 Welcome, everyone. My name is Angela Mills. I work for the Town of Amherst. This meeting is being recorded at a later date. It will be uploaded by our IT staff to the Town of Amherst YouTube channel. At this point, I would like to welcome everyone and turn the meeting over to Alex Lefebvre, the chair of this outreach slip committee. Great. Thank you. So, seeing a quorum, I'm going to call the meeting to order at four o'clock. I'm going to perform a sound check and make sure that everybody can hear and be heard. So, with that, Anika? Here. Austin? Here. And Alex Lefebvre, I am here as well. So, pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021, this meeting will be conducted via remote means. Members of the public who wish to access the meeting can do so by clicking on the live link to this Zoom meeting that can be found on the public meetings calendar on the Town of Amherst website or by dialing in my phone. The public is able to comment during the public comment segment of the posted agenda by raising their hand. This meeting is being recorded and will be posted in the Town of Amherst YouTube channel. Okay. Okay. Having that out of the way, I see our person from Collier's who is not in fact Craig DeCarlo. Hi, yes. I'm the Craig's new assistant project manager started about three weeks ago, and Craig should be right behind me. We just jumped off another call. Okay. I think everybody's had a chance to meet you, but just in case maybe just introduce yourself. Of course. Oh, I see it to me my name Craig DeCarlo again. My name is Will Fernandez I'll change that so I don't confuse anyone. Thank you Will. Great. And I think we have Craig here as well. So, there's the real Craig DeCarlo. And thank you for joining us. And so just housekeeping we have two sets of minutes that need to be approved. Would someone make a motion to approve the minutes of May 17. Most improve. Second. Second. Great. Any questions, comments about the minutes of May 17. Okay, hearing none. We'll go ahead and have a roll call to approve the minutes and Nika. Yes. And Alex Lafave is also a yes for unanimous approval of minutes. Second set of minutes that were we need to approve the second set, Angela, the June 8th set also. Okay. So the June 8 minutes are the public forum that we held that was an overview of the outreach and Angela typed up the sort of notes of that meeting. So, can I get a motion to approve the minutes of the June 8 public forum. Okay, I'll approve. In a second. May just ask a question Alex. So there was a quorum of the committee present for the public forum. There was not, because there was only a Nika and I, so it doesn't, I'm sorry, since it's a public forum and no votes were taken. We're good with just referencing them, but we don't need to approve them. Perfect. Thank you. And Angela. Okay. So number three on our item is the keeping the community informed. So I think as folks know we've been issuing a newsletter on a weekly basis we've had four newsletters to date and that seems to be doing nicely that's also getting sent out to town council. So we've had a lot of comments as the group of people who initially requested at our May one event to be included as well as being pushed by the library and posted on multiple sites. We have gotten Craig, I don't know how I don't know the last time you were in public comments but we have 1720 comments as of today, 469 unique comments so that also includes frequency. So we're getting comments in from actually all the methods, whether it's, I think we've had 44 contributors to the pilot with 77 comments, we're also getting things from Amherst talks. We're getting emails at Jones library dot org but then we're also getting the online submittal form which is a, you know there's no email attached to it so we're really seeing from everywhere which is great. So starting to tick down in terms of number of comments we were getting each week, we got, you know, 420 and then 378 and then 216 and then 110 and then we put the renderings out there and then we popped back up to about 200 again so that's not unexpected and good but to me that tells me that people are getting these things because the bulk of those comments came from actually we haven't gotten any comments from the renderings that are posted in the library they all come in via the other methods, whether it's in person at the farmers market at the event we just did at Olympia Oaks, or through the online method so I think that's great that we got instant reaction and we weren't relying solely on what's up in the building. We will be getting a dump of teen comments just so everybody knows at the end of this week Friday is the last day of school at which point we will go collect the comment boards that have been up at the schools. No one wanted to ask the librarians to send us you know pictures on a regular basis so I don't know what that'll look like but just know there's going to be a dump of comments that have been collected over the last couple of weeks. In terms of keeping the community informed on June 16 design has their second round of feedback I believe that's a meeting where they're going to be talking about the second round of feedback. June 21 I think the jail BC is voting then on the second round on the recommendations, and then June 24 we're going to receive the updated design schematics. So, in terms of keeping the community and I think Craig you did a GoPro of the three library tours I don't know if there's a plan around how we're releasing or whether we need to talk about what that looks like. So I don't have a release plan we're still, you know, put putting small videos together into larger videos. I guess I would defer my initial thought was, I would send it all send them over to, say, Christine and Sharon and you. But then we distribution up to you folks. The files are very large. By sending I would put them, I would give you a link to a shared file, and then you can download them or to share that link. Okay. And I know you weren't able to attend since you have. But I mean for me because I wasn't, I wasn't a trustee. This began and I know that there were library tours so this probably wasn't Austin's first time going on library tours but for me, going on a library tour with the library directors and talking to staff and talking to patrons was really illuminating on multiple levels one, seeing other libraries renderings and then seeing their real buildings made me feel better about renderings. I don't actually capture the life of a building, but just also really seeing what other libraries done was super helpful. So I don't know whether either of you have any thoughts or suggestions about what we want to do with that video or that Austin. Thank you, Alex. I hope what Craig will do will will be to send the link to the entire JLBC, no need to send it through subcommittees. And Angie, I don't know if it would make sense to, as part of the materials for a JLBC meeting to post the video to the town post those videos to the town website but that's that's what I think you ought to do with those videos and that's something for doing that filming. Thank you so much. I was so sorry to miss it. You know, so I'm excited to see the video. And I also want to give Will a plug he has assembled the whole video turned out awesome so I'm excited to share that with you folks but I want to share all three at the same time. Nice. Thank you will. So in terms of the updated design schematic so last time what we did on May 27 was we, the designs were presented on May 27 to design and then on June 1 we had a public forum and then Sharon presented those designs and then we took questions that that went into the public feedback. So, for those of you who don't know I am leaving on June 25, and I will be gone through July 14, and I will have super not at all limited access to internet. I will not be here for that. But I was not needed for that Sharon did it and Angela ran the meeting. But I don't want to be. I don't do I'm saying what we should do are picking dates because I won't be here so I just wanted to put that up for conversation about if we want to follow a similar format or do something different. I'm sorry, could you repeat what you just said with the dates. Yeah, so last time that the designs were presented to design subcommittee on May 27. And then on June 1. So before anybody really to do anything with them, we also presented them to the public. And then we're getting them again on June 24. So the question is, do we want to do a similar format after June 24 or something different. And then what dates because I won't be here. So someone else should pick dates on me. Angela also being a very important part in the date picking because she's the one making all the magic happen. Yeah. So I guess question one is do you want to do the same thing. And if so then dates but if no then what different. Can I ask a question from colliers. I haven't looked at the timeline for the project but is the window closing on community feedback July one, or does this next round of schematic designs kick open a new window for community feedback. The community feedback on my recommendation is, we continue to take it in whatever the public is interested in talking about commenting on asking about, we keep receiving that. We don't actually close the window however, naturally as the design progresses, certain comments will have less and less impact on the design so if somebody for example if someone makes a comment now about the layout, or you know, in a week about the layout is very little that will impact, but if they're making a comment about furniture pieces or colors, or finished materials or landscaping that can have maximum impact still. So, that's how it's, it will kind of wind down. Austin. Thanks. I think that the way to proceed is to try to replicate as much as you could what happened with the previous iteration. And I would think that actually we'd want to consult with Sharon and Sharon and Angie about what date would work for them, but I really liked what you did, but we did the last time which was there's this really tight window of. And the public saw them. And I think, you know, regardless of the, you know, like how they're going to fold, how they're going to fold in we want as much of that as possible but we want to be continually spreading information so let's do that in the hope that we'll have some time to assimilate the comments and certainly will be valuable that we will have disseminated of these revised, revised schematics. Great. So I'll circle back with Angela and Sharon find the date that works for them and then if somebody from JLBC can be there that's great but the reality is I was somewhat superfluous to that meeting. Okay, good. Another again with with the person at the library who's been posting. So when we do newsletters. The newsletter gets sent to the town to be posted there, the newsletter gets sent to the library for posting on a library site but then there's also one person within the library who is putting it into the civic edge or whatever it's called the format that we can then push to people on Sundays, which is the same thing Austin that we used up to the vote that was the sort of informative thing. So that person is going on vacation, which means I'll be able to get this week's newsletter but then the we'll be able to do newsletters for if we were to do one for June 26 July 3 July 10. We can't use that format. So, just a heads up to people, I haven't quite figured out what that looks like yet but just a heads up and then also obviously I'll be gone. I'll be able to do a newsletter on July 3 July 10 July 17. So, I don't know whether we'll need one. I don't know whether someone wants to put something minimally together. But I put that out there for the group. I think it's been really good and I think it's been really helpful. And I think it's unfortunate on the timing but yeah, any good. So I mean I think that that I mean the newsletter has clearly been amazing. I'm talking about even, you know, in council meetings. I do have some conflicting dates as well that kind of mirrors yours but I can do so. I can, I'll do my best to confirm within the next two days and you know if possible would do whatever I can to help out to keep the newsletter on, you know, on time and fresh as I think it's, you know, it's getting it's getting a great response. And I'm wondering maybe I mean now that the, I mean the templates, kind of there it's just a matter of sort of filling in what's been going on so I don't know whether, you know, we'd have one person sort of take it on each week. You know, that might be a resolution I don't know but I just, I don't know whether we talk about that at the larger building committee or small group to try and come up with a resolution. Everyone on board. Yeah. So I think the newsletter is great if anything that can be done to keep it going. It is not unusual in the town of Amherst for publications to suspend during periods of time. The community is quite used to reading on the local thing that we're not going to be publishing next week because we're away. And while I think that the weekly distribution newsletter is great. I think that if we were to skip two weeks, you know, if that was not doable. Then, you know, we'd have a, we have more to say in the newsletter after that. So I think if we can do something fine if we can't do something. We're going to communicate in other ways we just suspend the newsletter while you're away or we could vote to, you know, not allow you to go on vacation. So those are my proposals. That is not an option but okay sounds good to me. All right. Alex Lopez you have excellent timing. Welcome to the meeting. Can you hear us and can we hear you Alex. I can hear you. Right. We can hear you as well. Thank you. So the next thing I wanted to talk about is public feedback around the temporary location. I didn't have anything specific to that. And wanted to see if I could volunteer Alex since he doesn't have a picture and I can't see his face to take the lead on that and possibly work with the library director around sort of what are the, what are we asking and what are the parameters, and sort of take what we might do relative to outreach for a temporary location. Yeah, just to, I mean, it would be an honor and privilege. But just to be clear, we are talking about at this point, there is a search for what might be available. Right. And so this would be working with the library director to figure out, once we are down to a few candidates of what that looks like, then getting feedback from the community on where they want to see. Craig, do you want to speak to that or do you want me to or I'll defer to you and then. So my sense Alex is we're probably not going to hold up choice because what the town is we're working with the town to find building so if we have a choice and we could give the community a choice that's fabulous but I doubt that'll be the case but I could be wrong I'm not in this. I think and this is actually why I want you to work with the library director is I my sense is, it might be more water people's priorities while we are in temporary spaces, in terms of either what they have access to, or is it important that temporary spaces are are maybe staffed with fewer people and more staff is like out in the community events like I, I don't even know what the parameters are so that's why, rather than letting my imagination run wild. I think maybe getting some direction from the library director about you know, these are the things that the community can give us feedback on and then taking that and then figuring out a way to go do public outreach around that. That sounds great so basically we're playing a townwide version of the game five books on an island. Okay, you always have references I barely understand Alex but yes I will say yes. Okay, did anyone else comments questions thoughts about the temporary location so that Alex that our outreach on Craig's calendar ends at the end of August. I don't have until whenever you start through August and I'm, I'm not sure. I'm not sure you need the same amount of length of time for outreach around the temporary locations but I don't know, I will let you. I will let you organize that. And the other thing I wanted to volunteer someone for is an ECA. So, as you know from our last jail BC meeting we're requesting changes around the Civil War tablets in the design of the space design and so there has already been some feedback about that that we've gotten from people and so because you're on the Civil War committee and you're on the building committee I thought to the extent that sort of you could be a liaison around if we need to do any particular outreach relatives that are any communication relative to that I could. We could ask you to do be responsible for sort of making sure that that's flowing in a way where everybody feels like they're being heard and that feel reasonable. Absolutely. Anyone comments thoughts questions Civil War tablets besides that. Okay. And then the next thing I just had around community be informed is our next phase is going to be design development which I think Craig you have our public outreach going from August through October, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, that's correct. Okay, and then again this being my first ever building project and really not knowing what's happening till we're in the middle of it so. Is it can we expect it's going to be more similar to sort of when we got these renderings and then we put them out to people and then people started telling us what they liked or just wondering for us to start thinking about what we want to do for community outreach do we need to sort of change what we're doing or any thoughts about what we might need to start thinking about. So design development is actually pretty exciting time because it's it's when, just as the name implies that design gets developed further becomes more and more realistic. Once we get to construction documents which is the next phase and that would be beginning in December of this year, then it becomes more architects and their consultants kind of heads down work. It's much more focus is documenting the design that everyone's agreed to, so that it can be built. So the design develop so schematic design things are kind of fast and loose design development things start getting more realistic decisions start becoming more specific so instead of, you know, we want the building to be made from some sort of masonry. So let's start drilling down to all right well what specific what specific type of mess masonry and what color range, you know what are the details. And so it becomes those types of discussions. So yes and design development. Answer your short your question more succinctly during design development yes will continue to receive presentation material from the design team and be able to share that with the public. I just wanted to hear from the committee about, you know, we've told the public that the community feedback for schematics ends on July one. And so I guess I'm just looking for on July 2. You know, are we doing something differently. Are we, what does that look like. Are we going to continue to collect information from people but you know because we told them we said like I guess I'm trying to do what's the next sort of expectations that we're setting for a public as we continue to get. For people to really acknowledge for people to understand that we've hit a new phase it feels like something either visually or something needs to shift otherwise people. I think they're going to think we're still in sort of the same phase in terms of, you can say anything and everything or. Yeah, I need to go ahead take over. I'm trying to say better. I don't know that I can I was going to suggest that. You know, as we get closer to the first, then maybe another reminder that we're closing into the date and so therefore if there is, I don't even if it's a visual that goes out on the second that's, you know, thank you for your input and stay tuned, you know, maybe you know something like that and it could be, you know that so it's not like you know you're completely shut down but you're kind of reminding people of the time that they have, thanking them on the first and stay tuned for next steps. I had a timeline on the thing that I just volunteered to do but I do think that starting the temper like starting whatever the outreach is going to be around temporary in July to August is a good time frame of like, we've talked about the building. Now we're going to talk about the process right of wall building being built. And then that also gives us some time to be able to communicate out some of the decisions that are being made or input that's been considered etc. Thanks Alex, I think I like and then Craig if I'm not mistaken when that ends in August we then would shift back to design development like hey now we're in the next phase of design development because that's in theory when we would start that. Are you asking the difference between, say July, the July 1 timeline and the end of July timeline, where design development officially begins. Yeah, like when would we expect we would we would probably still continue to have questions of the public, because we're just going to keep on doing things I mean there's a point in time where we have to approve the design schematics. And there's a period of time where we could still get feedback but nothing's happening until that. Yes, essentially, so what will happen is, you know, July 1, the design team will submit their schematic design drawings. And we'll do two things will happen at that point will go to the cost estimators will begin looking at it and developing their cost estimates, and it will also go to say the library building committee to start reviewing and looking at it in detail. And at the end of that cost estimating now we have a design in hand that hopefully everyone's relatively familiar with, and then we'll also have an estimated cost with those two things then the community or the town will be asked to give the design team approval to move to the next And there's also some time in there if the cost estimate is high, and we need to make some adjustments there's some time in there to make those adjustments before giving that okay to move into design development in the background that is the design team will continue to work on things. So it won't be like they're kind of sitting dormant for the three weeks or four weeks, but yes I guess from our perspective what we're seeing coming out of them is they'll start producing things for a couple weeks. And then all of a sudden we'll have that cost estimate and move forward with the decision making process. Does that answer your question. Yeah, I think so. I mean it doesn't sound like it sounds like we just keep collecting feedback and just try to make clear Austin go ahead. So Alex, thank you Craig. Alex to answer your question I think we should continue to do what we've been doing right through design development. The committee is going to have to be making decisions right throughout design development, and both informing the public and getting the public's input. It's going to be useful to those to that process so my own view is that we continue the outreach process, kind of as we have right through the design development phase. I mean once design development is over and there you go into construction documents. Then I think we're in a very different phase but through design development. As the committee it says the building committee itself is saying you know we like blue rather than red. We should be continued to collect public comment. Alex. Collecting public comment can also look differently like one thing that comes to mind is that this committee can do the work of turning people out to other committee meetings, we don't have to have a separate event. We know that there are a bunch of you know schematics are coming out and we're going to be seeing that. Then we want to, we want to make it public and do the work of like knowing or helping get people there to see that. Do you have any ideas around that Alex I mean we're certainly doing that in the newsletter that we're pushing, and it's obviously on the community like on the calendars but do and when we go out to events but I don't know if we have any thoughts on ways we might do that. Yeah, I mean, I think, I think we can think about that collectively some of the ones that come to mind or sending out flyers to through the Rex department right and getting them into campers hands for key dates over the summer. So, using those same flyers and going to local businesses and saying here's what's going on with the Jones over the summer. And during the summer actually have more time so I can do some of that. Yay. Oh yeah you missed that conversation Alex about about somebody helping to pick up the newsletter so once you're, once you're free you can volunteer for that first newsletter how's that. Sure. Great. Okay. So, does anybody have anything else they want to talk about discuss. Yes, Austin. So I wonder Alex. When you get back from your holiday, if we could consider writing something for the local newspaper for the Indian for the current about the process where we are what we've learned and where we're going. I think it would be a timely and good thing to do. Alex, do you have your hand up because you want to do that or did you just leave that by accident. Nope, definitely by accident. Trying to go to my house. Yes, so sorry. Good. Good. Okay. Um, so anything else around community inform, I guess I should report back that the June 8 meeting that we did was that was the overview of the outreach that was really good. Some of the participants we had there. Really nice comments around the work that we've done and have since actually gotten a lot more engagement from some of the people who were there now that they know how to engage so I think that was really great and hopefully people can continue to watch that that video of how to access things and and do that. So our last topic before public comment is just our next outreach were continue at the survival center and the farmers market. The ambassadors have gotten in on the action and they have offered to help table at the survival center on Thursdays which is great. So we're going to have an ambassador there this Thursday, and then hopefully they'll continue to do that for the next couple of weeks, which is a nice thing. Our next event out in the community is at rolling green on June 24 from 430 to 630 encourage people to come it's a lot of fun. And again, there was, you might be put to work grilling one of our volunteers who came for the library actually worked to grow the whole time which was amazing. Another volunteer was was doing games with kids, and then Sharon was wonderfully at the table answering questions. So, I appreciate Alex Lopez coming to that and I appreciate Anika. Thank you for coming to the public outreach forum we did on June 8 so thank you both. So, I guess the other thing is just if people. The next meeting. I don't know if you want to wait a month before I come back or whether someone wants to keep this going and schedule the next meeting and be the chair for that meeting. Again, I would love to help us just we kind of have these mirroring dates so I will do my best to follow with you for sure confirmed by tomorrow. You know, if, if at all, you know, possible. I'm, if I can, I'll know then and then I'm happy to. Nice to the committee for my really terrible timing this was a year ago so I had no idea we'd be where we are. It's no more terrible in my time. So, does the group just, and he can I will talk and if he is able to run a meeting she'll send out a notice that sounds like a plan for everybody. Okay. Okay. All right, so I'll follow up with Sharon and Angela about the forum after the schematics, and I'll follow up with Anika about seeing if she can schedule our next meeting. Okay, these meetings are getting shorter and shorter. Does anybody have any questions thoughts comments before we turn it over to public comment. Okay, I see two people in the audience one of whom is not allowed to speak because they would make a quorum. So, would our other attendee like to speak or ask a question or make a comment it's so just signal by raising your hand. Okay. Seeing none. Thank you everybody for all of your hard work. I appreciate it. And I have a question. I have a question. I thought you were waving goodbye. Yes. No, I wasn't waving goodbye. I want Craig to clarify something he said, because it confused me and I don't think it's accurate. You described the schematic design as fast and loose. And I just I wonder if you could translate that into something other than fast and loose. Certainly yes. I apologize that that has all kinds of connotations which I didn't intend. The schematic design is a period of time when the design moves very quickly. And yes, and that's it. Whereas design development gets a little more realistic and then construction documentation gets very realistic and very precise. And may I just say I'm sorry again schematic designs are quote realistic they're not flights of fans fancy right it's not really the architect is just sitting there. They're themselves quote realistic. And they may be less detailed and less concrete at the end of the day, but I just worry that we not convey the impression that these are not serious realistic documents. Your clarification is absolutely correct. Thank you so much. Okay. I see one person who joined the meeting who wasn't was there who came back and wasn't there when I asked for public comment so I just want to give that person an opportunity to raise their hand if they had any public comments or questions that they wanted to share with us so one more call for public comment. Okay, seeing none. Thank you everybody for coming today. Have a good evening. Thank you.