Town of Farmington, CT Public Buildings

The purpose of this article is to establish procedures to plan, approve and construct public buildings in an orderly and cost-effective manner, including giving clear direction and course of action to the appointed building committee or designated person or persons. This article shall apply to all pending public building projects in progress on the effective date of this article.

§ 53-2 Statement of needs.

The Town department or agency initiating a request for the construction or renovation of a public building shall submit to the Town Manager a statement of needs which justifies the requested construction. The Town Manager shall review the statement of needs critically and shall, when satisfied that the statement is complete, submit the statement to the Town Council along with a recommendation for approval or disapproval of nonschool proposed construction.

The Board of Education, being responsible under C.G.S. § 10-220 for making a study of the needs for school facilities and of a long-term school building program, shall, as part of a statement of needs, make recommendations to the Town Council for new school construction, additions or renovations based upon such study.

Town Council approval of a statement of needs shall be required before any further action is taken. The Town Council may hold hearings or take any other action it deems appropriate to obtain information prior to approving a statement of needs.

Each Town department or agency, including the Board of Education, shall, at the time of submitting annual budget requests, submit an estimate of expenditures for capital improvements for the next five years. The Town Manager, at the time of submitting the proposed annual budget to the Town Council, shall submit a five-year capital improvements program with a recommendation of what, if any, project or projects should be undertaken in the ensuing fiscal year. The Council shall consider and act on the projects, either approving, disapproving or approving at a revised estimate of costs.

§ 53-3 Building committee or other designated person or persons.

Upon approval of a statement of needs, the Town Council shall appoint a building committee for all school buildings, including at least one member of the Board of Education, and may appoint a building committee for all other Town buildings.

If a building committee is appointed, the Town Council shall define the scope of the responsibilities of such committee. The Town Council shall seek to include persons experienced in design and construction (such as an architect and/or construction engineer) to be building committee members.

If a building committee is not appointed for Town buildings other than schools, the Town Council shall specifically designate the person or persons responsible for planning and supervising the construction of such building and shall define the scope of responsibilities of such person or persons.

Hereinafter, the building committee or designated person or persons shall be referred to as the "committee."

The Town Manager shall provide the committee with qualified and adequate staff support on building, financial, administrative and clerical matters. The role and scope of staff shall be clearly defined by the Town Manager and shall be described by the Town Manager to the committee. The Town Manager shall stay in close touch with the committee and keep the Town Council advised on material developments as they occur.

§ 53-4 Planning and construction process for building projects.

Project initiation. The Town Council shall, upon recommendation of the Town Manager:

(1)

Select a site for the construction. If a school site is involved, the site shall be approved by the Board of Education and the State Commissioner of Education prior to the start of construction.

(2)

Develop and incorporate into the committee's charge a clear description of the nature, size and purpose of the proposed building based on the approved statement of needs.

Preliminary plan development. The committee shall:

(1)

Solicit proposals from qualified architects to prepare schematic drawings and project cost estimates, including costs of construction, engineering, finance, legal, contingency, independent construction monitoring and oversight, and other appropriate costs.

(2)

Negotiate a contract or contracts with the selected architect. The architectural work will be contracted for in two phases. Phase one will consist of prereferendum services, including the preparation of schematic drawings and cost estimates, including structural site work, grading and drainage, presentations to Town boards and commissions and other services and costs as determined by the committee. Phase two services will complete the project through Town acceptance and final payment to the contractor(s). The phase two contract will include the architectural fees and expenses to take the project through the design development, contract document and administrative services phases during construction, including the preparation of bid documents and contract documents, the evaluation of bids and the determination of appropriate bonding, insurance and other soft costs. The contract(s) shall provide that the architect will not proceed beyond phase one services until the committee has issued a notice to proceed after the approval of funding for the entire project; and that the Town has no financial obligation beyond phase one fees and expenses if the project funding is not approved.

(3)

Obtain from the architect a certificate attesting to the architect's errors and omissions insurance coverage that will be valid throughout the duration of the project.

(4)

Request sufficient funds from the Town Council to pay for the architect's phase one services. Upon approval of such funding, the committee shall execute the contract with the architect for such services.

(5)

Decide what type of owner's representative to use (if other than the architect) such as a clerk of the works, construction manager or general contractor. If a construction manager is to be used, the committee shall solicit proposals from qualified firms and negotiate services and fees for the pre- and post-referendum phases.

(6)

Submit the completed schematic drawings to the Town Plan and Zoning Commission for informal review and recommendation and make such changes as appropriate in accordance with the contract for architectural services.

(7)

Submit the completed schematic drawings and project cost estimates to the Town Council for approval.

(8)

Upon Town Council (and Board of Education for school projects) approval of the schematic drawings and project cost estimates, request that the Town Council:

(a)

Set a Town meeting (and referendum if necessary) for the total project cost based on the cost estimates prepared by the architect and/or construction manager; and

(b)

Refer the project to the Town Plan and Zoning Commission for a report under C.G.S. § 8-24.

Final plan development. If the project is approved at the Town meeting (or referendum, if necessary) the committee shall:

(1)

Issue a notice to proceed to the architect to complete final plans, working drawings and specifications, bid documents and contract documents. The committee and its consultants shall review the design documents at each design phase to evaluate, refine and update cost estimates and verify that the plans fulfill the purpose of the proposed building in a reasonable manner. The committee shall submit a copy of the final plans, working drawings, specifications, bid documents and contract documents to an independent, qualified engineering firm for a comprehensive review as to accuracy, clarity and completeness. The engineering firm shall submit comments to the committee. The committee shall direct the architect to make such changes as it deems appropriate.

(2)

Submit the final plans to the Town Plan and Zoning Commission for site plan approval. Upon receipt of the architect's changes and approval of the Town Plan and Zoning Commission, and approval of the Board of Education for school projects, the committee shall put the project out to bid and award the construction contract. The Town Manager and a person designated by the committee shall execute the construction contract on behalf of the Town.

(3)

Meet with the architect, general contractor or construction manager to reconcile any differences between the parties. The committee shall approve the final plans, working drawings and specifications, bid documents and contract documents.

Construction initiation. The committee shall:

(1)

Establish an oversight team consisting of the architect, Town staff members and/or consultants to assure regular and knowledgeable in-the-field monitoring of construction and evaluation of change orders and to keep the committee up-to-date on a regular basis on all material developments. The committee shall contract for additional independent monitoring of the construction process, if deemed necessary.

(2)

Authorize the start of construction.

(3)

Monitor the construction process to include meetings with the architect, project manager and construction contractor as necessary to resolve any differences.

(4)

Establish liaisons and/or other means of communication to keep the Town Manager, Town Council and other interested parties up-to-date on project developments.

(5)

Consider and act promptly on change orders, making certain that any increase in the cost involved in any change order is within the amount appropriated for the project.

(6)

Monitor the preparation by the architect of a list of items (punch list) which are not fully completed or which require further attention when the architect has certified that the building is substantially complete. The committee shall accept the building as substantially complete and make certain that the punch list items are completed promptly and properly.

(7)

Review the certification by the architect that construction has been completed in full compliance with contract documents or review the list of items that are not yet satisfactorily completed.

(8)

Authorize the release of funds that had been withheld or designate those funds to be withheld pending completion of any unfinished work or for any other appropriate reason.

§ 53-5 Town Manager's responsibility for coordination of process.

Throughout the planning and construction process, the Town Manager shall be responsible for coordinating the process and working with the committee and making full use of the Town staff and appropriate outside services as required. The Town Manager shall attend meetings as necessary between the architect and general contractor or construction manager and/or subcontractors. In the event of a conflict precluding the Town Manager's attendance at any such meetings, the Town Manager shall designate an alternate to attend in his/her absence and promptly after the meeting shall confer with the alternate and be briefed on significant developments. Within budgetary limits, the Town Manager is authorized to obtain such outside services as he/she believes are needed.

§ 53-6 Execution of contracts.

The Corporation Counsel shall review all contracts before they are entered into by the Town or the committee and shall oversee the execution of such contracts and compliance with appropriate bonding and insurance requirements.

§ 53-7 Approval by State Commissioner of Education.

In the case of the construction of school buildings, the Town Council may by resolution authorize the Board of Education to apply to the State Commissioner of Education for a state grant-in-aid for the project. The Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools shall be responsible for having the State Commissioner of Education approve the plans and other matters relating to such application and for obtaining school construction grants from the state.