All right.

Good morning.

This is a special meeting of the sample.

On our agenda today, uh first we can begin with the uh planning board uh meeting minutes from our last uh meeting of June 23rd uh 2026.

Um and we have quorum for those minutes.

I was I was not on, so I got I was not either.

Uh so we may not have a quorum.

I think you were there, right, Chet?

I was, yeah.

Oh, Jeremy, you are here.

So we do have a quorum.

Yeah.

Hi.

All right.

Um are there any uh amendments or corrections to the minutes of June 23rd?

No.

All right.

Um hearing none, do we have a motion on the minutes?

Okay.

All right.

My view is uh I'll make a motion, Jennifer, to approve them.

All right.

Uh motion to approve from Jeremy to have a second from chat.

Uh all in favor.

Um and the motion passes.

Thank you.

Uh next on the agenda, um, a reason for our special meeting to request for authorization supplemental capital project appropriation requests.

Uh Yearwood Center Renovations Project CP9238 total request of 2,262, 233 dollars.

The project involves renovation of the yearwood center, including interior improvements and other architectural finishes.

The work also includes upgrades to the building's mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, as well as all additional work required by the contract documents and project specifications.

Um and we have presenting uh on this item to the city.

Presenter this.

So happy to just introduce the item.

Uh thanks, Jennifer.

And uh thank you uh to the planning board members for uh um allowing us to pull you away for the special meeting today when possible.

We try to avoid it, but this is a time-sensitive matter.

So um appreciate your participation today.

Um so this is as Jennifer described in the item uh related to interior renovations at the Year Wood Center.

Um the time sensitive nature of this is related to the ARP uh funding source that we're seeking to use.

Um recently we completed uh design phase uh of this project um which allowed us to go out to bid um and have uh concrete numbers for uh the total uh construction costs related to the project.

Um so we are now seeking the additional authorization to be able to award that bid um with the uh funding sources that are listed on your agenda.

Um we kind of simultaneously have been going through the process of monitoring our ARP uh ongoing projects to ensure that we are going to be able to expend those funds by the December 31st, 2026 deadline.

Um so we're now in a position where we feel confident to close out these accounts and leverage these funds for this project, um, which has a timeline that will allow us to extend these funds and of course um the city is looking to maximize every dollar of ARP um by the deadline.

So that um time sensitive piece um is really related to us being able to award this project as soon as possible uh and expend the funds um prior to that deadline, but happy to answer any Matt.

If you if you wouldn't mind just from um it would be helpful to me.

Um so I I see the uh the total budget.

Um I see the funding sources.

Um apparently the bids uh we understand came in um above uh the budget, and so we we need to seek additional.

So um is is the additional um uh fund that we're talking about here the 330,000 or something else.

So with this project, we had always anticipated um that we were going to see additional authorization to complete the interior renovation book.

We did include a cost estimate as part of the losing yeah, can you hear me now?

Okay, um, so I don't know if where I tailed off there, but uh please let me know if uh I start to tail off again.

Um the um additional authorization that we're seeking is not necessarily uh based off of uh the costs coming in higher than anticipated.

We did expect that there would be an additional authorization that we would need to seek uh to complete this scope of work.

Um we did include a cost estimate as part of the design phase, which was uh approximately 4.2 million.

Um, so this is um somewhat below what the total project cost uh with that was estimated during design.

Um and what we were looking to do was just find creative ways to fund uh the additional request uh that wouldn't require city bonding, um which is why we're coming to you today with uh the various various grants and ARP funding sources.

So this request uh my you know this is not uh request to review and approve the whole project.

This is you know, you you have an up already ongoing or uh pre-existing project, and you're asking us to approve how you will fund that fund that project from various sources, is it correct?

Uh correct, yeah.

So this is we we've already completed the design phase, and we have uh one point, I believe nine um already authorized for the project.

So this would be for us to award it um and um complete the uh funding sources for the total authorization that we need.

Yeah, so I think the one one reason I'm confused as as to why we are being asked to approve it, but I presume anything related to capital projects goes through us.

That's why that's why we're being asked, right?

We're not you're not the finance board or anything.

We're just a planning board, but since it's a capital project, I think we are increasing the authorization by 2.2 million.

That's why we're in front of you today.

Oh, okay.

That's what okay.

That's I think that was Jade's earlier question.

So uh can probably can we step back and explain what was the I thought four four point five was already approved as part of the design phase or whatever it was called, right?

No, that's not that's not accurate.

Um 4.2 is the was what our um estimators came out to from the projection post-design and engineering review.

But when we went out to bid for construction, um we received bids that were all lower than the 4.2 million.

So the lowest bid right now, um, Sean, correct me if I'm wrong, is 3.8.

It's 3.5.

3.5.

So what is this 2.2 now?

So the 2.2 is the difference between the ARPA funds that we were awarded um before we went out to design.

Or we were we were awarded by the administration before we went out to design.

Um, and the 2.2 is the difference between what we were we already had um for this project and what we um what the construction bid came out to the difference between the two.

Um, but the 2.2 is not city bonds.

It's um yeah, the team has come together and found different funding sources to be able to reach that 2.2.

Okay, so just to be super clear, we had a 4.5 number somewhere.

4.2, right?

4.2, 4.2.

But when the final quotes came in, it was below the 4.2.

Right.

And the goodness is 1.2 million of that is from ARPA, and the remaining 2.3 is from here.

Yes.

Okay.

Okay.

I mean, if that is the case, I mean, as long as we are not being asked to approve overall incremental spending.

This is just a way of getting our consent on how you find the money to fund something that is already in place.

I think it's it's okay because we've been through the whole capital budget process and all that, and we don't want to approve something on top of it without you know without more detailed discussions.

That's why.

Absolutely.

Tony, you're okay with that.

Um yeah, I mean, just to can you know, just to read it reiterate that we are increasing the authorization today by 2.2 million.

And that's where we're seeking your approval.

That will get us to the 4.2 that we need to uh move forward with this project.

I thought the quotes came in below 4.2.

3.8 is the what we're trying to achieve.

Okay.

So if may Tony, can would you mind sharing the capital appropriation request sheet?

Or does anybody have that in front of them?

Yeah.

Yes, I have uh um.

Would you like to I cannot share, sorry.

Okay.

Uh yeah, and if if you could just walk through each, because there are multiple um funding sources that are enumerated beyond the ARP.

Um and Jeremy, I see your hands.

Yeah, I I guess uh just maybe the ease of it.

We're we're taking money that was already in another capital account, right?

And we're moving it.

And we just need to approve that not adding to the budget.

We're just moving money between accounts, which need to come before the planning board for approval.

Right.

So we have an amount available, this one million dot 1 million in change that was previously appropriated by the planning board, board of finance, and board of reps.

And quotes came in, the lowest quote is 3.8 million dollars in order to meet that 3.8 million dollars without making another capital uh capital bond request.

They the um ops admin and and team have found $330,000 in change in ARPA funds, 1 million in change in disaster recovery proceeds, and $750,000 in private contributions for a total of 200 2 million and 200,006 um dollars.

That were is what we're asking to be added to the $1 million that's currently available for this project to achieve a total of $3.8 million dollars, or I guess it's a $1.7 is the year-to-day balance plus the two.

Um and what are the sources of the disaster disaster recovery proceeds and the private contributions?

Yeah, so so the the disaster recovery funds, those are old FEMA um funds that were um that we were reimbursed.

Um so these were projects that were completed over 10 years ago, and we're we're uh receiving these funds.

Uh we receive these funds now.

So we decided to move it here.

So that's what that is.

We didn't want to, I didn't want to uh open up the old projects as that would create an accountant account nightmare.

And then the uh private contribution, those are uh old community development funds um in the grants department.

So we're repurposing those to this project.

Um and community development funds meaning CDP grants that yeah, they're essentially uh grants.

I mean, I don't have a need on board, she can um specify it even further, but these are old funds that were uh sitting in the grants department and who's decided to repurpose them to to this project.

I mean, I can get you, I can have a need to send you more of a uh detail on that, John.

Um okay, sure.

I don't mean to hold up the authorization.

I'm just curious the provenance of those.

Um and then following this, we'll have uh uh discussion and vote on a close out of other funds.

Um are there any further questions?

Um just two questions from you.

Uh one is uh out of curiosity.

Um so Tony, we are able to find these kind of uh monies available in our town from this old disaster recovery private contributions, etc.

And so uh yeah, actually these uh disaster recovery proceeds that should say account, by the way.

Um we think we we will be getting some more down the road.

Um I believe that 1.1 million was was related to Storm Ida.

Um I believe that was 10 years ago, but uh from based on uh our discussions with the grants department, more will come in down the road, and um as we receive them, we'll figure out what we're gonna do with them, whether we apply them on the projects or or put them in our general phone.

Yeah, that's what I was I was asking.

So the alternative use of these monies would probably go to some revenue account or some operating expenses.

There are many ways we can use this money, right?

I mean, I mean exactly.

Yeah, uh as far as I'm concerned, they're considered uh unrestricted.

So yes, we can put them anywhere we want.

So how do we then decide?

Who decides, for example, that 1.2 million should go towards it would uh central innovation and stuff.

Well, we you know we internally decided to put it into this project, but ultimately, I mean, um, the boards need to approve that, right?

We have to follow our uh our uh charter and and budget process.

So um, you know, we we we're submitting it this way to to the boards, and and um we feel strongly that the board will approve it so we can move forward with this uh you would renovation project.

And what was the do you know offhand?

What was the budget we approved in our 2026-27 capital process for Edward?

Um yeah, I have that here.

Hang on.

Um the final was 60.6 million of that, 28 and a half was uh general obligation bonds.

All right.

And uh specifically for Edward, how much did we have?

Oh, for year word?

Um was not in the capital budget.

Yeah, so see that is so Jennifer, that's my little bit of his station on this.

I mean, we prioritized what the town wanted in terms of capital budget and spending.

And this Edward was not a major item there.

Now we want to approve 2.2 for that.

So I'm sure there were other equally deserving projects that we discussed and ruled out during the capital budget processing time.

So how would we justify bringing this to the front?

And spending yeah, it's good good question, Ravi.

I can jump in to just offer perspective on why this is being prioritized.

Uh so as we uh began the renovation project, which was funded by ARP, as you know, from the existing account balance, uh, and began the uh design and um kind of initial investigation of the building.

We did encounter uh significant um asbestos, which required an abatement scope, which we funded through the the blight fund.

The scope of that was so significant that we had to uh actually vacate the building.

Um so the uh displacement of the boys and girls club and the the sub tenants of the building is a major disruption to the community, um, which we're currently still um managing.

Um so beyond the time-sensitive nature of the funding source of ARP, we do have a priority to um reoccupy that building for the boys and girls club.

Um so that's why without that perspective during October of 2025 when we would have submitted a capital budget request.

Um, you know, we didn't have that perspective.

But now um having gone through that, it it's certainly uh a major priority for us.

Okay, that makes more sense.

Thank you.

Any further questions on the project or the funding sources?

All right.

Um, and I do know how urgent this is.

They have many uh first through fourth graders who have been displaced for after school and now this summer for summer camp for at some time.

So um do I have a motion on the preparation Robbie?

Motion for approval.

I have a second uh second from Ashley, all in favor, trace your hand.

And motion passes.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh next on the agenda is the capital closeout recommendations.

Pursuant to Stamford City Code, Section 8 2, partial closeout of the fall and capital projects is recommended.

There are multiple.

Do I need to read all eight or 10 of them into the record?

I think you should probably read the total.

Yes, yes, because it's project numbers and closeout amounts.

So yes, please.

Thank you.

All right.

So project number C 16012, Citywide Storm Drains, close out amount of 1,656.97.

For all of these, the funding source is federal grants, ARP.

Project CP0211, environmental compliance, closeout amount of $35,435.

CP 3038, government center renovations, closeout amount of 2013 and 17 cents.

Closeout amount of $7,647.

CP 6761 facilities improvement plumbing, closeout amount of 1,000 and 89 cents.

CPB 750, Schofield HVAC equipment replacement, closeout amount of $22,991.80 cents.

CPB 751, filmmetto HVAC equipment replacement automation ventilation, closeout amount of $16,500 or a total closeout of federal grant ARP funds of $330,238.

So I presume these are all just these are the balances remaining from completed projects.

No, that's correct.

These are the uh dollar ARP dollars are will not be utilized in these projects, and we're moving to the year word project that you just approved.

All right.

Um any further questions from the board.

Um see none to the motion on the uh closeouts.

Uh move from chat, second from Jeremy, all in favor, raise your hand.

And the motion passes.

Thank you very much.

Um our next regularly scheduled planning board meetings are um as per usual, we're resuming in August, um, August 11th and August 25th, followed by a regular meeting right after Labor Day on September 20, uh September 8th.

Um go ahead and adjourn this meeting.

Uh thank you very much, everyone.

Thank you all.

Thanks, everybody.

See you in August.