2026-08-11 - Fire Station Building Committee

00:05Good evening. This is the town of

00:06Auburn, Massachusetts Fire Station

00:08Building Committee meeting for August

00:1011th, 2026

00:12at 6:00 p.m. Calling meeting to order.

00:14Um

00:15uh the meeting is being recorded and

00:18broadcast by the local

00:20access cable TV. Ask if anybody else is

00:23recording. Nope, okay.

00:26>> [clears throat and cough]

00:26>> First item on the agenda is public

00:29comment.

00:30Don't have anybody here for a public

00:31comment. Okay, so we move on to

00:33um

00:34the next item the next item is review of

00:37the meeting minutes from July 7th.

00:39Um they're all set to Are there any

00:41questions, comments, corrections to

00:44those meeting minutes?

00:48Okay, seeing none, I would entertain a

00:50motion to approve these meeting minutes.

00:57And do we still have a motion to

00:59approve? Do we have a second?

01:05Okay, so we have

01:07motion to approve and a second. All

01:09those in favor?

01:10I. All those opposed?

01:13It's a vote.

01:15Uh

01:17Fourth item on the agenda is the updates

01:19from the project teams.

01:22Laffield, you're up first.

01:24>> Good evening, everyone. Um

01:27the last month on site has been very

01:28busy. I'm sure you've seen as you've

01:30been driving by. What's the latest on

01:32the minute at the beginning of July? Um

01:35so lots has happened. Masonry contractor

01:38is on site now

01:40and they are continuing to build the

01:42foundation walls with the brick. Um they

01:45built the elevator shaft too as well,

01:46which is looking great out on the site.

01:48It's kind of showing the elevations.

01:51Um the full footprint of the building

01:52has been poured.

01:54Um the footings have been poured also as

01:57well as a lot of the underground

01:59plumbing and electric has all been laid

02:01out.

02:02Lavangie, our electrical contractor, and

02:07NB Kenny have been on site as well, just

02:11working. I know they had a few people on

02:13site today and the past few days

02:16as they gear up and start mobilizing

02:18more and more. Um

02:20I know today

02:21it was a big day on site. The masons,

02:24they doubled their crew. They they were

02:26hard at work today and it was it was

02:28really nice to see.

02:29Um

02:31behind the scenes

02:32Tecton has been great getting back on

02:35submittals and RFIs as they come

02:37through. We met with the change order

02:39subcommittee the other day too as well,

02:42which was great. We finalized change

02:45order one, which you'll see

02:47in a moment too as well to review.

02:50Um

02:51And yeah,

02:54the site contractor uh

02:56Amarillo has been on site every single

02:57day too.

02:59Keeping a clean site. I know that was

03:01raised earlier last month to the GC that

03:05may not have looked the cleanest uh to

03:08the to the owner and to the visiting

03:10eye. So, they've been very on top of

03:12that, which has been great. As well as

03:14the safety, Dave's been on top of them

03:16about hard hats and the PPE and all that

03:19good stuff. So, it's been a clean site,

03:21clean site.

03:23Safe site, yeah.

03:25It's been looking great.

03:27Moving forward the next month or so, do

03:29have the update if you I think you all

03:31have the update in front of you too as

03:32well. Um

03:34But yeah, underground's going to

03:35continue. The masons going to continue.

03:39We're still

03:40gearing for steel in September.

03:43We're still on track for that. We're on

03:45schedule. It's safe to say we're we're

03:47going to maybe going a little out of

03:49order to the original schedule, but

03:51we're still maintaining that critical

03:52path, which has not been affected. So,

03:54that's all good news.

03:56Um

03:57that Techton continues to to respond to

03:59those submittals.

04:01And um also the work on Prospect Street,

04:03that was successfully complete um

04:05smoothly. It took a couple days. We had

04:07a police detail. I don't know if anyone

04:10drove by during those couple days, but

04:12it was moving smoothly.

04:14I

04:15I don't know if you had anything to

04:17Um

04:19And then the uh the foundations will be

04:23backfilled and then poured. Uh the the

04:25pad slabs will be will be poured

04:27following the Mason's uh

04:30foundation wall build.

04:32So, I do have some pictures too just

04:34from this is late last week

04:37uh when the

04:39the elevator shafts are being built, but

04:41now they they took those down since

04:43then.

04:44Um things do move quick over there, so

04:46if one thing's up one day, it's down the

04:48next. They're If it's not there, then

04:50it's up the next, so

04:52um

04:54Yeah.

04:55Progress is going great. I don't know if

04:56Steve has anything else to add.

04:58So.

04:59Uh

05:00>> Um not really. It's It's that's well It

05:02doesn't look like much, but they've done

05:04a ton of work. This is all foundations

05:05are done.

05:06I'm focusing on Mason's also focusing on

05:09the the walls there.

05:11Takes to the foundation walls. So, we're

05:14doing the exterior shell walls. So, the

05:16elevator shaft will be building the

05:17elevator shaft early.

05:19We are using steel for our elevator

05:21shafts for our bracing

05:22structure.

05:24See here what I

05:26What's the other side of that?

05:27Um but they just I was there today. They

05:29just started doing the initial courses

05:31of the um

05:33CMU block

05:34foundation walls.

05:36Around there.

05:37See maybe here

05:40uh

05:40the bracing

05:41on the walls.

05:45>> And then Dave's done great uh every day

05:47doing the QA QC on site too as well,

05:50making sure means and method are correct

05:52and to the specifications, so

05:55I applaud Dave for that too as well.

05:59Thank you.

06:06Yeah.

06:12Yeah, super high. I know what you're

06:13saying. Yep.

06:14Okay, in the drift. [clears throat]

06:33Good question. Yeah.

06:38Yes.

06:39Yes, it is. Yeah. Yeah, I believe that

06:42there's the it takes a picture every

06:454 hours. Yeah, so that has been

06:47documented. I'm pretty sure this the

06:49department has been keeping the taking

06:51the SD drive out of there. I'm not sure

06:54how they've been holding that, but

06:55>> Yeah, so just to be clear, it's not a

06:57video camera. It's a it's a camera

06:59that's mounted to the pole in the car

07:00dealership and it takes a still

07:02photograph every 4 hours. And what we'll

07:05do at the end of the project is we're

07:07going to create a time-lapse video with

07:09all of that still photography. So, it's

07:11not a it's not a video camera with a

07:13live feed.

07:15>> Thank you.

07:16In addition to that too, the fire

07:17department has been bringing the drone,

07:19I want to say once a week maybe.

07:22Yeah, every Monday. Yeah, they've been

07:23bringing it over site, taking pictures,

07:25scoping out everything from bird's eye

07:26view, so it's been

07:28great documentation. Just

07:30to hold everyone accountable and see the

07:31progress.

07:34>> Yeah, if you

07:37we were just talking before and the

07:39you You to the website on the town

07:42website and stuff and you go to the fire

07:43station building, you'll see the the

07:45latest updates. Drone there's four drone

07:48shots I think on there.

07:51Yeah.

07:52So,

07:53you'll see those on there.

07:55And they're pretty neat.

07:57Good good perspective on the job.

08:00>> Yeah, yeah. It's like a sky view.

08:03>> And it looks like the plans, too, when

08:04you look at it from above. So, that's

08:06the

08:06You're like, "Oh,

08:08I've been staring at the plans for so

08:09long." You look at that and you're like,

08:10"Oh, I recognize that."

08:12So.

08:15>> Yeah,

08:16I know the fire department did visit the

08:18site last week after hours just to take

08:22a peek at it, see what was going on. I

08:24know that it was discussed during our

08:26job meeting today as well that we'd love

08:28to have the building committee show up

08:31maybe next month for next month's

08:32meeting. We can talk about that when

08:34we're scheduling the next one at the end

08:35of the meeting, but yeah, it's certain

08:37certainly something that we're looking

08:38forward to having everyone come out and

08:41take a peek walk the site, you know.

08:43Yeah, it'd be nice.

08:45So.

08:45>> So, yeah, we can talk

08:49>> Yeah, yeah. Yeah, no Yeah, no sandals.

08:52Yeah, we'll talk about that then.

08:54Sure, [laughter] yeah. Everyone's

08:55wearing a roof for the for a year.

08:59>> Okay, any other questions just about

09:01general progress? Okay.

09:03>> Do you have access to the bid docs? Is

09:04that

09:05>> Yeah, everyone should have got Did

09:06everyone No?

09:07>> No.

09:08>> Nothing.

09:08>> Nothing.

09:09>> Nothing.

09:09>> Nothing.

09:11>> All right, I'll follow up with Noreen. I

09:13was told that you

09:15received that.

09:16Cuz I gave them the list cuz Dave took

09:18it last meeting. So, I gave everything

09:21All right, I'll I'll double check

09:22though.

09:23>> Sometimes it goes to junk mail.

09:26>> Wasn't in there.

09:29>> I'll follow up with you guys then. I'm

09:31sorry about that.

09:33I gave Noreen the list. So, I can

09:35definitely follow up. I'll have an

09:36answer for you tomorrow.

09:45>> Okay.

09:46Uh

09:47moving on. So, brick review and change

09:50orders.

09:51>> Yeah, for now. So, you

09:53>> Yeah, so payment requisition

09:54requisition three.

09:56I think I gave you a few copies.

10:01Uh or there's one big copy here. I think

10:03you picked it up. Let's see.

10:05I also it was in your emails, too. Um

10:07well

10:09Also

10:09>> You can give it I already sent the email

10:11to them so they can see.

10:14>> So, these are the wet copies.

10:16Um

10:19Yeah, so the review process for the rep

10:22uh

10:23it's typically submitted the 20th of the

10:26month, right around there. Uh Tech-Con

10:29and their team will review it for

10:31it even goes up to anyone on the

10:33committee as well as Joe and then they

10:36uh will vet the key numbers, make sure

10:38that the stored materials are still

10:39there.

10:40Um I know that

10:42uh Joe has gone out to

10:44CJF, who is the

10:46tiler, the

10:48the tile uh sub trade, make sure that

10:50the stored materials were there, and

10:52they were. Um

10:53and I know that Matt from Tech-Con came

10:56up with a long list of items that uh

10:58were responded to and adjusted uh in the

11:01rep that you see today. So, um it goes

11:04through a vetting process

11:06before

11:07it gets signed by myself and Stephen,

11:10so.

11:13I think the amount uh I don't have an

11:15answer for you.

11:17Yeah, if you want to show the agreed

11:18amount, that's

11:24>> Has it been

11:25>> change orders.

11:26>> Has it been Yeah, I was going to say.

11:28Yeah, I was going to say we should do

11:29the change order first.

11:30>> Oh, we can do that.

11:30>> Do you want to start there?

11:31>> Yeah.

11:32>> Oh, wait. Okay.

11:33>> Oh, yeah. Yeah.

11:41>> So, typically

11:43we're going to have a line item agenda

11:45just outlining change orders. And if we

11:47don't need to use it, we won't use it,

11:49but at least it'll be part of the agenda

11:50moving forward. Typically, change orders

11:52are discussed and if the recommendation

11:54from subcommittee is the recommendation

11:57of the full committee, it usually gets

11:59included

12:00uh within the requisition.

12:03So, there change order one

12:05consists of two different items. First

12:07one I discussed last meeting about the

12:09ledge quantities that we encountered

12:11on site around the perimeter of the

12:14foundation.

12:15We quantified them. They gave us the

12:18overall trucking slips associated with

12:21this attached to change order.

12:23There was approximately

12:2518 to 20% reduction in the overall

12:28quantity because when you

12:30when we did the top of the top of rock

12:33and then we went to the bottom of top

12:35of, you know, the density of ledge when

12:38it's in the ground is X. When you break

12:41it up and you put it in a pile and then

12:44haul it out of there, you get a little

12:46bit of a cross contamination of just

12:48soil in general. So, we took a 20%

12:50reduction

12:51off of the quantities that were

12:53submitted and came up with that $138,000

12:57of ledge that was removed out. That was

12:59trucked directly from the site.

13:01Um there is markup with a 15% along with

13:05that, which brought it up to $61,000 for

13:08the overall ledge for that particular

13:11location. In addition to that, there was

13:13a second change. We would we

13:16looked at the drawings and there was a

13:18fire hydrant that was not going to be

13:21necessary on site. So, we took a credit

13:24on that. We've asked them for the

13:25breakout for labor and material which

13:28they provided and it was about a 29,000

13:31in change reduction in the in the

13:34contract. So the net turned out to be

13:36100 and

13:4030 about 160.

13:41>> Yeah, 130.

13:42>> 132,433,75.

13:46We brought it to the sub committee. We

13:47had a

13:48lengthy discussion um

13:50about like

13:52the process and how we got there. Just a

13:54refresher for everybody's memory and to

13:55bring them back up to speed. We did do

13:57test borings and test pits um on site

14:00and we did it a pretty good grid pattern

14:03across the open

14:04the side of that property. Um the

14:07borings and test pits did show on the

14:10report there was resistance and what

14:12resistance could be two two or three

14:14different things but typically it's

14:16either rocks or ledge and they

14:18identified it on the

14:20uh

14:21on the geo tech report. What we did as a

14:24team, we carried a certain value of uh

14:28ledge removal. Um obviously you know as

14:31the ledge was discovered it was higher

14:33up towards the Dunkin Donuts property

14:35and then

14:36tapered off towards the parking lot

14:38section. Obviously uh and the quantities

14:41were reflected in that as well.

14:43So this is what we captured. We uh with

14:45our on site rep as well as our team

14:48every week has been

14:49uh reviewing the information and the

14:51topographical um

14:54report that came

14:55the side of your and our team just to

14:57make sure that you know everybody's

14:59playing by the same rules.

15:03Any questions?

15:05>> [clears throat]

15:06>> We anticipate just so we're all clear,

15:08we're we anticipate another

15:11uh round of ledge uh

15:13around the apron area and some of the uh

15:16drainage and infrastructure on the

15:18outside of the foundation is being

15:20quantified right now. We've been

15:22senseless. We're probably going to

15:24schedule another meeting with the

15:26uh change order committee just to

15:27discuss those quantities. We'll present

15:29it to them and give them the facts

15:31associated with that. And I'll probably

15:33present to that on next week.

15:35That should be the

15:37majority

15:38of ledge discovered. We're We're We

15:40would have exposed it and at least

15:43uh removed it so that in the near future

15:45we won't have to deal with it.

15:46The good news is imported material uh

15:49we're going to get a break on that

15:50because obviously some of the ledge

15:51that's uh leaving is going to be uh

15:54crushed and it's going to be utilized

15:56for uh

15:58material back on site as you know kind

16:00of fill in some of the

16:01uh structural fill if if it passes

16:04specification. So, it'll be It should be

16:07uh

16:08a a net not favorable to us.

16:13Questions at all?

16:15>> I was just going to say so the change

16:17order subcommittee did meet yesterday

16:20to review the two items that are here

16:22plus the future

16:24um item and uh the three of us agreed to

16:28um

16:29essentially bring this forward to the

16:30committee for full approval. The The two

16:32items I think we've felt that there was

16:34enough information backing it to go

16:37ahead and and approve those.

16:39Um we did get the

16:40sort of we had some requests on some

16:42additional uh formatting and and the way

16:45we want to see this going forward so

16:47that we uh

16:49basically we get

16:50material and labor separated out when we

16:52get these change orders and and some you

16:55know, formatting and presentation things

16:57as well.

16:58Um so, the the change order here and I

17:01had

17:01assumed we're okay with those two items

17:03and calling it change order one versus

17:05having two change orders.

17:06>> change order one. It It was

17:08It was produced from bid docs and signed

17:11by both uh director back here, OPW.

17:14>> So.

17:15>> Yes, so that second round of ledge will

17:16be

17:17PC of three or four depending on when

17:19>> Yeah.

17:21Cuz there's a couple of just to be

17:22clear, it's change order one but the

17:25it's proposed change order is that gate

17:26compass it could be you know, one it

17:28could be seven. That gets included in

17:30change order.

17:33>> Can I just through the chair ask how

17:35does

17:36uh the cost get calculated? Is it square

17:38foot? Is it by pound? Is it by ton?

17:40>> It's by unit cost. So uh we have in the

17:44documents we we felt we're going to

17:46encounter so we asked them for even the

17:48price on that. It was part of the um bid

17:51documents and part of the specifications

17:53and we calculated off of that.

17:56>> And is it split between the cost of

17:58breaking it up and getting out of the

17:59ground and trucking it off?

18:00>> Combination.

18:02So it's means and methods. I mean I've

18:04seen people remove legs by blasting as

18:07well. It's it's by unit price.

18:09Based on that.

18:10>> Thank you.

18:11>> You're welcome.

18:16>> [clears throat]

18:16>> Any other questions?

18:18Comments?

18:19>> Okay.

18:20>> Okay.

18:21Thank you.

18:22>> Take a vote.

18:24>> Um

18:26It is change It is change order one in

18:28the uh

18:31It's not in requisition three though, is

18:32it?

18:33>> Yeah.

18:34>> It's not.

18:34>> No, it'll be in four.

18:35>> Okay.

18:37Okay.

18:39So um

18:41taking one at a time then. So

18:42change order one

18:45He's presented the uh subcommittee met

18:47on it and looked at it and everything

18:48made the recommendations.

18:50Um there's no other questions or

18:52comments and stuff. I'd entertain a

18:53motion to approve

18:55change order one.

18:56>> So I'll move that we approve change

18:59order number one dated August 11th, 2026

19:03for a total of $132,433.75.

19:13>> Okay, so you have a motion. Motion to

19:15approve change order one. Do we have a

19:17second?

19:18>> I'll make a second on that.

19:21>> Second.

19:22>> And

19:23>> Okay.

19:25Um so motion to approve change order one

19:28dated 11/20/26

19:31for $132,433.75.

19:35Um all those in favor?

19:37>> Aye.

19:37>> Aye. Thank you. All those opposed?

19:39That's approved.

19:41>> Okay.

19:41>> [clears throat]

19:42>> So yeah, change order one will be

19:43included in pay requisition four next

19:46month.

19:46>> Okay.

19:47>> Why'd you give me this?

19:48>> So

19:50>> Well, I can probably It's online.

19:52>> Okay, so why'd you give me this?

19:53>> I don't know if anyone wanted it I had a

19:56hard copy of it.

19:56>> Oh.

19:58>> But you Joe has one online, but we don't

19:59need it.

20:00>> Okay.

20:01>> Um

20:03and then

20:05requisition three was sent out to

20:07everybody in their packets and stuff. I

20:08don't know if there's any questions,

20:09comments

20:11on what was presented and stuff

20:14for requisition three?

20:26>> All right. Can we put that up with the

20:28Do you have that accurate?

20:29>> Yeah, I have it, but I didn't

20:31>> Do you have a copy? I just want to

20:34give the total, I guess, when we get

20:36there.

20:39>> I think I have it.

20:40>> 27,000 you have?

20:41>> Okay.

20:42>> But the

20:43>> Yeah.

20:43>> permitting fees included in that?

20:47>> Only a portion. So

20:49the interest

20:50>> Yes.

20:52>> Not all.

20:53There are like um

20:56there was one or two permits that were

20:58outside of

21:00standard practice that

21:04>> Well, I saw

21:05two of them in two of them there. At

21:07least at least two.

21:08>> Right. Okay.

21:15They were waived by the town. So, we'd

21:17expect that money back.

21:20>> On those two, I'm I'm pretty sure we and

21:23I have I'll check with the chief. He was

21:24looking at it. Those two entities were

21:26the only two that were re-charged with

21:28the project.

21:29I don't know the reason behind it but

21:31I'll check.

21:32>> Okay.

21:33>> Right now, we're tracking the fee

21:35waivers.

21:36>> I mean, it's like $3,000 total or

21:38something.

21:40>> Most

21:41most projects in the Commonwealth, they

21:43tend not to bond

21:45revenue fees. Now, I've had it where

21:48they include revenue fees in my day.

22:02Typically,

22:04you know, most

22:15>> Cuz like the water district is separate,

22:17so any any permit fees there the town

22:20doesn't

22:22Yeah, so that would have to be paid but

22:23adding anything to the town, I I

22:25wouldn't want to pay.

22:37>> [laughter]

22:50>> No, I was just wondering, you know, why

22:51we were paying us to pay us.

22:59Okay.

23:14>> She has the email.

23:16>> What?

23:17>> You got it. Okay.

23:19>> Are we ready?

23:21Anyone else?

23:23All right.

23:24I'm going to make a motion that we

23:26approve requisition three

23:28uh for the total of $970,158.73.

23:38>> All right. There's a motion to approve

23:40requisition three. Uh

23:42do we have a second?

23:43>> Second.

23:44>> Do we have a second?

23:46Um

23:48So

23:49uh the motion and the second to to

23:52approve requisition three for nine

23:54hundred seventy thousand one hundred

23:57fifty-eight and seventy-three cents. Um

24:01So all those in favor?

24:03>> Aye.

24:03>> Aye.

24:04>> All those opposed?

24:05It's approved.

24:15All right. Um

24:18So I think our next agenda item is the

24:19second public comment section and still

24:22no public comment here.

24:24Um So right now tentative our next

24:28meeting would be September 15th.

24:31Um

24:32and we may

24:34make that a site visit with site visit

24:36first and then come here or do

24:38something.

24:38>> I think I'd rather meet right on site.

24:41>> All right. Good week.

24:41>> So you could make arrangements with the

24:43proper cable television

24:45>> Do a remote. Yeah. Yeah.

24:47>> You could have the meeting in the truck.

24:48>> Okay.

24:49>> And then

24:52>> Alternatively too, I don't know if West

24:54Street would be open, but I know it's a

24:56close quarters to the site to be sure.

24:59>> It's all or nothing as far away from

25:01anything.

25:02>> [laughter]

25:03>> This is pretty close, too.

25:05>> Oh, it is?

25:06>> It's down the street.

25:07>> Yeah, I got to came a different way,

25:08huh?

25:09>> Yeah.

25:09>> I don't mind that. Sorry, scratch that.

25:12Yeah, but on-site definitely. We should

25:13like if we would

25:15you want to meet on-site prior? I don't

25:17know if everyone's available like half

25:19hour or before like 5:30-ish?

25:22You wanted to like you know what I mean?

25:24Like meet as a Yeah, meet as a committee

25:26there, walk the site, and then go to the

25:28trailer have the meeting that way you

25:30know kind of what we're talking about

25:32and see if you guys

25:33reply to us.

25:35Give you an update, which I'm sure we

25:37will.

25:38>> Yep.

25:38>> Yep.

25:39>> Okay.

25:39>> Yeah.

25:41>> Sounds good.

25:43All right. So, I guess that brings us to

25:45the end of our agenda for tonight. So,

25:47take a motion to adjourn.

25:49>> So moved.

25:51>> And all those in favor?

25:53>> I

25:53I think we need a second.

25:54>> Wait a minute.

25:55>> Second.

25:56>> Second.

25:57>> It's all moved.

25:58>> All those in favor?

25:59>> Aye.

25:59>> We're there.

26:00>> Thank you.