Oswegatchie Fire Station Building Committee - Minutes - 03/05/2024

FIFTEEN ROPE FERRY ROAD. WATERFORD, CT 06386-2886
Oswegatchie Fire Station Building Committee Minutes
March 5, 2024
L. Meeting called to order at 6:30pm
2. Pledge of Allegiance
Members Present: Robert Tuneski, Ted Olynciw, Beth Sabilia, Richard Muckle, Jen Bracciale,
Paul Rafuse, Wayne Gilpin, Rocco Bracciale
Members Absent: Matthew Blankenship
Guests: Brian Baker, Atty. Nick Kepple, Twig Holland, Director Michael Howley, Steve Smith
3. Public Comment
Brian Baker ~ 55 year member and past chief of Oswegatchie Fire Department provided
his Thoughts and Considerations. (Attachment 1)
R. Muckle agreed with the preservation of the gravesite during demolition.
Steve Smith is a resident of Waterford and is the Project Executive with Downes
Construction. Is in attendance to hear what is going on and to keep informed as Downes
was selected as Program Manager.
4. Opening Remarks: None
5. Program Manager Selection Status:
B, Tuneski reported the letter to the Board of Selectmen requesting funding in the amount
of $306,650.00 for the selected Downes Construction Program Manager was approved
unanimously. This request will be forwarded to the Board of Finance and then on to the
RTM meeting in April. Authorization for expenditures will be given after all boards
approve the funding.
The term Project Manager will be used going forward.

Review and acceptance of meeting minutes of 2/27/24:
MOTION by T. Olynciw, second by P. Rafuse to approve the minutes of 2/27/24
with the amendment to complete the missing information in the first 3 motions:
a) Individual making and seconding the motion
b) Outcome of the vote
And to correct the vote for the Project Manager from unanimous to 5-2
FOR: T. Olynciw, J. Bracciale, R. Muckle, W. Gilpin, P. Rafuse, B. Tuneski
ABSTAIN: B. Sabilia
R. Bracciale arrived following the vote
6. PFAS Phase I Proposal Selection:
The Purchasing Agent received proposals from Barton & Loguidice and Wright-Pierce,
both the Town's on-call engineering firms and provided a fee mode! for committee
members. (Attachment2) T. Olynciw clarified what a Phase I study entails: Going
through archives of the Town and State. It does not include digging or sampling. A
discussion of the proposals ensued.
MOTION by T. Olynciw, second by B. Sabilia to award the Phase I project for
439 and 441 Boston Post Road to Barton & Loguidice
Discussion - T. Olynciw commented that PFAS falls under Phase [ and would
like the engineer to indicate if they will be testing for PFAS.
VOTE: Unanimous
7. Discussion of Design Attributes:
B. Tuneski identified three elements that drive the space of the building:
a) Staffing
b) Number of apparatus bays
©) Conference/training room
Director Howley was given the floor:
a) This new building is not the only firehouse in Waterford
b) The new building is intended to be staffed with career firefighters
c) The current training room gets quite packed during trainings
4d) There should be a maximum of 6 individual bunkrooms (dependent on square
footage)
€) There should be a minimum of 3 drive through bays with all being the same size
£) Will need larger, wider doors ~ 10°w x 14’h ~ To tilt the cab indoors for servicing
there are doors that follow the slope of the roof rather than rising at a 90° angle.
Apparatus sizes are continuously increasing.
Action Item ~ Members to compile questions for a loose framework of needs to challenge
the accuracy of those needs and find information that justifies these needs. Members
should email these questions to Director Howley and ce the Recording Secretary who
will then compile these needs.

8. New Business:
‘T. Olynciw submitted emails he had sent to the Recording Secretary. He also had a list
of questions for the architect.
B. Tuneski will take these questions to the architect and bring answers back to the
committee.
Due to a misunderstanding of the RTM’s charge to the committee, Attorney Kepple gave
his opinion of the charge for the committee members via telephone. T. Olynciw emailed
Atty. Kepple the following day for his opinion — email attached. (Attachment 3)
JM. Albaine re-evaluated the Oswegatchie facility. Updated findings received by
Director Howley. (Attachment 4) Recording Secretary will email document to committee
members.
MOTION by R. Muckle, second by W. Gilpin to adjourn
VOTE: Unanimous
Meeting adjourned 8:06pm.
Respectfully submitted by
Linda Finnegan, Recording Secretary

Attachment 1
Oswegatchie Fire Company #4 New Station
Thoughts and Considerations 03/05/24
1. Since we don’t have a crystal ball and are not aware of what the Economic
Development Commission and Planning Department have in mind, the building
should be designed with the future needs of the Fire Service and Town. Price should
not be the determining factor of doing what's physically and morally responsible for
the taxpayers of the town. It is less expensive to build it now than making costly
renovations in the future. Take a proactive approach and do it right the first time.
2. The building should be designed with the cost of ownership to the Town in mind
especially if it is being designed to have a life expectancy of 50 plus years.
3. Building construction techniques such as masonry exterior walls and a peaked
metal roof should be strongly considered. A/C should be installed & propane heat
should be considered so it could be easily modified for natural gas if it became
available in the future.
4, Bays should be double deep with drive through feature for easy egress and exit and
accommodate a minimum of 4-6 apparatus. They should be sized to accommodate a
minimum ofa 50’ long aerial fire apparatus. Doors should have an overall width of
12’ and overall height of 14’. Floor drains should be installed for washing of
apparatus and equipment.
5. Building should be constructed to accommodate a whole house generator, cascade
compressor and fill station, hose washer and dryer, turn out gear washer and dryer
with plumbing/electric installed for a second unit. Gender specific sleeping quarters
and bathrooms, training/meeting room, day room, kitchen area and Chiefs office at a
minimum.
6. Keep in mind the history of this department and make accommodations to display
artifacts and maintain them.
7. Inthe grass area behind the current day room is where the Departments Dalmatian
Mack is buried and the area is identified with a grave marker. In front of the building
is a Fire Department granite monument, bench in the memory of a deceased
member and flag pole. All should be relocated to memorialize the history of the
Department. Over the bay doors on the front of the original structure constructed in
1929 is a sign with the Departments name that should be incorporated into the new
structure design.
Brian E. Baker
Past Chief Oswegatchie Fire Co. #4 Inc.

‘E441
Boston
Post
Road
Fee
Mode
for
Environmental
Study
Costs
Description
Barton
&
Loguidice
Phase
1ESAS
ot
-10-
exceed
SE600
‘$6600
inclides
both
parcels
Description
Wright
Pierce
[Phase
|:
Task
2
Hazardous
Materials
$500
per
parce!
[Surveys
&
Sampling
‘$14,800,
Phase
|
Proposed
Total
Fee
JPhase
ll;
Task
1
Preliminary
Site
Inspectc|
‘000
rask
4
Reporting,
Data
5
notto-exceed
$52,852
Phase
|
&
|
Total
Fee|
notto-exceed
$43,125
$48
for
Chatfield
TEM
Follow
up|
ai
$585
for
PCB
anaiysi|

Robert Tuneski <j_robert_tuneski@sbcglobal.net>
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 6:59 PM
Linda Finnegan
Fwd: RTM charge to form a Building Committee for the Oswegatchie Fire House.
| CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. 1
1 Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender's email address and know the
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
content is safe.
See eS ata Param eo = ------
From: Nicholas Kepple <nkepple@sswbgg.com>
Dats
March 6, 2024 at 2:52:11 PM EST
To: Robert Tuneski <j_robert_tuneski@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Fwd: RTM charge to form a Building Committee for the Oswegatchie Fire House.
FYI. Nick
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Nicholas Kepple <NKepple@sswbgg com>
Date: March 6, 2024 at 1:54:59 PM EST
To: Ted Olynciw <tedolynciw@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: RTM charge to form a Bi
Fire House.
g Committee for the Oswegatchie
Ted. My opinion remains what I stated last nite, that my recollection is the
“repair” amendment arose to deal with the specific circumstance of the
Committee having the authority to make repairs to the building during the design
and building ofa replacement facility.
Nick
Sent from my iPhone
On Mar 6, 2024, at 1:38 PM, Ted Olynciw
<tedolynciw@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hello Nick,

During last night's meeting of the Oswegatchie Fire House
Building Committee Bob Tuneski called you and asked your
interpretation of the charge issued by the RTM on
2/6/2013. | believe your comment was that the Committee
was charged to design & build a new Fire Station.
The original motion was as follows:
" due to the extremely deterioration condition of the
Oswegatchie Fire Station, that it be replaced with a new
building: and recommend that the RTM establish a building
committee to oversee its design and construction”
The motion was amended to add “repaired and or" prior to
the word "replaced".
So, the new motion that was approved now says " due to the
extremely deterioration of the Oswegatchie Fire Station the it
be REPAIRED AND OR REPLACED with a new building:
and recommend the the RTM establish a building committee
to oversee its design and construction
My understand is that the building committee is charged with
either repairing the existing or building a new building,
Others of the Committee stated that the charge is only to
design & build a new Fire Station.
Now that you have the actual motion, what is your opinion on
the intent of the motion that was approved by the RTM?
Thanks
Ted Olynciw

Attachment 4
JM, ALBAINE ENGINEERING, LLC
14 Lincoln Road, Waterford, CT 06385 Email: jma724@snet.net
www.JMAlbaineEng.com
Oswegatchie Fire Station ‘Temporary Framing Inspection
441 Boston Post Road, Waterford CT REPORT #2 —— March 4, 2024
(eemeres]
Att. Michael Howley
Director of Fire Services
Public Safety Building
204 Boston Post Road
Waterford, CT 06385
Subject: Oswegatchie Fire Station
Inspection /Assessment: Building Structural Safety
Project # JMA22-327-062
The following is a follow-up to our visual inspection conducted in October 1*, 2022 and
documented on Reference No. 4 on page 3 of this report. Our objective is to provide an
update of the current structural condition of the overall building shoring as designed and
constructed per our recommendations in 2011. | met with Rocco Bracciale and Wayne
Gilpin at the Fire station for a visual inspection / walk through conducted on February
17, 2024.
cutive Summary:
The installed temporary shoring on the original building under scope, built in 1928, is in
good condition and no significant sign of distress or deficiency was observed nor
detected that may indicate a concern regarding the safety of the building, specifically
the roof of the older section (1928) in the current condition as supported by the shoring.
The shoring is holding up the damaged main roof over the Apparatus Room, Day Room,
Hall Room, and Kitchen, all located in the older building, the subject of the shoring.
Moreover, the intersecting roof framing between the 1928 structure and the flat roof
from the 1985 structure is a critical area where lots of damage on the roof rafters have
been observed due to the flat roof bearing on the older 1928 roof.
In addition, an area on the roof intersection between the 1928 & 1985 (Area 1, see
Page 4) was observed where the sheathing (the decking between the roof joists)
appears moisture saturated, with significant water damage, though no leaks were seen
‘on the day of the inspection.
Furthermore, another that was pointed out is a soft area on the flat section of the roof on
the 1985 building, see Area 2, Photo 2 on page 5. This section has not been supported
by our office.
As per the previous report (Ref. 4): it is our opinion that the temporary shoring is not a
substitute for the overall building stability as stated in Reference 1 above and quoted
below:
JM Albaine Engineering, LLC- 860-705-1631 860-439-1111 Page 1 of 5

Oswegatchie Fire Station Temporary Framing Inspection
441 Boston Post Road, Waterford CT REPORT #2 —March 4, 2024
“Please note that the installed temporary shoring served the function of stabilizing the roof to
prevent a sudden roof collapse. The shoring are designed to provide a safe working
area/platform during the projected work to repair or replace the roof; this framework has
been designed for temporary application as other elements such as the exterior walls are
subject to local or global failure (such as from high wind pressure or suction induced by
hurricane forces).”
It is factual that since the installation of the shoring, the building has been subject
to two major hurricane forces, Irene in August 2011 and Sandy in October 2012.
These hurricanes had wind velocity of 66 mph & 80 mph respectively, and the
building withstood these forces with no major consequences.
The deficient roof framing is being supported by the shoring, however it will be
‘subject to deterioration when water intrusion is present which will further weaken
such framing. It is imperative to keep the existing roof framing in a dry condition.
Furthermore, the current Connecticut Building Code (2022) requires building to
be designed for a wind velocity of 108 mph in Waterford, which translates to
building forces increment of 82% above those from Hurricane Sandy, therefore
presenting a high risk of building damage and stability in the case that such
storm may come through our area.
Conclusion:
The shoring installed in 2011 are providing the required support as originally
intended, mainly reinforcing the weaken roof framing over the Apparatus Room,
Dispatcher Room, Day Room, Hall Roo, and the kitchen. These shoring were
installed principally because of the dismal condition of the roof framing (see Ref.
#2).
The shoring was found in good conditions with negligent movement changes
since they were installed, thus ensuring the safe function of those areas under
potential heavy snowstorms.
However, the existing roof framing was stabilized by providing vertical supports
at the peak (ridge) down to solid structure and reinforcing the existing rafter tie
connections to the existing rafters (refer to Reference 3, Section “A”, Dwg S-2
and Section “B" Dwg. S-3). The existing rafters (2 x 6 @ 24” on-center) were not
reinforced at the time due to the nature of the work (temporary), and they remain
the weakest link in the chain as water intrusion from the roof will further
deterioration on such elements of the roof framing.
JM Albaine Engineering, LLC - Waterford, CT 06385 860-705-1631 Page 20f 5

Oswegatchie Fire Station Temporary Framing Inspection
441 Boston Post Road, Waterford CT REPORT #2 ---March 4, 2024
Regarding the building lateral stability caused by hurricane induced lateral forces
and to a lesser degree seismic forces, the area of the building under
consideration is vulnerable as reported previously due to the weakened state of
the exterior walls specially in the Apparatus Room as previously reported.
Although the building has withstood two significant hurricane events in the last 12
years, there still exist a significant risk of building overall stability if a significant
hurricane passes through the areas because of the condition of the exterior
bearing wall (shear walls) and the existing roof rafters that were not reinforced at
the time of the installation of the shoring.
Current Recommendations:
The two areas mentioned above, where roof soft spots, indicating water
saturation of the decking, were flagged, should be repaired as long as the
Buildings’ functional life is extended in the foreseeable future, and best time to
repair these areas in the coming Summer time.
{ trust this information is adequate for your needs. If you have any questions or desire
further information regarding this report, please contact me at your convenience.
Respectfully submitted,
Dr cle
Jose-Miguel Albaine, M.S., P.E.
Consulting Design-Structural Engineer
Reference Documents
1) Report / Letter dated March 6, 2011 by JM Albaine Engineering - Project # JMA10-
327-06.
2) Report / Letter dated February 5, 2011 by JM Albaine Engineering - Project # JMA10-
327-08
3) Design /As-Built Drawings By JM Albaine Engineering S-1 to S-7, Revision 2, dated
March 05, 2011.
4) Report / Latter dated October 31%", 2022 by JM Albaine Engineering — Project #
JMA22-327-062
JM Albaine Engineering, LLC - Waterford, CT 06385 860-705-1631 Page 3 0f 5

Oswegatchie Fire Station Temporary Framing Inspection
441 Boston Post Road, Waterford CT REPORT #2 —March 4, 2024
AREA 1: INTERSECTION
(OF 1920 & 1985 ROOF
e!
PHOTO 14
JM Albaine Engineering, LLC - Waterford, CT 06385 860-705-1631 Page 4 of 5

Oswegatchie Fire Station Temporary Framing Inspection
441 Boston Post Road, Waterford CT REPORT #2 ---March 4, 2024
AREA 2: FLAT ROOF SECTION
(1985 BUILDING)
PHOTO 2
JM Albaine Engineering, LLC - Waterford, CT 06385 860-705-1634 Page 5 of 5