Oswegatchie Fire Station Building Committee - Minutes - 01/08/2024

FIFTEEN ROPE FERRY ROAD (WATERFORD, CT 06385-2886
Oswegatchie Fire Station Building Committee Special Meeting
Minutes
January 8, 2024
Zoom
Meeting called to order at 6:00pm
Pledge of Allegiance
Members Present: Robert Tuneski, Jennifer Bracciale Rocco Bracciale, Wayne Gilpin, Ted Olynciw,
Beth Sabilia, Paul Rafuse
Members Not Present: Matthew Blankenship
Guests: Michael Howley, Attomey Nick Kepple
Public Comment: None
Atty, N. Kepple interim building repairs — committee can go back for supplemental
appropriation. Twig’s number analysis is not the mid-point of the high and the low of SP&A
rather it takes the conservative approach going with the higher numbers. So First Selectman
Brule feels money is already built into the number we are requesting that could be used to
address repairs as they arise.
R. Tuneski provided, to committee members, a copy of the Memorandum to be presented to the
Board of Selectman and in turn request it be forwarded to the Board of Finance. Questions
regarding certain wording in the Memorandum were fielded.
T. Olynciw asked if there is a signed lease between the Town and the Oswegatchie Department.
Atty. N. Kepple indicated there should be executed documents, Purchase of Sale Agreement,
Lease and MOU by 2/5/24.
T. Olynciw asked how to respond to the boards if they ask what the overall cost of the building is
going to be. B. Tuneski and B. Sabilia both agreed to give them the cost per square foot of
$815.00.

+B, Sabilia questioned what the policies and procedures are that still need to be written. R.
Bracciale clarified these are like House Rules.
+ J. Bracciale and Director Howley indicated square footage has yet to be determined. Therefore,
it is unknown what the actual cost of the project will be.
+ A debate regarding spending money until property is owned took place. It was determined a vote
should be taken to close off the debate question.
Call the Question - B. Sabilia indicated in her 20 plus years in elected office has seen this
type of vote only once and feels it is inappropriate and feels the motion to move a
question is unnecessary as the conversation had played itself out.
Audible Vote:
B, Sabilia— No
J. Bracciale — Yes
R. Bracciale— Yes
T. Olynciw ~ No
R. Muckle - Yes
W. Gilpin — Yes
P. Rafuuse ~ Yes (Thumbs up)
R. Tuneski - Yes
Motion by B. Sabilia to accept the Memorandum to the BOS, BOF, and RTM (Attachment 1) as written
which states:
“The building committee is requesting an additional appropriation from the town
of $140,000. $126,000.00 of the additional funds will be used to pay the architectural
firm and its specialty subcontractors and $18,855 will be available to the Committee
to address necessary maintenance or repair to the existing Fire Station until its replacement
is complete.”
with the added language that the request for funding is contingent to site control as evidenced by the
execution of a Purchase of Sale and ancillary documents (ie., lease, deed and MOU) prior to the RTM
meeting on 2/5/24.
Second ~ T. Olynciw
Audible Vote— Unanimous (P. Rafuse indicated by Thumbs up)
Motion carries
Motion to adjourn - R. Muckle
Second — B. Sabilia
Meeting adjourned ~ 7:00pm
Respectfully submitted by:
Linda Finnegan, Recording Secretary

(Attachment 1)
FIFTEEN ROPE FERRY ROAD. WATERFORD, CT 06385-2886
Memorandum
To: Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, Representative Town Meeting
From: Oswegatchie Building Committee Chair Robert Tuneski on behalf of the Committee
On February 6, 2023, the Waterford Representative Town Meeting created a Building
Committee for the Oswegatchie fire station to supervise interim renovations as required and plan
for and manage the replacement of the fire station, as a Town-owned facility. The Building
Committee has met 14 times since last May, usually twice a month, to pursue these
responsibilities. In November 2023, a request for proposals (RFP) was issued by the Committee
through Waterford's purchasing agent Shea Davy. Two firms responded to the RFP: Silver
Petrocelli and Associates (SP&A) of New Haven and New London and the Galante Studio from
Cambridge MA. The candidates were interviewed last week and the committee voted to select
SP&A, based on their extensive experience designing numerous fire stations across Connecticut
of diverse size and cost as well as their proximity to Waterford and significantly lower cost than
the Galante firm. A summary of the two bidders’ proposals is attached for your review prepared
by the Committee’s procurement consultant, retired Fairfield Connecticut purchasing agent Twig
Holland.
The town has approximately $204,855 remaining from an earlier appropriation for the previous
Fire Station Building Committee’s efforts in 2018. Since the award to SP&A will be a
commitment of approximately $326,000, the building committee is requesting an additional
appropriation from the town of $140,000. $126,000 of the additional funds will be used to pay
the architectural firm and its specialty subcontractors and $18,855 will be available to the
Committee to address necessary maintenance or repair to the existing Fire Station until its
replacement is complete.
SP&A anticipates commencing its work this March and will collaborate with the Committee to
design the new building during 2024. The goal will be to commence construction in the spring of
2025 and SP&A’s early target completion date is the spring of 2026. On behalf of the residents
and property owners who will benefit from this critical public safety and property protection
initiative, the Committee appreciates careful consideration of this request by the Selectmen,
Board of Finance and RTM members. We would be pleased to provide any additional
information you might require.