Stonington Borough, Board of Warden and Burgesses

Subcommittee Meeting - Borough Hall Renovations

Date: November 22, 2011 Location: Borough Hall

1. A Subcommittee meeting of the Warden and Burgesses was called to order in Borough Hall at 6:00 P.M. by Burgess Michael Adair. Present were Subcommittee members Warden Paul Burgess, Clerk-Treasurer Brian Krafjack, and Burgess Amy Nicholas. Present by invitation: Jeff Hoadley, Roger Colello and Peter Springsteel (Architect).

2. Michael Blair, a former member of the Borough Hall Renovation Committee presented for consideration an idea to sell Borough Hall and buy the Borough Post Office building with the proceeds of the sale, combined with the existing bond funds for Borough Hall improvements. The Post Office would be offered terms of an attractive lease, provided they committed to maintain a presence in the Borough as a limited Post Office with PO boxes and some retail for an agreed upon extended period.

3. This agreement was presented as a potential benefit to both the Post Office and the Borough for the following reasons:

a. Existing Borough Hall is landlocked, has no parking and has no room for expansion. Possible expansion on the Post Office sight might accommodate an improved Highway Department facility.

b. The Post Office property offers room for expansion and has parking.

c. Borough Hall is not accessible as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Post Office is on one level and is compliant with ADA regulations.

d. The Post Office property has parking and could potentially be expanded to encourage visitor/tourist parking.

e. A Post Office expansion might include a public restroom, offering a central location for this function.

f. The Post Office property would group the function og Borough Hall, the Highway Department and the new Fire House, creating a municipal center.

g. Burgess Nicholas noted the sale of Borough Hall for another use such as residential would increase the tax base.

h. Burgess Nicholas also noted that the Post Office property is at a higher elevation than Borough Hall, allowing it to function as a meeting place during severe storms.

4. Mr. Blair suggested that if this scenario appeared to be an attractive option to the Board, perhaps Warden Burgess would approach Congressman Courtney to facilitate discussions with the Post Office.

5. Subcommittee members reviewed Mr. Blair’s proposal as a potentially attractive aption and determined that current plans for Borough Hall renovations should continue to develop for the following reasons:

a. A potential deal with the Post Office, the sale of Borough Hall, and the public process for making such moves as described, would most likely take years to formulate and execute.

b. The Existing Borough Hall would have to continue to function as a facility serving the public and therefore would have to be brought up to ADA standards.

c. The Bond that was put in place for Borough Hall improvement at the time the new Fire House was constructed is tied to a specific Ordinance requiring the funds to be used for improvements to Borough Hall, including the additions of an elevator in compliance with the ADA.

d. Improvements to Borough Hall would not diminish the value of the property.

e. Weighing renovations and additions that would be required to the Post Office property for the structure to function as a Borough Hall and Highway Department, against the potential proceeds from a sale of Borough Hall in combination with the existing Bond, the move would most likely result in a significant expense to the Borough.

6. Architect Peter Springsteel presented revised schematic plans and budget estimates refined based on conversations from the October Subcommittee meeting.

a. The consensus reached by the Subcommittee was that with the minor revision to keep the existing south wall of the kitchen intact, the plans presented were acceptable.

b. An item will be placed on the Agenda for December’s Board meeting for review of the plans and budget.

c. Peter Springsteel will be in attendance at December’s Board meeting on December 19 to answer questions.

7. Chief Hoadley presented a proposal from Condon and Son’s Electric for the installation of a new multi conductor cable from Borough Hall to the new Fire House and relocation of Form 4 equipment to the new Fire House from Borough Hall. The proposal did not include an electric fire horn for the Fire House, replacing the horn at Borough Hall.

a. It was determined that the proposal should be revised to include the horn and to relocate all equipment associated with the Fire House out of Borough Hall to the Fire House. This should eliminate the need for the new conductor between the buildings.

b. The Subcommittee’s proposal will be placed on the Agenda for December’s Board meeting for review and approval.

c. A representative from Condon and Son’s Electric is asked to attend the Subcommittee meeting on Borough Hall renovation just prior on Thursday Dec 15 as explained below

8. Next Meeting: The regular Board of Warden and Burgesses is scheduled for Monday December 19 at 7:30 P.M. It is anticipated that the chair and members of the Borough Hall Subcommittee will present our Subcommittee’s recommendation to the Board for approval at that time. In order to do that and insure that we have all the data and are in agreement, we need to call a Borough Hall Renovation Subcommittee meeting before that meeting. I suggest a 6:00 P.M. meeting at Borough Hall on Thursday December 15. It would be important to have Burgess Nicholas, Chief Hoadley, Roger Colello, and a representative of Condon and Son’s Electric at that meeting to discuss how and what to present to the full Board on Monday.

Because this is a tough time to schedule meetings, I would appreciate if those mentioned in the sentence above could email me back if they can attend on Thursday Dec 15. Thank you.

9. The meeting was adjourned at 7:25 P.M.

Respectfully Submitted, Michael H. Adair