MONTAGUE — A draft for the request for qualifications (RFQ) for the Department of Public Works facility project was unanimously approved by the DPW building committee Tuesday.
The draft was reviewed and OK’d by the eight committee members present and will be sent to Town Administrator Steven Ellis for revisions.
Once the RFQ is finalized, the project can be put out to bid.
According to the RFQ, the project is a proposed 25,500-square-foot facility on municipal property adjacent to the town’s public safety complex, in an undeveloped wooded lot.
In May, the town approved a debt-exclusion to fund the project, not to exceed $11.2 million, according to Mark Fairbrother, a committee member and chairman of the Montague Conservation.
The anticipated start for the project is the beginning of the construction season in 2019, with a plan for completion in 2020.
Committee member Pam Hanold reviewed the RFQ with the committee, noting potential topics of discussion such as continuing to use the same designer, Weston and Sampson, and distinguishing qualifications expected of the project manager.
Hanold said if the board would like to continue to use Weston and Sampson as the designer, they should have Ellis submit a request to the Massachusetts Attorney General asking if it is possible under current law and guidelines to use the first designer without going out to bid for additional designers.
“We were able to do that with the police station,” Hanold said. “The way it was done with the police station was that the owner’s project manager would thoroughly vet the work, qualifications, information that the committee gave to them to make sure the designer would be a good fit.”
Town Planner Walter Ramsey said he received a response from town counsel, KP Law, on this question of keeping the designer.
“Since the 2015 procurement was qualifications based — not fee based — counsel advised that the town can proceed under the 2015 procurement. Counsel advised that the town should first contract an owner’s project manager, who will help assist and advise the contract negotiations with the designer,” Ramsey said in an email Wednesday.
The board has yet to decide on the matter and it will be discussed at a later meeting, according to Ramsey.
The board also reviewed the list of minimum and distinguished qualifications.
Committee member Ariel Elan said she wanted to have specific language to say the group wanted someone, “interpersonally responsive to working with us and that is subjective.”
In response, committee member Jay DiPucchio said he wanted clarification to the distinguished qualities so that they can be measurable.
“Perhaps a word change, like ‘specifically articulate a clear understanding,’” said DiPucchio. “At least letting them know heads up show us you have a clear understanding of something, give us something measurable.”
Resident Deb Radway, who was also on the building committee for the public safety complex, suggested requiring references and resumes for each member of the team, which should be under minimum qualifications.
“If you want references you should ask for them in here,” said Radway. “Under minimum qualifications, I’d think you’d want names of every key member of the OPM team and their resumes articulating every public construction project they’ve worked on.”
Committee Chairman Ken Morin said he agreed.
The next meeting for the committee will be on Tuesday, Aug. 7 at 5 p.m.