnical experts for the public safety facility

project had anticipated the need to remove boulders from along foundation

footing and wall excavations. However, in certain areas, the rock encountered

during drilling was not boulders, but hard ledge. While the project did carry a

certain quantity of ledge removal at a unit price, that quantity was far exceeded

during actual work. As such, it is necessary to compensate the contractor for the

extra work. We will not know the full value of this change order until all rock has

been removed.

Recommendation: Initial Board discussion relative to this future change

order.

(6) Change Order: Miscellaneous Public Safety Facility Construction Changes(*)

A variety of small change order items (some extra costs and some credits) have

been proposed in a miscellaneous items change order. Items include a deleted

hydrant, some deleted ductwork fire dampers, deleted ceiling painting (ceiling

plastic in these areas), a deleted window, a deleted power supply, some deleted

variable refrigerant flow equipment, a cabinet unit heater modification, some light

framing deletions, a change to the entry vestibule ceiling construction, and

modifications to one door. Most of the items are not fully-vetted yet, so this

change order will be presented in the future.

Recommendation: Initial Board discussion relative to this future change

order.

E. Insurance

(1) Monthly Pothole Log

I received from the Department of Public Works during the week of March 2,

2020 the pothole log for the month of February, 2020. One pothole was reported

during the month of February and was promptly repaired.

Recommendation: No further action is necessary.

F. Facilities

(1) Town Hall Roof Leak

A rainstorm with a particular intensity and direction of wind on February 27, 2020

produced a leak that manifested above the third-floor stair landing in Town Hall.

This leak had occurred in the past, in similar conditions, and our Town Hall

renovation project contractor had twice come to assess and make repairs (the

second time bringing back a lift for repairs). We had experienced several storms

of this nature since the most recent repair and we thought the issue was behind us.

I made contact with the contractor and he will visit Town Hall to review the matter. I also pointed out that one window in the Assessors’ office leaked during the same event.

Recommendation: I will update the Board as necessary.

G. Fiscal/Budget

(1) Public Safety Facility Bond Sale Call

I joined the Treasurer/Collector and the Town Accountant in a Standard & Poor

Global bond rating call on February 27, 2020. The Treasurer is preparing to go to

market for municipal bonds that will fund the new public safety facility, which is

presently under construction. The SP Global personnel on the call asked a wide

variety of questions concerning the Town’s operation, financial policies, and

long-range planning. Subsequently, we learned that SP Global has kept the

Town’s current bond rating at AA+/Stable (one step under AAA, which would be

difficult for a relatively small town to attain).

Recommendation: No further action is necessary.

H. Complaints

No items.

I. Meetings Attended

(1) Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce Essex Division Meeting

I attended the subject meeting on March 3, 2020. At the meeting, I updated those

present on a variety of Town issues and initiatives and Officer Ryan Davis

provided the Police Department update. Later in the meeting, I reviewed the

Town’s progress in the areas of community housing and economic development

and indicated how the zoning bylaw proposal for this coming May with respect to

downtown mixed-use zoning has the support of the Housing Coalition, the

Economic Development Committee, the Planning Board, and the Board of

Selectmen.

Recommendation: No further action is necessary.

J. Town Meeting, By-Laws, and Regulations

(1) Continued Review of Draft Annual Town Meeting Warrant (*)

I have revised the draft Annual Town Meeting warrant in accordance with the

Board’s guidance from the last meeting. The Board is scheduled to approve and

sign the warrant at its next meeting, on March 23, 2020.

Recommendation: Continued Board review of the draft warrant.

(2) Review of Town Speed Regulations

At the last meeting, the Board and the Chief of Police agreed that one speed limit

sign on Southern Avenue could be increased to be in step with the Town’s

Chapter 90 speed regulations, which are maintained by MA DOT. However, two

other speed limit signs, on Western Avenue, should be kept at the lower speeds

(even though these are not in step with the speed regulations for this area). I have

discussed this matter with DOT personnel and we are in agreement that the speed

study that DOT will be conducting this spring, along the entire length of Route 22

in Essex, may show that the lower posted speed limits are appropriate. As such,

no action is necessary at this time with respect to those two signs. The Chief of

Police will work with the DPW directly to replace the sign on Southern Avenue.

Recommendation: I will update the Board as necessary.

K. Legal Issues

No items.

L. Grants

No items.

M. Emergency Planning

No items.

N. Other Items

No items.

This report is available at www.essexma.org on the morning after any regularly

scheduled Essex Board of Selectmen’s Meeting.

massachusetts route 133, essex river, town building committee