HomeMy Public PortalAbout04-05-2010 Branch Libraries Advisory ReportFormer Branch Libraries Reuse Advisory Committee
Angeline Kounelis & Vincent Piccirilli, Co -Chairs
Report to the Town Council
April 13, 2010
The committee held its third meeting on April 5th at 7:00 PM in the Philip Pane Hearing Room. All
members (Angeline Kounelis, Vincent Piccirilli, Rena Baskin, Neal Corbett, Emmett Finocche, Maria
Papadopoulos, and Joseph Previtera) were present, along with Steven Magoon and Ingrid
Marchesano. Also in attendance were David Russo from the Historical Commission, Paul Rogers, who
was a member of the original library reuse committee, and the Watertown Tab & Press reporter.
As requested, Mr. Magoon prepared a first draft of the request for proposal for each building for
discussion. The following provisions were discussed and agreed upon: term of the lease (minimum 20
years) and lease payment (prevailing rate for similar properties instead of a specific number). Other key
discussion points included adding the history of each building, retaining ownership of key fixtures, and
adding language prohibiting demolition.
The committee asked Mr. Magoon to create a 2nd draft RFP incorporating these changes, as well as
criteria for evaluation based upon the committee discussions to date. It was discussed that the Town
obtained a special act for the former Coolidge School exempting it from the public bidding law, and that
the former branch libraries would be easier to lease if they had the same exemption. The committee
asked Mr. Magoon to investigate this further.
The committee held its fourth meeting on April 12th at 7:00 PM. All members were present, along with
Mr. Magoon and Ms. Marchesano. Paul Rogers was also present.
In reviewing the 2nd draft, the following provisions were discussed and agreed upon: the "Criteria for
Evaluation", "Rent Payment Evaluation" and "Award". The committee further clarified the language
regarding demolition, as well as not accepting any proposal which seeks to rezone either site.
Language was added giving the Town the right to reject all proposals.
The committee voted to recommend to the Town Council that the committee continue its role as the
"project selection committee" in evaluating the proposals and making a recommendation to the
Manager. The committee also voted to ask the Town Council to pass a resolution asking the General
Court for a special act exempting the buildings from the public bidding laws.
The committee asked Mr. Magoon to incorporate all items discussed into a final draft for review at the
next meeting, scheduled for April 26 from 7 to 9 pm, in anticipation of completing the RFP by April 30th.
The committee welcomes input from the community during this process, and invites members of the
public to attend the meeting.
This report to the Town Council is only a summary, and minutes will be published after approval by the
committee.
Prepared by: Vincent Piccirilli