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Record of Proceedings

Joint Meeting of Public Works Commissioners and Infrastructure Committee - August 28, 2025

Board of Aldermen Meetings — Thursday, August 28, 2025
BodyNashua, New Hampshire
SessionBoard of Aldermen Meetings
DateThursday, August 28, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
5:39

Well, first welcome everybody.

5:42

A joint meeting of the Board of Public Works Commissioners and the Committee of Infrastructure is being held this Thursday.

5:49

August 28, 2025, at 5:35 at 848 with all of the court.

5:58

Please follow the role.

6:01

Sorry.

6:02

Do I have to put it off?

6:05

Okay.

6:07

Commissioner Speedia?

6:09

Here.

6:09

Commissioner Greg.

6:11

Here.

6:12

Commissioner Lemon.

6:13

Here.

6:14

Commissioner Shea?

6:15

Here.

6:16

Alderman Thibodeau?

6:17

Here.

6:17

Alderman Sullivan?

6:19

Here.

6:20

Alderman Clear is here.

6:21

Alderman Dowd.

6:24

And Chairman Alderman Mike O'Brien.

6:29

You have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

6:33

Eight people in attendance.

6:34

Okay.

6:35

Also in attendance is Mayor Dodgers, which he is a member of the uh public works commission.

6:42

Oh, okay.

6:43

She didn't have him here, sorry.

6:44

Yeah.

6:44

I apologize.

6:45

Oh, I understand.

6:47

And uh director.

6:52

Give you just uh basic introduction remarks here.

6:56

Um without the uh services of uh administrative director Tim Cummings, who is really on top of it.

7:06

So coming in to pitch hint in the inning will be direct a photo who will get into it.

7:14

I'm sure she would appreciate not really diving too deep, you know.

7:20

I've I've been I've been with side by side with Tim I've got to be able to go.

7:25

She can hold her own.

7:26

Yeah, but with directly congression, it's gonna be a different format.

7:30

So with that being said, we're gonna muddle through.

7:35

Um a comment.

7:41

You want to just grab a mic and just stand next to a mic or something.

7:45

Right over there.

7:55

Good evening.

7:56

My name is Paula Johnson.

7:58

I live right over here, 15 Westbourne Drive, right off of West Holler Street, where all of these new vehicles are gonna be cramming West Holler Street.

8:07

That we have no West Holler Street corridor plan because we don't have the money to do it to fix West Hollow Street.

8:15

I have a couple of concerns here about this new garage.

8:20

Um I know somebody who used to work for public works, and I've been asking him a lot of questions about this garage and about what it's gonna do.

8:30

And I made mention of it um at the board that um I think it was a budget committee that I read my notes from my cell phone because I'm not a member of um the board.

8:41

I can read it, doesn't become public comment.

8:44

So I've got some questions, and I've appreciated if I can get answers to these questions, probably in a form of an email, probably because I don't know, direct the photo if you can answer them, or uh Director Cummings, and maybe everybody with this joint board would like to discuss this.

9:10

Um how big is the garage gonna be?

9:16

Because I know you want to put all these vehicles inside, and I know the C and G vehicles have to be inside, and they can't be around other vehicles, and you need, I believe, you need to have a separate alarm system for this in case something happens.

9:32

Um that's what I want to kind of find out.

9:37

Um you have to have the fire extinguishers.

9:40

Are they going to be automatic that if a vehicle starts leaking or catches fire, you're gonna be able to be to get these vehicles um extinguished immediately?

9:51

You know, because they're not like the gas vehicles.

9:53

And this is what part of this whole new garage is about.

9:56

We've got to keep them inside.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Works█████████████████████████████████████████████57%
Water And Wastewater Management██████████13%
Procedural█████████12%
Environmental Protection█████████11%
Procurement Processes███4%
Architecture And Design██3%
Summary of Proceedings

Joint Meeting of Board of Public Works Commissioners and Committee of Infrastructure - August 28, 2025

The joint meeting of the Board of Public Works Commissioners and the Committee of Infrastructure convened on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at 5:35 PM at 848 West Hollis Street. Attendance included eight members (Commissioners Speedia, Greg, Lemon, Shea; Aldermen Thibodeau, Sullivan, Clear, Dowd; Chairman Alderman Mike O'Brien) plus Mayor Dodgers (a Public Works Commission member). Director Lisa Foto and Director Tim Cummings were also present. The meeting adjourned at 6:06 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: A motion to approve the minutes of the previous meeting was made, seconded, and carried unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Paula Johnson (15 Westbourne Drive): Raised multiple concerns about the proposed DPW garage. Key questions included: the size of the garage; requirements for separate alarm systems and automatic fire suppression for C&G vehicles; proper ventilation due to potential historical toxic waste from the previous property owner (Dokas family); costs of toxic cleanup; rodent/mice infestation risks from adjacent landfill; the change in projected building lifespan from 30 to 20 years; and the cost of a proposed monument sign. She noted she requested this information via a Right-to-Know request at a July 24th meeting but had not received a response. She urged careful construction to avoid change orders.

Discussion Items

  • DPW Garage Project Progress Update (presented by Dave Hurley of Left Field and Director Lisa Foto):
    • Weekly coordination meetings are ongoing with the design team, architect, and city staff.
    • Permitting is the critical path: IMEG submitted an AOT permit on August 28, 2025; wetlands dredge/fill and fish and game packages have been started; site plan package to GBA and planning board expected soon.
    • Design development (DD) set cost estimate from Harvey Construction is anticipated by end of week/early next week.
    • Additional test pits completed in July; environmental asbestos testing on the existing landfill maintenance building found no detectable ACMs.
    • HDR (industrial engineer) audited equipment to inform HVAC and fire protection systems.
    • Questions from Alderman Clear addressed code compliance: the building will be designed to modern building, fire, and electrical codes. Soil management (removal or reuse) will be specified by engineers.
    • Cost estimate reconciliation and value engineering will follow the DD estimate.
  • Wastewater Treatment Facility Garage Progress Update (presented by Director Foto):
    • The project remains in the programming phase; schematic design has not started.
    • Staff are reviewing and modifying the programming document to reduce the building size (larger than needed) and ensure it meets actual needs.
    • Programming review expected to be completed next week, then handed to the architect for schematic design.
    • Alderman Clear asked for clarification: the contract with HTK will fund schematic design through design development once programming is finalized.
  • Approval of Invoices for DPW Garage Project:
    • HKT Architecture invoice (August 13, 2025): $293,050.28 – motion carried.
    • GSI Geotechnical Services invoice (July 31, 2025): $900 – motion carried.
    • Left Field OPM invoice (July 31, 2025): $26,500 – motion carried.
    • UEC Hazmat Testing invoice (August 9, 2025): $2,200 – motion carried.
  • Approval of Invoices for Wastewater Treatment Facility:
    • HKT Architecture invoice (August 1, 2025): $69,166.25 – motion carried.
    • Left Field OPM invoice (August 30, 2025): $26,500 – motion carried.
    • Left Field OPM invoice (June 30, 2025): $26,500 – motion carried.
  • Contract Proposals and Amendments:
    • DPW Garage: a contract proposal/amendment was pulled from the agenda for further discussion.
    • Wastewater Treatment Facility: a contract proposal with HTK Architecture Services through Design Development for $259,893 was approved (funded through the wastewater fund, not a bond).
  • Approval to Sign Permit Applications:
    • DPW Garage: Motion to authorize Director Lisa Foto and Director Tim Cummings to execute permit applications – carried. Alderman Clear noted initial confusion but after discussion with Director Cummings understood the rationale for pre-approval applications.
    • Wastewater Treatment Facility: Similar motion to authorize Directors Foto and Cummings to execute permit applications – carried.

Key Outcomes

  • All motions from the consent calendar and discussion items were carried unanimously (no recorded dissents).
  • Next Meeting: Scheduled for Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 5:30 PM at the same location (848 West Hollis Street).
  • Directives: The DPW garage design team will proceed with cost reconciliation and value engineering; the wastewater facility team will finalize programming and begin schematic design.
  • Note: A contract proposal/amendment for the DPW garage was withdrawn pending additional discussion.

Meeting Transcript

Well, first welcome everybody. A joint meeting of the Board of Public Works Commissioners and the Committee of Infrastructure is being held this Thursday. August 28, 2025, at 5:35 at 848 with all of the court. Please follow the role. Sorry. Do I have to put it off? Okay. Commissioner Speedia? Here. Commissioner Greg. Here. Commissioner Lemon. Here. Commissioner Shea? Here. Alderman Thibodeau? Here. Alderman Sullivan? Here. Alderman Clear is here. Alderman Dowd. And Chairman Alderman Mike O'Brien. You have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Eight people in attendance. Okay. Also in attendance is Mayor Dodgers, which he is a member of the uh public works commission. Oh, okay. She didn't have him here, sorry. Yeah. I apologize. Oh, I understand. And uh director. Give you just uh basic introduction remarks here. Um without the uh services of uh administrative director Tim Cummings, who is really on top of it. So coming in to pitch hint in the inning will be direct a photo who will get into it. I'm sure she would appreciate not really diving too deep, you know. I've I've been I've been with side by side with Tim I've got to be able to go. She can hold her own. Yeah, but with directly congression, it's gonna be a different format. So with that being said, we're gonna muddle through. Um a comment. You want to just grab a mic and just stand next to a mic or something. Right over there. Good evening. My name is Paula Johnson. I live right over here, 15 Westbourne Drive, right off of West Holler Street, where all of these new vehicles are gonna be cramming West Holler Street. That we have no West Holler Street corridor plan because we don't have the money to do it to fix West Hollow Street. I have a couple of concerns here about this new garage. Um I know somebody who used to work for public works, and I've been asking him a lot of questions about this garage and about what it's gonna do. And I made mention of it um at the board that um I think it was a budget committee that I read my notes from my cell phone because I'm not a member of um the board.

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