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Date: 5/23/2022
LUDLOW – During the Ludlow Board of Selectmen’s May 17 meeting, the board discussed a feasibility study into the HVAC system at the Public Safety Complex and continued the discussion about using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for renovations to the track and field behind Ludlow High School.
To begin the discussion about the HVAC feasibility study, Fire Chief Ryan Pease said that he and Police Chief Daniel Valadas previously spoke to the board and former Town Administrator Ellie Villano about using an outside company for the study because of the town’s lack of a head of facilities. Through that discussion, the town began working with Tighe and Bond, who suggested doing the study.
“They have all our plans, but they want to get a little more in-depth and see if what’s on the plan is in the building because we have had a number of vendors in over the years and the current vendor that we have has really looked into the system. There’s dampers that don’t exist, there’s ventilation systems that were stopped,” he said. “It was a poorly done project when it was renovated, and we’d like to make it right this time. Without a study of this depth, we’re never going to know.”
While the town is working on an overall study of buildings in town, Pease said, “I think that might just scratch the surface.”
The feasibility study would cost the town $32,000 for the Public Safety Complex. One concern Pease raised is who will create the request for proposal (RFP) for the actual renovation project.
“Who’s going to write the RFP looking at the system and who is going to have the knowledge of the integral parts of the system to write that RFP? I don’t think anyone around here that possesses that knowledge,” Pease said.
Despite the unknowns surrounding a potential RFP, Pease and the board were in agreement about seeing if Tighe and Bond could include those bid documents.
Town Administrator Marc Strange said he was in favor of the study, citing similar work being done at Town Hall.
“We’re going to be doing the same thing for Town Hall and I think this is valuable because the question is, do we replace what we have with a more upgraded model or is there a better way to do it? I think that’s what this study is going to do. Also, once you get in a lot of this equipment and construction is really old, so you don’t know if its code compliant,” he said. “I think its valuable.”
Pease said it was important to get to work on the study quickly.
“All of us know right now nothing is cheaper than it is this very minute, prices are increasing on everything by the day, and we should probably move a little quicker,” he said.
The board unanimously agreed to enter into an agreement with Tighe and Bond for the feasibility study using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
When it came to the track and field project, Board Chair Tony Goncalves said he was ready to move forward and reach out to Mott and MacDonald, the firm hired for the project in a previous iteration.
“I’d love to see us say let’s get ahold of these guys, see what we have left for money, let’s get the ball rolling. Like the chief said it’s not going to get cheaper and if we’re going to do it let’s not torture our poor kids in town,” he said.
Goncalves added that the board should take the lead on the project.
“We need to do it and be in charge here because if we leave it up to somebody at the school department or another organization, there may be bigger plans than what we are anticipating here, and we’ve got to control that to make sure we don’t get caught where we’re short money for other things we need,” he said.
Board member Bill Rosenblum said he wanted the track to be usable before thinking about going above and beyond with the project.
“Personally, with the track and field would I love to see $2.7 million or $3 million? Yes, but I think the most important thing with that right now is the track and the field,” he said.
Rosenblum added that maintenance could be an issue.
“This whole thing hinges on the maintenance, you can make that field last if it’s going to be artificial but if you don’t, you’re coming back asking for $500,000 to replace that field in six to 10 years,” he said.
Speaking to other communities, board member Manuel Silva said turf fields are difficult to maintain.
“I’m not getting good reports now that these fields have been out there. A lot of communities have been putting it out there that it’s not what it was cracked up to be, they are very expensive to repair in a year’s time,” he said. “A lot of them are backing away from them.”
Board member Derek DeBarge said he was concerned about using a grass field because it would require significant maintenance costs and commitments. He added that he wanted to see the cost difference between turf and a grass field.
“We have maintenance problems in this town, if we go grass on that field, we’re going to have issues,” he said.
While no motion was required, the board agreed to continue with Strange as the point person for the track and field project.
During the meeting, the board also interviewed Johnluc Lavoie for a firefighter/paramedic vacancy before appointing him to the position. The board also interviewed Jon Baldwin and Sharon Fry for the Housing Authority, before naming Baldwin the new member.
The Ludlow Board of Selectmen next meets on May 31 and coverage of that meeting will appear in the June 9 edition of The Reminder.