July 8, 2026
School Building Commission
City Hall – 36 Court Street Room 310
Members Present: (Roll Call) Cathy Buono, Superintendent Sonia E. Dinnall, Steve Desilets, Marylou Ireland, LaTonia Monroe-Naylor and Peter B. Picknelly
Members Absent: Tom Ashe, Adam Lunghi and Maria Perez
Also Present: Peter Garvey –Director of Capital Asset Construction (DCAC); William Cahillane, DCAC; My-Ron Hatchett - DCAC; Emmanuel Russell, DCAC; Patrick Roach – Springfield School Department; Donna DiNisco – DiNisco Design; Tim Cooper- DiNisco Design; Ben Murphy – Skanska USA Building; John Benzinger Skanska USA, Alex Abdow - Skanska USA; Hope Bussiere, Skanska USA; David Mazzaco, DiNisco, Zhang Xinhui, Cynthia Escribano, Principal of Gerena School
SBC Counsel Present: Hope Button, City's Law
Cathy Buono called the meeting to order at 12:03pm.
1. Administrative update
A motion to approve the Meeting Minutes of June 10, 2026 was made by Steve Desilets. Cathy Buono seconded the motion and it was unanimously approved. (Roll Call Vote: Cathy Buono, Superintendent Sonia E. Dinnall, Steve Desilets, Marylou Ireland, LaTonia Monroe-Naylor and Peter B. Picknelly) All members were in favor and none oppose and none abstained. All members were in favor and none oppose and none abstained.
2. German Gerena Community School
Peter Garvey presented the required vote and approval to execute DiNisco Design, Designer Contract Amendment #2 for the German Gerena Community School to the SBC members. Amendment#2 is for the Reimbursable Expense (RE): RE-05 – Land Surveying Services in the amount of $34,320. This adjustment is to provide spot grades, collect field data of the existing conditions, research of local and county records of existing property line, utility information, conduct field services to complete a topographic / detail survey of the area for the German Gerena School.
Cathy Buono read out the required motion to the School Building Commission members as follows: I hereby make a motion to approve Amendment #2 to the Dinisco Design, Inc., Contract for Designer Services for the German Gerena Community School Project, incorporating reimbursable expense authorization no. RE-05- Land Surveying Services for $34,320 into the contract and increasing the amount payable to the Designer by $34,320, resulting in a new total contract price of $861,155, in substantially the same form as the draft Amendment #2 attached hereto. Steve Desilets seconded the motion approving the Amendment #2 to DiNisco Design., Designer Contract for the German Gerena Community School and it was unanimously approved. (Roll Call Vote: Cathy Buono, Superintendent Sonia E. Dinnall, Steve Desilets, Marylou Ireland, LaTonia Monroe-Naylor and Peter B. Picknelly) All members were in favor and none oppose and none abstained. All members were in favor and none oppose and none abstained.
Ben Murphy requested the vote and approval to submit an application to the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General for the authorization to proceed with the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) Method. Ben explained that the CM @ Risk in accordance with M.G.L. c. 149A is a project delivery approach method intended to get the CM involved early in the design phase. This allows the CM to provide input with cost estimation, scheduling, deliveries, constructability, risk reduction to the owner and consulting during pre-construction for a guaranteed maximum price (GMP). The SBC will conduct a two-phase CM selection process as established in M.G.L Ch. 149A. Phase One; the Request for Qualifications, RFQ Phase, is the qualification phase. Only firms selected during the RFQ Phase will be permitted to participate in Phase Two, the Request for Proposals, RFP Phase, used to select a CM firm. The RFQ Phase will be used to prequalify construction management at risk firms. The SBC will appoint and assemble a CM Selection committee to review and evaluate the SOQs received. Only those firms determined to be qualified by the CM Selection Committee will be invited and permitted to submit a proposal in response to the Phase Two RFP. The CM Selection Committee will evaluate proposals on multiple factors, rank the proposals based on the composite ratings including their fee proposal, perform interviews, and make a recommendation for the preferred CM Firm to the SBC. Upon final approval of the CM at Risk firm of choice, the City will commence negotiations with the highest ranked CM at Risk Firm. In the event negotiations with the highest ranked firm will not result in a contract acceptable to the City, negotiations will be terminated and negotiations will commence with the next highest ranked firm, and the process will continue until the City can reach an acceptable contract with one of the pre-qualified CM at Risk firms that submitted an advantageous proposal.
Cathy Buono read out the required motion to the School Building Commission members as follows: I hereby make a motion to approve for the German Gerena Elementary School Project Team to submit an application to the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General seeking authorization to proceed with the Construction Manager at Risk project delivery method as defined in M.G.L. C. 149A. LaTonia Monroe-Naylor seconded the motion approving to submit an application to the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General for the German Gerena Community School and it was unanimously approved. (Roll Call Vote: Cathy Buono, Superintendent Sonia E. Dinnall, Steve Desilets, Marylou Ireland, LaTonia Monroe-Naylor and Peter B. Picknelly) All members were in favor and none oppose and none abstained. All members were in favor and none oppose and none abstained.
Donna DiNisco presented an updated design power-point presentation of the preferred schematic report to the School Building Commission members for the Gerena School. The presentation shown the PDP Alternative of option#4: New Construction at Chestnut Street; the design outlines a three-story building, gymnasium, cafeteria/kitchen space, administration area, classroom spaces for pre-k – fifth grade and Links classrooms, storage rooms, media /art/music center, a nurse station, mechanical /maintenance room and configurations of the traffic control/bus loop/ parking space / parking structure among Carew, Chestnut and Prospect Street. She also reported to the SBC member the upcoming Community Outreach Meeting scheduled on July 28, 2026 held at the Brightwood Library in Chestnut Middle School and discussed the preliminary project schedule (see below).
Preliminary Project Schedule:
- PSR / PDP Submission: May 2026 – August 2026
- Schematic Design: Sept 2026 – Feb 2027
- Design Development: March 2027 – August 2027
- Construction Documents: August 2027 – May 2028
- Bid Award: May 2028 – July 2028
- Building Construction: July 2028 – August 2030
- Occupancy: August 2030
LaTonia Monroe-Naylor expressed her concerns with the traffic flow on Prospect Street and asked if the city will consider conveying a one-way time frame on Prospect Street. Cathy Buono inquired about the cost of the parking structure and if the MSBA would consider that a reimbursable item. Patrick Roach would like the designer to work in a snow removal strategy.
3. White/Kensington Elementary School
Peter requested a vote and authorization to appoint three individuals for the Selection Committee to review and evaluate the City's Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for an Owner's Project Manager (OPM) for the White / Kensington Elementary School.
Cathy Buono read out the required motion to the School Building Commission members as follows: I hereby make a motion to appoint the persons listed below as the Selection Committee to review and evaluate responses to the City's Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for an Owner's Project Manager (OPM) for the White / Kensington Elementary School Project, recommend a short-list of between 3 and 5 respondents, conduct interviews, and rank the finalists, for contract negotiation with the City. The three appointed individuals for the RFQ selection committee will be: Peter Garvey, William Cahillane and Steve Desilets. Steve Desilets seconded the motion approving The three appointed individuals for the RFQ selection committee for the White Street / Kensington Elementary School and it was unanimously approved. (Roll Call Vote: Cathy Buono, Superintendent Sonia E. Dinnall, Steve Desilets, Marylou Ireland, LaTonia Monroe-Naylor and Peter B. Picknelly) All members were in favor and none oppose and none abstained. All members were in favor and none oppose and none abstained.
4. New Business:
Next Meeting: TBD
Adjournment: A motion to adjourn was made by Cathy Buono and seconded by Steve Desilets. (Roll Call Vote: Cathy Buono, Superintendent Sonia E. Dinnall, Steve Desilets, Marylou Ireland, LaTonia Monroe-Naylor and Peter B. Picknelly) All members were in favor and none oppose and none abstained at 1:09pm.
Meeting minutes recorded by Jessica Lugo
A True Copy Attest: [signature]
Clerk School Building Commission