Public Building Commissioners Working To Expand Roles On Local Projects

By John Voket

According to their charge, Newtown’s Public Building and Site Commissioners are appointed to control supervision and construction of building projects, including major new construction, alteration or extension, furnishing or equipping of a building to be used for public purposes, including the acquisition and improvement of land thereto and with improvements thereon, if any.

Besides their month-to-month responsibilities as outlined above, PBSC members have been working to better qualify their value to the community based on both their individual and collective expertise.

Chairman Robert Mitchell told The Bee this week that the current panel, which also includes Anthony D’Angelo, Thomas Catalina, Joseph Whelan, James Juliano, Peter Samoskevich, and Robert Edwards along with alternates Joseph Girgasky and Roger Letso, is packed with individuals who bring decades of experience to bear from careers in construction, related trades, project development, and architecture.

In the coming weeks, Mr Mitchell expects to finalize a document that will define the many ways its members, and the PBSC as a whole, can help the community better administer, successfully plan, and complete capital building and site developments.

Among the types of projects the PBSC is qualified and willing to oversee are new construction, major renovations or maintenance projects in excess of $5 million. Any community project except those already under the public works domain could be included.

The PBSC could also oversee projects that have a high visibility in town regardless of cost; projects that require the coordination of two or more town departments or agencies; school projects that will obtain reimbursement from the state; or those that fall within the state guidelines requiring an independent building commission for oversight.

The commission is also qualified to handle projects on brownfield sites, which are sites facing environmental cleanup as a result of former occupants. Newtown’s abandoned Batchelder property at 44 Swamp Road in Botsford is an example.

Any applicable projects are referred to the PBSC through the Board of Selectman. Selectmen may make the determination whether projects will be referred directly, or following a request by another town agency.

 

Management Potential

Mr Mitchell said that commissioners believe qualifying projects should be referred to their panel at the earliest possible time. And proposed projects do not necessarily need a confirmed funding source or all potential approvals to be positioned for PBSC referral.

The commission would prefer to be in the loop in the earliest stages possible —after being reviewed and deemed possible by the Board of Selectmen.

Once potential projects are reviewed, the commission will determine if it is appropriate to manage them. If it is accepted, the project will be assigned to one of the commission members who will take the lead in following the path of the project through the town process.

Mr Mitchell said this practice is already in place, and permits its liaison member to remain engaged as needed, versus only receiving or providing information during monthly meetings.

The lead member will be expected to make reports to the full commission on the status of the project. The member will also be expected to attend appropriate town meetings, as well as meetings with the project sponsors to obtain a thorough understanding on the scope and complexities of the project.

The commission will determine if an ad hoc committee of the commission is required. Mr Mitchell said these ad hoc committees could also bring on the expertise of other residents or skilled parties even if they are not appointed members of the PBSC.

In certain circumstances, Mr Mitchell said the PBSC may determine that a project is not appropriate for the commission. If this is the case, the lead will make a presentation to the Board of Selectmen with the rational for the determination.

At that point it falls on the selectmen to decide whether to either keep the project with the commission or determine that the panel is not required for the project.

Additional Resources

The commissioners have also discussed a range of other responsibilities they might handle, including the review of reports, preliminary studies, and other documentation presented to local agencies to request a project. Providing this preliminary assistance would also help the PBSC make appropriate recommendations based on the reports.

Commissioners could also assist the agencies in the selection of professional services firms required for the project. This would include architects, engineers, contractors, construction managers, and other consultants appropriate to the project.

The PBSC commissioners are prepared to make a recommendation for selection; review programs, plans, design documents, construction documents, cost estimates, etc, to determine if they are in keeping with the approved project scope; and review bid documents.

Commissioners would be available to review construction bids and make recommendations in conjunction with the project professional consultants; review the progress and status of construction through a clerk of the works engaged by the town; and recommend payment of construction application and certifications of payment in amount commensurate with the progress of construction.

As projects wind down, the PBSC is willing to recommend acceptance of projects as substantially complete; and finally, recommend projects as ready for occupancy and acceptable to the town.

Mr Mitchell said that these proposed support initiatives from his board would be finalized in the coming weeks, and would be presented to the Board of Selectmen once the PBSC endorsed the ideas.