03112025 Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes

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AGENDA REVIEW SESSION MARCH 6, 2025 42 The Agenda Review Session of the Board of Public Works was convened at 10:30 a.m. on March 6, 2025, by Board President Elizabeth A. Maradik, Vice President Joseph Molnar, and Board Members Gary Gilot, Murray Miller, Breana Micou, and Board Attorney Michael Schmidt present. The Board of Public Works Clerk, Theresa Heffner, presented the Board with a proposed agenda of items presented by the public and by City Staff. Board members discussed the following item(s) from the agenda. AGREEMENTS/CONTRACTS/PROPOSALS/ADDENDA Mr. Gilot asked for clarification regarding the memo for item 11. C.: Rescind Emergency Contract with Jackson Demolition Services. He noted that the memo stated that they made an error in their bid by omitting two (2) allowances of $5,000 for utility shutoffs and asbestos remediation. The memo noted that the City would go on using the next lowest bidder, Ritschard Brothers, and that Jackson Demolition Services would no longer be solicited for emergency demolition work. Mr. Gilot noted that they made a mistake and hoped that someone would sit down with them and coach them on how to submit a proper quote rather than banning them from future work. Attorney Schmidt advised that he does not think it’s appropriate for Public Works to penalize companies for honest mistakes that the City will accept the rescission on. If we do accept the rescission, it’s usually due to a valid justification. To have that be contingent on some other factor that has short and long term potential negative consequences to the organization is unfair, so that will not be something that will be presented to the Board. The rescission will still be presented to the Board for Tuesday, but there will be an unconditional rescission. Diversity Compliance and Inclusion Officer Cynthia Simmons asked who made the decision to ban them from being solicited for emergency demolition work going forward. President Maradik advised that the memo in the file explained why the contract was rescinded and that it was awarded to the next lowest bidder. Ms. Simmons stated that she understood that part, but wanted to know who made the decision to band them from future emergency work. Attorney Schmidt advised that it was an internal recommendation that will be denied. INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER DISCHARGE PERMIT Mr. Gilot appreciated the detail in the memo provided for item 15.A.: Honeywell International, Inc. He tends to review them as someone who was very involved in developing the pretreatment program, and he appreciates the progress that has been made. Honeywell has greatly reduced the amount of flow to the point where they don't need a certified operator at their pretreatment facility, and that was all well explained so he appreciated that. CHANGE ORDERS Mr. Gilot noted that for item 5.A.: Beacon Health Parking Lot that the $200,000 is exactly the amount that we took out of another contract and it makes sense to have the one doing the surface improvements to be responsible for backfill and compaction so we don’t have differential settlement. Attorney Schmidt advised that this change order is not an increase to the tax payer. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR VP Joseph Molnar noted that there is a good possibility that there will be an addition to the agenda for an additional easement release for the JC Hart project along the river. He added that legal is finalizing the language of the letter and then it will be shared with the board members. Attorney Schmidt added that he is aware of what's going on and that everybody in the team in the City is working aggressively to meet a closing deadline that both the buyer and the seller are looking for support from the City in order to make a transaction go through. The City released a couple of pedestrian easements that the City had an interest in at the February 25th meeting. This is some additional ingress and egress easements. The delay has been in making sure that everybody has a clean document to review and that the decision makers and the City understands what is the ask of the buyer and the seller in this transaction. The City wants to make sure they don't jeopardize any of the City's interest and making sure that they can provide necessary services to adjacent property owners in that in that area. Everybody is taking thorough steps to make sure that they don't release anything that they shouldn't be releasing.