APPROVED November 12, 2025
MPS BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING
Oliphant Administration Building
Michael S. Pinto Conference Room
26 Oliphant Lane, Middletown, RI 02842
October 29, 2025, 5:00pm
Members in Attendance:
| Present | Voting Member | Name | Title |
| X | Yes | Edward Brady | Chair, Community Member |
| X | Yes | William Nash | Vice Chair, School Committee Clerk |
| X | Yes | William Niemeyer | Superintendent of Schools |
| X | Yes | Tami Holden | School Committee Member |
| X | Yes | Ed Collins | Middletown Shared Facilities Director |
| X* | Yes | Thomas P. Welch, III | Town Council Vice President |
| X | Yes | Peter Connerton | Town Council Member |
| X | Yes | Donna Sweet | Middletown High School Principal |
| X | Yes | Michelle Fonseca | Asst Superintendent for Teaching and Learning |
| X* | Yes | Shawn Brown | Town Administrator, Local Budget Official |
| X | Yes | Don Morin | Secretary, Community Member |
| X | Yes | Marc Thayer | Community Member |
| X | Yes | Dan Thibeault | Community Member |
| P | Alternate | Gregory Huet | Alternate Member of School Committee |
| N | Alternate | Christopher Logan | Alternate Town Council Member |
| N | Alternate | Jerry Haas | Gaudet Middle School Principal |
| N | Alternate | Marc Tanguay | Town Finance Director, Alt. Local Budget Official |
X = Present/Voting; R=Represented; P=Present/Non-voting; N=Not Present
X* - Tom Welch arrived at 5:05pm; Shawn Brown arrived at 5:40pm
1. The meeting was called to order at 5:00 pm by Chair Ed Brady. Eleven (11) of thirteen (13) voting members were present or represented by an alternate.
2. Also present: Justin Bernard, Colin McCarthy, Colliers Project Leaders.
3. Present via Zoom: Matt LaRue, HMFH Architects; Ed Cifune, Emma Osborne, DBVW Architects.
· MOTION: Marc Thayer moved to accept the meeting minutes from October 15, 2025, and Peter Connerton seconded.
· DISCUSSION: None
· VOTE: The motion passed unanimously (11-0).
3.1 Cultural, Historical, Memorial Subcommittee Update
· Matt LaRue informed the Committee that the kickoff meeting of the Cultural, Historical and Memorial Subcommittee is scheduled for Friday, October 31st at 10:30am in the Pinto Conference Room in the lower level of the Oliphant Administration Building.
4.1 Elementary School GMP Update
· Bentley provided a revised GMP amendment for the Elementary School to Colliers on October 24th.
· The revised amendment has been reviewed by Colliers, the Design Team and the Town’s attorney and minor comments were submitted to Bentley. A final proposal is expected during the week of November 3rd.
· The GMP amendment will be presented to the Building Committee at the next meeting on November 12th, but it will be shared as soon as it is available to give the Committee members time to review it prior to the meeting.
· Alternates will be addressed with the approval of the GMP proposal, and the updated construction schedule will be included in the GMP amendment.
4.2 Middle-High School GMP Update
· Justin Bernard informed the Building Committee that Gilbane provided a revised GMP Amendment to Colliers on 10/22.
· The GMP Amendment is being reviewed by Colliers, the Design Team and the Town’s Attorney.
· The GMP Amendment will be presented to the Building Committee on November 12th, but it will be shared as soon as it is available to give the Committee members time to review it prior to the meeting..
· Alternates will be addressed with the approval of the GMP Proposal, and the updated construction schedule will be included in the GMP Amendment.
· The Building Committee should be prepared to approve each alternate individually at the next meeting.
4.3 Budget Update
· The project remains on time and on budget, with total anticipated project costs to be $178,492,600.
4.4 Middle-High School Construction Update
· The project team is finished with stockpiling loam. Any soil that is contaminated is being trucked offsite. Colliers expects the cost to remove these soils will remain under the allocated allowance.
· Both elevator shafts have been completed and steel has arrived and is being erected now.
· Continuous foundation walls on the western wing are complete; two more isolated footings are needed to complete the footing work on the west wing. The eastern wing foundation work is underway.
· Both the Elementary School Complex draft GMP and the MS/HS draft GMP are the primary focus of the project team and are expected to be ready for review/approval at the next Building Committee meeting. The packages will contain the cost, clarifications, alternates, allowances, changes, drawings, specifications, construction schedule, and logistics plan.
· MS/HS Bulk Excavation, soil testing and removal, concrete formwork, foundation waterproofing, MEP underground coordination and structural steel erection will continue over the next couple of weeks.
· Steel erection is going up quickly. A ceremonial beam signing of the last sequence of steelwork will be scheduled for mid-January.
· The update from Colliers can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CDN-5q1bvgmEdpTSt584s5ZCX10GIjA6/view?usp=sharing.
5.1 Two Week Look Ahead
· Ed Brady explained that the next meeting is currently scheduled for November 12th, and the team should be prepared to review the GMP and list of alternates at that meeting. Ed will not be physically present but will join via Zoom.
· Tami Holden and Marc Thayer recently toured the new Rogers High School and shared some thoughts about what they saw. Tami will bring some of the ideas she took from the tour to the kickoff meeting of the Cultural, Historical and Memorial Subcommittee meeting on Friday.
Adjournment:
· MOTION: Tom Welch moved for the Building Committee to adjourn at 5:47pm and Peter Connerton seconded. The motion passed unanimously (13-0).
Future Meeting Schedule – The next meeting will be on November 12, 2025, at 5:00p.m. at the Oliphant Administration Building.
Respectfully Submitted,
Don Morin