RADNOR MIDDLE SCHOOL

School Board Meeting Minutes form May 23, 2000

(please note: the minutes were edited to include the Radnor Middle School discussion ONLY. Several words were high lighted in order to bring attention to important information. If you would like to read the balance of the minutes please contact the School District Office. They will e-mail copies.)

May 23, 2000

Office of the Secretary

Wayne, PA

A Board Meeting of the Radnor Township School District Board of School Directors was called to order at 8:01 P.M. on the above date in the Middle School Activity Center by Board President Paul Yakulis.

Mr. Alan Brink was absent.

Also present were Superintendent John DeFlaminis, Diane McCusker, Lisa Palmer, Robert Baker, William Laffey, Maureen Reusche, Anne Janson, Hank Adamczyk, Kitty Lugar, Leo Bernabei, James Dormond, Joan Cusano, Charles Shupe and Burt Blackburn. Approximately 35 members of the staff and public were in attendance as well as three representatives of the press.

Following the Pledge of Allegiance, Mr. Yakulis reported that an Executive Session was held this evening to discuss: 1) contract negotiations for a facilities use; 2) a legal settlement of a special education case; 3) legal settlements for tax appeal cases; and 4) negotiations related to real estate for Radnor Middle School.

Mr. Glynn reported that a number of Board members attended the stormwater meeting at the Township Building on May 22^nd. He reported that many questions were posed by the school district and professional services group. He was encouraged by the Commissioners and the engineers and feels the information is promising that stormwater can be managed on the current Middle School site.

Mr. Lewis reported that he was very comfortable about the protection that can be offered by the Township’s proposed collection system that would pump water underground into an underground retention system.

Mr. Gibson expressed surprise that the solutions proposed to solve the stormwater problem were so definitive.

A MOTION WAS MADE by Mr. Gibson, and seconded by Mr. Madden, that the District architects and engineers proceed at once on producing design plans for the new Middle School on the campus of the current Middle School.

Ms. Albright expressed concern that the positiveness of the Commissioners was for the surety of the design of the process, but that the system guaranteed only a 20% reduction in the water. Ms. Albright stated that the Board does not know what a 20% reduction in the water looks or feels like and asked Mr. Bernabei to comment.

Mr. Bernabei stated that he would prefer to wait until the architects and engineers render their opinion of the Pennoni study.

Mr. Gibson stated that the 20% reduction had more to do with the upstream properties than the Middle School property and expressed confidence that the Board should move forward with planning for the Middle School on this site. Mr. Gibson stated that if an impediment should be incurred in the design process that disallowed the viability of the Middle School on this site, then an alternative site could be chosen at that time.

Ms. Albright said that Duncan Hubley, Township Engineer, had stated that 50 or 60% reduction of the stormwater at the Middle School site was necessary to have a feasible Middle School site. She expressed concern that the Commissioners at this time could offer only 20% reduction in the stormwater. She cited that when the School District submits plans to the Township for building on this site, they are not going to accept a 20% reduction in the stormwater then expect the District to be responsible for the stormwater management on this site that the Township itself cannot solve. Just designing a building on the property will not change what the Township will require of the District before it is built. If the Board commits to this site, the Board is committing to a $3 million or $4 million project to contain the water. Ms. Albright also expressed a desire for more information about what a system sufficient to contain the water will cost the District.

Mrs. Aman stated the importance of completing educational specifications before design of the building commences.

Ms. Orlichowski urged the Board to have the architect begin to design the building on the site so that it can be determined one way or the other if it is possible to contain the stormwater and have a viable Middle School building.

Mr. Madden perceived from the Township Meeting that it is possible to build a dry school with dry fields on the present site. He urged the Board to have the architect move forward with designing the building without a basement. He also agreed with Ms. Orlichowski that it can only be determined if the site is possible if the architect begins the design process.

Mr. Glynn stated that the Board has sufficient information on demographics, traffic and stormwater; the support of the Township, the Commissioners and the public; and services of the architect and engineers in place. Since any project associated with this site will be a complex process, he urged that it is time to move forward with the design in order that the District is prepared for the financial timeframe of 2004-2005. He urged approval of Mr. Gibson’s motion.

Mr. Yakulis stated that he felt the motion was premature and did not understand the logic of a motion that preceeded the results of the professional services approved at the April 25^th meeting. He expressed concern that educational specifications must be developed before the design process is begun. Mr. Yakulis also stated that to make such a definitive move on such an important topic without Mr. Brink present was unfair. Mr. Yakulis further stated that at the Township Meeting the previous evening, the Township engineer expressed concern, as did the Planning Commission, that 20% reduction in stormwater is insufficient to allow a viable Middle School on this site. He expressed serious reservation about the motion without the results of the professional services for which the Board contracted.

Ms. Albright further stated that when developers design and construct a building in the Township, they are responsible for the amount of water they create. The $3 million figure that the District is responsible for at this point in the Pennoni process is water that comes to the District site from other sites and locations that have not managed the water. She hesitated to commit funds to have the architect design a building until it is known clearly what role the Township is going to play in alleviating the water before it gets to the site. Designing on this site includes designing a stormwater management system. The architect cannot design a building on the site until it is known how much water the District will be responsible for. She suggested more steps with the Township to reach a firm written commitment as to what offsite water the Township is responsible for and what the District is responsible for.

Dr. DeFlaminis stated that many of the District questions were not answered at the Township meeting which left the District with the same two issues: 1) how the stormwater would be moved through the property; and 2) how the stormwater would be managed on the property.

He urged caution that making a decision to begin the design process might be disastrous without the benefit of the opinions of the professionals who have been hired by the Board.

Discussion ensued on the educational specifications and led Mr. Glynn to state that all discussion on the Middle School seemed to be circular and that Mr. Gibson’s motion gave a definitive starting point to the process.

Ms. Albright expressed concern that the step to have the architect begin the design process is a very expensive step. She stated that she could not vote for Mr. Gibson’s motion but would vote for a motion that asked the architect for three different proposals, with different amounts, based on the comprehensiveness of the design.

Mr. Laffey stated that educational specifications are slated to resume in the Fall.

Mr. Glynn spoke extensively on the need for the Board to act aggressively, refine the educational specifications, have the architect begin design of the building and move forward with some definitive measures that will answer the question of whether a Middle School can be built on the site.

Mr. Yakulis stated that although the Board needs something definitive to work from, the sequence is erroneous. Since the professional services have already been commissioned, he could not understand a motion that preceded the results of that work.

Mr. Madden urged again that the only way to find out if the building can be built to meet the educational specifications and whether the stormwater can be resolved, is to go forward with the design process. Part of the design process will be the redesigned educational specifications and design of a retention system.

Mr. Gibson stated that this motion is a directional motion and a recognition of the consensus of this Board to build the Middle School on this site if at all possible.

Mr. Bernabei explained that the first and second phases of the architect’s process are the program phase and the schematic design phase which represents approximately 20% the architect’s total fee. Mr. Bernabei suggested that the architect be asked to meet with Mr. Laffey, himself, and the Liaisons to look at specific areas where specifications can be developed now, such as maintenance and food service areas, etc. This would allow the process to begin and would allow Mr. Laffey and his staff the time to refine the educational specifications. Dr. DeFlaminis also suggested that the architect do a comprehensive chart including stormwater resolution, educational specifications, schematic design, etc.

After much discussion, MR. GIBSON’S MOTION WAS RESTATED by Mr. Glynn, seconded again by Mr. Madden, and carried by affirmative vote of five members present

(Mr. Glynn, Mr. Madden, Mr. Lewis, Ms. Orlichowski, and Mr. Gibson), with three members opposed (Mr. Yakulis, Mrs. Aman, and Ms. Albright), and with no abstentions, that District architects and engineers proceed at once to produce educational specifications, program and design plans for the new Middle School on the campus of the existing Middle School site.

Mrs. Mary Meeker thanked the Board for moving forward with the Middle School process.

Upon questioning by Mr. McCone, Mrs. Palmer stated that the projected cost for the Middle School is $30 to $40 million, that bonds are issued for variable time periods, and that the year the Middle School will be built is still undetermined.

Having no further business to come before the Board, upon motion of Mr. Lewis, seconded by Mr. Gibson, and carried by unanimous affirmative vote of all members present, and with no abstentions, the meeting was adjourned at 10:21 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

Lisa A. Palmer, Secretary

Board of School Directors