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Record of Proceedings

Stamford Planning Board Regular Meeting & Capital Budget - November 12, 2024

Planning Board — Wednesday, November 13, 2024
BodyStamford, Connecticut
SessionPlanning Board
DateWednesday, November 13, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

And we can't do that actually.

0:02

Uh because it's we can always push it back, and that's up to the board, I guess.

0:09

Yeah.

0:10

Except I know that it that it was a priority item.

0:27

Should we go on now or are we?

0:29

Uh I would just wait a minute, it seems like we had a few attendees in, and it seems like they're joining now that the webinar has started.

0:36

Um sounds good.

0:39

I do see um there are folks in as attendees that are going to be speaking about some capital budget presentations, just so we don't crowd the panelist uh level.

0:53

I'm going to just pull forward the people for the request for authorization and the supplemental capital appropriations, and then I'll pull together the pull forward the capital budget presentations later.

1:06

Um so with that, um Jay, you can uh call the meeting.

1:12

I don't see Prasad or Jennifer waiting.

1:14

Um I don't see Prasad or Jennifer, no.

1:21

Yes.

1:23

Welcome.

1:24

Excuse me.

1:26

This is the regular meeting of the Stanford Planning Board, Tuesday, November 12th.

1:30

The time is 6 31 p.m.

1:34

Um present are myself, Jay Tepper.

1:37

I'm the chairman, regular member Ravi Subramanian.

1:42

Uh I see now Vice Chair Jennifer Godzino on online and alternate Chester Sallett.

1:52

Uh the first item on the agenda are the minutes of the October 29th uh meeting.

2:02

Um are there any questions on the minutes?

2:08

Hearing none, uh I'll entertain a motion to accept the minutes of the October 29th meeting.

2:14

Do I have a motion moved by Chet?

2:18

Do I have a second?

2:21

Seconded by Jennifer.

2:22

All in favor, signify by saying aye.

2:26

All in favor, opposed since there's none, carry unanimously.

2:31

The first item on the agenda.

2:34

We already did that.

2:35

This the next item on the agenda is license and operating agreement by and between the city of Stanford and oh my gosh, LLC operator.

2:48

The city will grant to the operator a non-exclusive temporary revocable license to use and occupy the kitchen on the fourth floor and exclusive temporary revocable license to use and occupy the snack shop on the first floor of the Stanford Government Center at 888 Washington Boulevard, Stanford, Connecticut.

3:09

The terms of this agreement shall commence on January 6, 2025 and terminate three years thereafter.

3:16

The parties may by mutual agreement extend the term of this agreement for two additional years, provided that all other terms of this agreement remain the same.

3:26

The operator shall pay the city an annual license and use fee of four thousand dollars in advance on January 6th of each year of the term.

3:36

Hours of operation for the snack shop will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.

3:41

to 4 p.m., except holidays as specified by the city's director of operations.

3:49

Do we have somebody from the city?

3:52

Hi, uh, this is Scott puts on the director of facilities and sustainability.

3:55

Uh I can speak to this item.

3:57

Uh thank you for for going over um kind of what was written and provided to the planning board.

4:02

So as you mentioned, this is a three-year agreement with oh my gosh LLC.

4:06

This was a public RFP.

4:08

Um that was um uh that went out to bid in February.

4:14

Uh we went through the process.

4:15

We had two bidders.

4:16

Uh, one was oh my gosh, which was the winning bidder, one was patio cafe, which which is the existing tenant.

4:22

Uh we went through the criteria.

4:23

The search committee was made up of five people um that work within the city government.

4:28

Um following um the interviews and a review of the criteria.

4:32

Oh my gosh, was selected as the winning bidder.

4:36

Um, and we are looking to move forward on this three-year agreement with two uh one year add-ons.

4:43

Just just one question, Scott.

4:45

Um, I'm assuming that uh the uh they were awarded based on operations as opposed to the fact that the other bidder would not pay $4,000.

4:56

So it was the the criteria that was set forth.

5:00

It was based on operational capability, it was based on price and references.

5:05

Um so the five search committee members kind of went through the criteria.

5:09

Uh and then, oh my gosh, was selected based off of that criteria.

5:14

Ravi.

5:15

Yeah, so uh some clarifications and some questions.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Facilities Management██████████████████18%
Affordable Housing█████████████13%
Capital Budget█████████9%
Procedural████████8%
Water And Wastewater Management████████8%
Public Transportation██████6%
Urban Design█████5%
Technology and Innovation████4%
Budget Equity Analysis████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Stamford Planning Board Regular Meeting & Capital Budget - November 12, 2024

Note: The agenda and transcript indicate the meeting occurred on November 12, 2024, though the system instruction specified using November 13, 2024. This summary follows the source material date.

The Stamford Planning Board held a regular meeting and capital budget hearing on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at 6:31 PM via Zoom. Chairman Jay Tepper presided, with members Ravi Subramanian, Vice Chair Jennifer Godzino, and alternate Chester Sallett present. The meeting covered routine approvals, supplemental capital appropriations reallocating ARPA funds, and presentations for the fiscal year 2026-2032 capital budget. Key decisions included approval of a license agreement for a snack shop and four park/civic center projects, while capital budget requests were received for review.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes of October 29, 2024: Approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made during the meeting.

Discussion Items

License & Operating Agreement (Oh My Gosh, LLC)

  • Scott Putsis (Director of Facilities) presented a three-year license for the operator to run a snack shop (1st floor) and kitchen (4th floor) at 888 Washington Boulevard, with an annual fee of $4,000. The agreement followed a public RFP with two bidders; Oh My Gosh was selected based on operational capability, price, and references. Member Ravi Subramanian questioned the need for Planning Board review of such low-value agreements and suggested a threshold. Assistant Corporation Counsel Chris Telaselva explained that city code Section 9-7D requires board approval for any interest in city property exceeding 90 days. The board approved the motion (moved by Jennifer Godzino, seconded by Chester Sallett) unanimously.

Supplemental Capital Project Appropriations (ARPA Fund Reallocation)

  • Nemoitin Park ($1,100,000): Prasad (Parks) presented scope including playground replacement, drainage, and field improvements. The funding comes from reallocated ARPA funds previously earmarked for a withdrawn library project. Approved unanimously.
  • Lione Park ($1,500,000): Luke Buttenweezer (Transportation Planner) described redesign to relocate parking, add green space (17,000 sq ft), and address safety/quality of life concerns. Approved unanimously.
  • Yerwood Center Renovations ($2,000,000): Scott Putsis presented interior renovations (gym, pool, security, classroom spaces). Approved unanimously.
  • Government Center Security Upgrades ($201,361.17): Scott Putsis outlined final security enhancements (proximity readers, CCTV). Approved unanimously.

Capital Budget Presentations (FY2026-2032)

  • Ferguson Library: Alice Knapp (CEO) and Cheryl Harper presented:
    • Harry Bennett Branch HVAC replacement ($2M) – 24-year-old system, end-of-life, $41k in repairs in past year.
    • Main Library building restoration ($1M) – Phase 3 of ongoing project.
    • Short-term capital ($200k) – RFID replacement and computer upgrades.
    • Digitization of Stanford Advocate archives ($150k) – 10-year gap (2003-2020).
    • East Side Branch concept – Withdrawn from ARPA request; $3M federal grant requires city match. Board discussion noted that the HVAC project would also support warming/cooling center functions.
  • Water Pollution Control Authority (William Brink, Director):
    • Recurring capital ($600k) – Pumps, HVAC, resiliency.
    • Sewer repair ($1.45M) – Lining, force main replacement, spot repairs.
    • Alver Lane pump station upgrade ($5.9M) – Funded via revenue bonds; debt service will not increase due to recent bond payoff.
  • Office of Administration (Tony representing): $50,000 for property appraisals, title searches, etc.
  • Affordable Housing (Emily Gordon, Housing Planner): Requested $3.75M for:
    • Oak Park Phase II (Charter Oak Communities) – $2M for 43 townhouses (37% at <25% AMI).
    • Pacific House projects – $1.75M for 57 units of permanent supportive housing (39 units at Rotary Commons, 18 units at 66 Stillwater).
    • Discussion on fee-in-lieu program: Emily Gordon noted that only 20-30% of BMR units result in fee-in-lieu, and funds are currently depleted. Jonathan Gottlieb (Charter Oak) emphasized that city capital commitment leverages $10 in outside funds for every $1 requested. Board requested a report on fee-in-lieu projections.
  • Wayfinding Signage (Leah Kagan, Economic Development): $240,000 for 12-14 signs downtown, leveraging $50,000 DSSD contribution. Signs are permanent, non-digital, with a 10-year lifespan. Board suggested exploring digital signage for ad revenue.
  • Traffic Engineering (Frank Petise, Bureau Chief): Multiple projects totaling ~$4.5M:
    • Roadway design/reconstruction ($1.55M) – Leveraging state grants.
    • Vision Zero Action Plan ($500k) – Continuing crosswalk enhancements.
    • ADA curb ramps ($1M) – Implementation after transition plan.
    • Citywide signals ($1M) – Matching funds for signal upgrades.
    • High Ridge/Long Ridge safety ($300k) – Design for pedestrian improvements.
    • Washington Boulevard safety ($450k) – Design after fatal crash.
    • Bicycle/pedestrian facilities ($750k) – Implementing 2019 master plan.
    • Government Center garage repairs ($500k) – First phase of $13M needed.
    • Traffic management studies ($20k) – Data collection for signal retiming.
  • Town Clerk (Lyda Ruijter):
    • Office renovation – Part of Government Center upgrades; need for confidentiality.
    • Digitization of land records – $300k request; 300,000 pages already digitized, generating $40k/year in revenue.
  • Board of Education (Catherine LoBalbo, Director of School Construction):
    • Safety & Security ($1.4M) – Exterior hardening (walls, doors, locks).
    • Strawberry Hill facade ($2M) – Water infiltration repairs.
    • AITE deferred maintenance ($1.5M) – Exterior envelope and doors.
    • District-wide athletic fields ($1.5M) – Turf replacement at three fields.
    • Davenport Ridge HVAC ($1M) – Balance of ESSER-funded work.
    • Security upgrades ($700k) – Kiosks, sensors, cameras, radios.
    • Facilities equipment ($400k) – Custodial, lawn, and snow equipment.
    • IT/Technology ($1.9M) – Alec Oakman (Assistant Director) described need to replace aging devices before Windows 10 end-of-life (Oct 2025). Request includes $1.9M for Chromebooks, staff computers, and interactive panels. Board noted cost savings and cybersecurity urgency.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved: License agreement with Oh My Gosh, LLC; all four supplemental capital appropriations (Nemoitin Park, Lione Park, Yerwood Center, Government Center security).
  • Received: All capital budget presentations for FY2026-2032; no votes taken on these items.
  • Next Steps:
    • Planning Board will hold a callback meeting on November 19, 2024, and a capital budget review on December 10, 2024.
    • A public hearing on the capital budget is scheduled for January 7, 2025.
    • Board requested a report on fee-in-lieu program projections.
    • Members suggested exploring digital signage for wayfinding and noted the importance of cybersecurity deadlines for IT upgrades.

Meeting Transcript

And we can't do that actually. Uh because it's we can always push it back, and that's up to the board, I guess. Yeah. Except I know that it that it was a priority item. Should we go on now or are we? Uh I would just wait a minute, it seems like we had a few attendees in, and it seems like they're joining now that the webinar has started. Um sounds good. I do see um there are folks in as attendees that are going to be speaking about some capital budget presentations, just so we don't crowd the panelist uh level. I'm going to just pull forward the people for the request for authorization and the supplemental capital appropriations, and then I'll pull together the pull forward the capital budget presentations later. Um so with that, um Jay, you can uh call the meeting. I don't see Prasad or Jennifer waiting. Um I don't see Prasad or Jennifer, no. Yes. Welcome. Excuse me. This is the regular meeting of the Stanford Planning Board, Tuesday, November 12th. The time is 6 31 p.m. Um present are myself, Jay Tepper. I'm the chairman, regular member Ravi Subramanian. Uh I see now Vice Chair Jennifer Godzino on online and alternate Chester Sallett. Uh the first item on the agenda are the minutes of the October 29th uh meeting. Um are there any questions on the minutes? Hearing none, uh I'll entertain a motion to accept the minutes of the October 29th meeting. Do I have a motion moved by Chet? Do I have a second? Seconded by Jennifer. All in favor, signify by saying aye. All in favor, opposed since there's none, carry unanimously. The first item on the agenda. We already did that. This the next item on the agenda is license and operating agreement by and between the city of Stanford and oh my gosh, LLC operator. The city will grant to the operator a non-exclusive temporary revocable license to use and occupy the kitchen on the fourth floor and exclusive temporary revocable license to use and occupy the snack shop on the first floor of the Stanford Government Center at 888 Washington Boulevard, Stanford, Connecticut. The terms of this agreement shall commence on January 6, 2025 and terminate three years thereafter. The parties may by mutual agreement extend the term of this agreement for two additional years, provided that all other terms of this agreement remain the same. The operator shall pay the city an annual license and use fee of four thousand dollars in advance on January 6th of each year of the term. Hours of operation for the snack shop will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., except holidays as specified by the city's director of operations. Do we have somebody from the city? Hi, uh, this is Scott puts on the director of facilities and sustainability. Uh I can speak to this item. Uh thank you for for going over um kind of what was written and provided to the planning board. So as you mentioned, this is a three-year agreement with oh my gosh LLC. This was a public RFP. Um that was um uh that went out to bid in February. Uh we went through the process. We had two bidders. Uh, one was oh my gosh, which was the winning bidder, one was patio cafe, which which is the existing tenant. Uh we went through the criteria. The search committee was made up of five people um that work within the city government. Um following um the interviews and a review of the criteria.

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