Back to Permanent Building and Facilities Management Study Committee Meeting Minutes
Town of Hingham
Permanent Building and Facilities Management Study Committee
October 21, 2010 Meeting Minutes
Hingham Town Hall
Present: Committee Members Fernandes, MacKinnon, Manley, Seelen, Wilcox.
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1. Call to order
Jerry Seelen called the Committee meeting to order at approximately 5:30 PM.
2. Review of Background Material
The Committee discussed the overview of the building committee issue that had been presented to the Board of Selectmen. There was general consensus that establishing a more permanent, standing building committee structure for the Town's design, construction, major renovation, and facilities management processes would be a significant improvement over the current process of using ad hoc, project-specific building committees. The Committee discussed related issues, such as: qualifications to serve on a standing building committee; the potential sizes of projects that the committee would handle; the potential project types that the committee would handle (e.g., buildings, renovations, site construction); the potential types of projects that the committee would not handle (e.g., road work, utility work); Town agencies or groups that might not be within the committee's jurisdiction; the relationship of the committee's responsibilities to those of the Capital Outlay Committee; and various other details, all to be worked out over the next several months.
The Committee discussed the notion of a facilities study and master plan for all the Town's properties. There was general consensus that such studies would help the Town to better manage its physical assets.
The Committee agreed that, regardless of the final decision that the Town might make concerning a change of our design, construction, and property management processes, the results of the Committee's efforts could be incorporated into a reference manual for the use of future building committees and/or Town staff.
3. Committee Goals and Timetable
The Committee's goal is to recommend a by-law proposal, plus associated Warrant article(s), for the 2011 Annual Town Meeting. The Committee recognizes that the Board of Selectmen is encouraging the completion of Warrant articles as early as possible, so the Committee will attempt to complete its recommendations by mid-December.
4. Committee Outreach
Heads of Town departments and other Town groups that might have an interest in the details of this discussion will be invited to the next Committee meeting to make sure that potential questions and concerns are fully aired in a timely fashion.
The Committee agreed that it would be appropriate to dedicate separate meetings to discussing the idea with the School Committee and the Capital Outlay Committee respectively.
5. Committee Organization
The Committee voted unanimously to elect Jerry Seelen as Committee Chairman and John Manley as Committee Secretary.
6. Web Site
The Committee will have a dedicated page in the "Committees" section of the Town's web site. All agreed that the web page should include a "contact" link to allow members of the public to correspond with the Committee.
7. Meeting Schedule
The Committee tentatively agreed to meet every other week, with the next meeting scheduled for the week of November 1.
8. Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:00 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Jerry Seelen