Meeting Minutes
FALMOUTH EDIC OPEN MEETING: Jun 28, 2016
Town Hall, Selectmen’s Meeting Room
Falmouth, MA
PRESENT
Mike Galasso (Ch), Jay Zavala (Clerk), Sue Moran, Jim Fox, Brooks Bartlett
8:30am
CALL TO ORDER
The Chairman welcomed everyone called the meeting to order as a quorum was established.
8:31am
PUBLIC COMMENT
The chairman asked if there was anyone here to speak that was not on the agenda. There was none.
8:34am
STAFFING NEEDS
The chairman said that he had circulated a draft for discussion on the subject of a job description for the EDIC project manager. He then asked if there were any questions. Fox asked know how this position overlapped with the Clerk of the Works for the Falmouth Station. The chairman said that for the Clerk of the Works performs a different function although they may overlap. Zavala asked if this job description was developed to our specific needs or was this a generic one for a project manager. The chairman said that it was a combination of the two. He said he added what he thought was appropriate to the two projects we currently have and that we can modify it as we see fit. Moran asked if he prepared it or did someone else as this was a lot of work to develop. She was concerned that there would be duplicating efforts on the two positions. The chairman stated that he took David Eldredge’s draft and improved it. The EDIC needs this position as there are many items that come up and the EDIC just can’t let the project manager run with it as he or she see fit. The direction would come from the project manager. Fox asked how long this position would last. The chairman responded that they would end when the two current projects were completed. Fox added that he has been on the Solar Array since its inception and he would like to see it completed. The chairman said that if we didn’t need them to supply any time on the “Solar Project” then they would not bill any time to that project. The chair added that if he (Fox) is comfortable to oversee the whole project a project manager would not be necessary. Zavala was concerned that the contract have a specific task order for a specific project and when that ends the contract would be complete. He added that requirements placed in the RFP distinguish between project management and the clerk of the works. The chairman said that when the EDIC hires someone to draw up the RFP it can be incorporated into it. Moran said that it would be to our advantage to make it project specific. Bartlett brought up the position of Administrative Assistant and thought that the position that we are talking about could eventually evolve into one. Zavala said that he has a different perspective on it. He said that the hiring process for an employee is completely different than hiring a contractor and that process includes salary and benefits. Moran added that in hiring a clerk of the works they must have extensive experience in the type of construction relating to the project. It would be very different than someone in administration doing research and carrying out the daily tasks for the committee. The chairman then asked “where do we want to go with this position”. Zavala added that the board should review the RFP that goes out and also be part of the interviewing process. Moran made a motion that the Board empower the Chair to contract with the sub-contractor to review both projects (FS & Landfill) with respect to hiring an owner’s representative which would include a review of the architect’s contract as well as the Clerk of the Works job descriptions be reviewed and that the job description for an Owners Representative not overlap either of those job descriptions and that the limit for the position in terms of budget be $10,000.00 for the FS project and $5,000.00 for the Solar Project. And also the board then review (evaluate and award) the RFPs and interview any prospective applicants. Zavala seconded the motion. Fox interjected that he is applying for a building permit tomorrow with the contractor and that he did not see the need to spend $5,000.00 for the Solar Project as we would be well into the completion of the project (Solar) by the time we hire a project manager for it. Fox said he volunteered to be in charge of the project and would like to keep it that way. As a result Moran made an amendment to her motion to exclude the $5,000.00 for the Landfill Project Manager. Zavala seconded the amendment to exclude the $5,000.00 for the Landfill Project. The amendment to the original motion passed unanimously. Before the final vote on the original motion the chairman said he needed the RFP available to circulate before the next meeting to discuss and approve. Zavala said he would put it on the agenda. The chairman said he would need some help so he will get copies of the contracts we have with the architect and the Clerk of the Works so that maybe he (Zavala) could get together with Audrey and draft the RFP. Zavala agreed to it as the chairman acknowledged his experience and expertise in this area. The original motion with the amendment was finally voted on and passed unanimously.
9:05am
HOUSING PRODUCTION PLAN UPDATE REQUEST
The chairman reviewed that in 2014 Judy Barret from RKG issued the Housing Demand Report for Falmouth. He said it was missing the number of apartments, studios, one bedroom, and single family homes that were needed. There was no statistical analysis. It also did not tell us what resources such as land or money would be needed. Virginia Carmichael, Chair of the Community Preservation Committee, stepped up to the lectern. Recently she contacted the chairman and asked if it was needed. Galasso said absolutely not only as a developer of affordable housing and also for future policy making done by the town. Carmichael contacted RKG to get a proposal to see if we could get this info and found the cost would be $7,500.00. The chairman thought that it could be something we would consider funding. She referred to the report pointing out that it is full of demographic information and numbers on types of housing trends in Falmouth but it doesn’t put the two together. Therefore, it doesn’t give priorities or scale. We don’t know the range of units needed for the most needy groups, and it doesn’t specify the income groups that are in the greatest need. Carmichael then gave the Board a brief personal history that was very impressive. Carmichael said that the 2014 Housing Demand Report makes some really powerful suggestions, such as, Falmouth needs a Housing Coordinator, the Falmouth Affordable Housing Fund needs a business plan with goals and objectives and an action plan, Zoning bylaw changes that are more friendly to Affordable Housing, and we need a workshop summit of all interested parties to talk about how to move forward. She said it would be great if there was area in this report that we could put our voice behind. Carmichael then introduced Holly Wilson. She is the current chairman of the Affordable Housing Committee. Holly went over a housing needs assessment that was done in 2007. That report has the information that is missing from the Housing Demand Report. The floor was then opened up to questions. One item of concern was the freshness of the data. Zavala stated that he did not want the EDIC to do the Planning Boards work, but said that this would be a great item to show the selectmen how the EDIC spends its resources to support education and the information necessary for other things to occur to stabilize and improve our economy. He sees this as an opportunity to show the selectmen that the monies that we earn are being used to improve the economy. Carmichael wanted to make it clear by saying that we are not bringing you a proposal and asking for funds. We are saying this is a need and if you think that you have any capacity for filling it we think it’s a need that would serve a lot of different kinds of people in making housing decisions. Moran made a motion to empower the chair to research asking the original contractor to add this final element and to be convinced that it is her data through town counsel. The chair reviewed that once we have the information from Frank and a proposal we will decide if we want to fund it at next month’s meeting. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
9:25am
FINANCE WARRANT
Zavala presented a warrant prepared by Langlais for $ 5,755.00. The motion was made to approve the warrant. It was seconded and passed unanimously.
9:30am
ADJOURNMENT
NEXT MEETING
July 12, 2016, 8:30AM, TOWN HALL
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