- Well, it's the it's the witching hour. So let me call the meeting of the Monroe County Capital Improvement
- Board of March 25th, 2026 to order. And I'll ask Mr. Paris to take the role. John Weichardt. Present.
- Doug Bruce. Here. Jim Silverstein. Here. Joyce Pulling. Adam Tease. Here. Galen Cassidy. Here. And Jay
- Baer is not here.
- Did we hear Galen? Yes. OK, good. OK, thank you. And if Mr. Baird joins us, once again, he's in that
- position where because he's missed several meetings in person, he can't participate or vote. But we
- would certainly welcome his comments at that time during public comment if he would like to share wisdom
- with us. So approval of consent agenda is item number two.
- You have received, um, the minutes of the board meeting of February 18th, uh, claims and the financial
- report. So is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? It's moved. Is there a second? Second. It's
- been seconded. Are there any questions or discussion about the consent agenda? Right. So maybe we Mr.
- Whitlap. Would you take the role? Yes. John Weichart. Yes. Doug Bruce. Yes. Gail and Cassidy. Yes.
- Joyce Pauling? Yes. Jim Silberstein? Yes. Adam Teese? Yes. Thank you. Item number three, Treasurer's
- Report. Mr. Silberstein, anything? Treasurer's Report is that there's nothing to report. Excellent.
- President's Report. I want to report that we have had two change orders since we last met.
- that are under the $25,000 threshold, which I'm allowed to approve. The first one is for $8,644. It's
- for duct work in the existing building to exhaust the first floor restrooms up through the second floor
- and the roof. It's a coordination issue that needed to be resolved when the alternate bid for replacing
- the HVAC units has not yet been taken. We signed off on it. It's possible that when we were able to
- move into the alternates,
- and approval of alternates that we would come back and say we didn't need to do this. But that was one
- that was approved. The second one is for $3,263 for rerouting a private sanitary line from the existing
- building that was in the way of the foundations for the connector. So those were the two that have been
- approved since our last meeting. So happy to answer any questions about those that you might have.
- All right, thank you. If not, we'll move to item number five, construction update.
- Wettle, Mr. Sherry. Perfect. Thank you, John. Andrew Sherry, project manager with Wettle Brothers. Share
- my screen. Show some pictures here. Okay. Starting off with safety. So just some high points here. We
- currently average around 45 employees on site daily, which accounts for around seven to 10 different
- contractors.
- This will continue to increase as we progress around the building. We've talked previously that we've
- had a lot of excavations and underground work that has continued around the building and inside the
- building that is decreasing now with overhead work increasing. So we've kind of shifted there from a
- safety standpoint. We have fall protection at all elevated decks with access being installed currently
- for stairs, temporary stairs.
- Roof work is underway, which has leading edges and fall protection. If anybody's looked out there and
- seen the material staged on the roof. And then the different types of lifts along with scaffolding are
- in use for both interior and exterior work. So we kind of got away from the skid steers and excavators
- and everything. And now we're at boom lifts and hydro mobiles and different types of working platforms.
- Here's a note for our safety AI walks. The screenshot on the right hand side,
- is all of our routes that our team does. This one's from December to today. So we average around four
- to five walks with our superintendents and our management team that with an AI camera. We go around
- that is in addition to our onsite safety inspections. It creates it automatically generates additional
- safety reports.
- any potential corrections that are needed. And then we track these on Autodesk, which is our project
- software that is utilized for all of our drawings and everything. So if we have a hazard or anything
- that's identified, we can assign a contractor, address it, track, document it. So again, it just shows
- all the walks and at any time in our meetings, our owners meetings and different things, I can click
- on this and it'll do a virtual walk through the building of the actual conditions. So again, it's just
- a neat feature that helps us with our, our safety.
- Um, construction progress update. So our structural steel update, um, structure field detailing continues
- on the main portion of the expansion. Um, when I say that we have just in the main exhibit hall, 52,000
- pounds of supplemental steel that goes in the exhibit hall for, uh, partition walls, um, all kinds of
- different things. Our last sequence, which is sequence seven, this is the back of house area near the
- loading dock.
- starts next week. Our crane is planning to mobilize Wednesday, so we'll have a crane back on site down
- there for a week, week and a half, set all that steel, and that'll be the last crane that we utilize
- for structural steel. All roof deck has been installed over the main portion of the expansion, again,
- excluding the back of house area that has not been erected yet. And then our elevated decking is completed
- on all interior surfaces in the building, the second floor. So we're working towards pouring those elevated decks.
- All building foundations are completed, including the 12 foot deep foundations on the south portion
- of the project near the loading dock. The remaining foundations that we have are for the exterior features
- on the south side of the project. So the screen wall that'll be there along college, the trash enclosures,
- the ramp into the building, just some minor things there. That's the only excavations we have left for
- foundations. And then a slab on a grade update. We've had five sequences we've discussed through these
- updates. Three of those have been poured as of this Monday. We expect that the remainder will be poured
- and finished in April. So on the right hand side here is a picture looking at the northwest corner of
- the project, the main entrance with the second floor. That's the patio area. It's hard to see here,
- but the floor looks really good. Here are some concrete progress photos. Again, kind of hard to see,
- but in the top pictures, this is the north side of the building looking north.
- The bottom right is the exterior foundations on the south side of the project. Again, these are the
- 12 foot foundation walls. And then on the left hand side was all the rebar form work and everything
- that was placed prior to the pour that we did this Monday.
- Our building envelope here is a picture at the Southeast side of the project. The masonry wall, the
- brick wall is a complete. So we will frame off the top of this. And then on March 31st, they're going
- to come out and start scanning for our metal panels for us to install. So we'll have around an eight
- week turnaround on that, but we'll see sheathing and framing go up, start to enclose the building. And
- then our metal panels start showing up in a couple of months. Column wraps have been framed and are
- currently having brick installed on the interior side. Roof work is in progress.
- Go back here. Roof work is in progress. The main portion of the east low roof is going to be completed
- today. They will progress to the north side. They're going to finish the low roof and then they'll jump
- up to the high roof here in a week or two. Uh, and our curtain wall systems start installation in April.
- So our material is procured. It's on hand. I'm actually trying to hold them off from bringing it here
- to be closer to our installed date around April 6th. Um, but they're, they're chomping at the bit and
- we'll be able to start taking shape in all of our curtain wall systems.
- Interior progress on the right hand side here. You'll see the brick. This was a yesterday photo. This
- is probably two or three feet high at this point today. I'd say they're eight to 10 feet high. Um, so
- our column wraps are progressing towards the roof. Um, interior walls are underway. That includes our
- metal studs and our masonry walls. Our in-wall rough ends have started with electrical and plumbing
- and our door frames continue with our wall progression. So we're starting to build the building out. Um,
- Interior works are interior framing continues mechanical plumbing and electrical will continue for upcoming
- activities. Our fireproofing on the structural steel is going to start next week. The remainder of the
- slab on grade is to be poured, which means that our underground will be completed, including the kitchen
- area, which is pretty extensive. And then preparing to pour elevated decks at the second floor late
- April is the timeframe.
- Exterior work as far as upcoming activities, our exterior foundations near the loading dock will be
- completed. Our column wraps and exterior framing and our masonry work will be completed or well underway.
- Curtain wall systems to start our roof work over the entirety of the building. And then our exterior
- canopy will start seeing take shape. They actually started framing on this this morning. So we'll start
- to see that overhang around the building. And that's the construction update that I have.
- Thank you, Andrew. Any questions for Mr. Sherry? Thank you. Item number six, working group updates.
- Let's begin with wayfinding. Sarah Hempstead from Schmidt. Everybody, Sarah Hempstead from Schmidt.
- I've got a very short report for you today. Our signage and
- wayfinding package goes before zoning tomorrow night. So if you have nothing else to do tomorrow night,
- you want to join me in the zoning hearing. We are requesting eight different variances for our exterior
- signage. Just like the building, the zoning code cannot be written around a convention center. And so
- things like the height of the sign as well as their locations will all go up for zoning appeals. We've
- had a great working relationship with Citi. We've talked to them
- talk to them through this process and will be heard tomorrow night. Our detailed signage review then
- with the committee happens April the 20th. And so we'll be going through each and every signage detail
- at that time, including the final material selection pending our approval tomorrow night. We should
- be ready to put everything out in the street by the end of April, beginning of May. OK, thank you.
- Next item under working group updates, furniture, fixtures, and equipment. JS Held. Good afternoon.
- Mary Kropinski with JS Held. As you may recall, back in January, we hired Reload Strategies, the CIB
- hired Reload Strategies, to work through phase one of the furniture, fixtures, and equipment packages.
- The purpose of this was to identify budget and scope of work.
- does not include AV and IT. So I just want to be clear about that. We'll come back another day on those
- items. But today we have Julie Hutchison and Melissa St. John from Reload Strategies who's been working
- through the process to note that Schmidt's been involved as well as deeply Talisha and her team. But
- at this point, I'll hand it over to Julie to give a presentation on what they've come up with to date.
- and we will be back at the end of this to ask for a recommendation for moving forward. Hi, I'm Julie
- Hutchison with Relocation Strategies. Is your microphone on, Julie? Yeah, I think it is. We just need
- slides. Do you have any slides?
- There we go. OK, so the first slide is phase one, which is a furniture fixtures and equipment budget process.
- where we started with the programming and coming up with the different categories. We met with Talisha
- and her team to discuss all those categories. Then we did a room by room list with commercial industry
- standards in preliminary quantities. We did budget quoting and got used some cooperative pricing to
- come up with our budgetary pricing. Then we did some cross checking pricing from different manufacturers.
- And finally, we came up with the consolidated all the data into the FFNE budget spreadsheet to get ready
- for the procurement and planning for process in the phases for plan two. The next slide, we have the
- FFNE budget summary. So we took a three page spreadsheet. We consolidated it to this one form for you.
- Just wanted to show you that we have outlined our hard costs
- We've put in an allowance in for shipping handling and install. We've also added a 5% contingency to
- that. And we have our fees added in. We are still under the $3 million budget at 2.954. The next slide
- is the procurement methodology. So we know that we will have some direct purchasing for any items that
- are 25,000 and less.
- We will obtain three quotes for any items 25,000 to 150,000, and we will put out to bid and give a summary
- of bids and awards awarded for the vendors of any of the items that are 150,000 and over, and then also
- for do an RFP for install services. Phase two will be then confirming quantities
- and getting into the specifications with Talisha and her group so we can send those out for apples to
- apples quotes and bids. We will manage the bid process for all items. We will work with Schmidt and
- all the other groups to select finishes and fabrics for all the items. We will do punch and close out
- materials and help with the delivery install and keeping track of all the lead times for all of the
- furniture items.
- And the last slide is just a timeline kind of showing the process. We started in April. We'll try to
- get the bids and we're going to get the bids and RFPs out and get those quotes, compare them all the
- way through to punch and project close out January, February. So be along the whole process.
- Thank you, Julie. At this point, we'd like to know if there's any questions that you might have of Reload
- Strategies in the process. I also wanted to note that the CIB FF&E committee has been involved in this
- process. That includes Jim Silverstone, Joyce Poling, John Weickart, Talisha, as well as Schmidt
- representatives, Liam Kiesling and Sarah.
- So do you have a recommendation as to what you want us to do at this point today? Yes, we absolutely
- do. At this point in time, we would like to make a recommendation through phase one and the dollar amount
- that has been presented here today with that budget not exceeding three million dollars.
- We would also like to ask within that approval to move forward into phase two, to move into the actual
- procurement and purchase delivery and installment processes. We will come back and ask for a second
- approval for contract agreement for that work. But right now we're asking for approval of phase one,
- what's been done to date and moving into phase two.
- Okay, so do we have a motion to approve the phase one scope and budget and the phase two agreement?
- Okay, so it's been moved. Is there a second? Second. So we have a motion. Is there any discussion or
- are there any questions for Mary or for the committee? Seeing and hearing none. So Mr. Wilmich, if you
- would take the role. John Weickart. Yes. Doug Bruce. Yes. Galen Cassidy. Yes.
- Yes. Jim Silverstein. Yes. Adam Tease. Yes. Thank you. And now you have a second recommendation. Yes,
- we have a second recommendation to approve contract with Reload Strategies for that Phase 2 work. Their
- Phase 1 fee, which has already been completed, was $48,600. To complete Phase 2, we would be looking
- at an additional $195,383.
- for a total commitment of $243,983. This will take us from this point forward all the way to close out
- of the project. Okay, so is there a motion to approve the contract? So moved. Second. So it's been moved
- and seconded. Are there any questions about the contract? Any discussion? Mr. Wentlatch, would you take the role?
- John Weickart? Yes. Doug Bruce? Yes. Galen Cassidy? Yes. Joyce Pulling? Yes. Jim Silverstein? Yes.
- Adam Tease? Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for the presentation. Next item, Working Group Update,
- the art installation. Beat Advisory Galen, do you have an update for us, please? I do. Can you hear
- me all right? Yes.
- All right, so yeah, so far we've concluded artist visits with three of the five finalists taking place,
- and that should be all for now, as we're just over two weeks away from the final proposals due on April
- 10th. After proposals are received, we'll meet simultaneously with the finalist for them to present
- their proposals to us with the recommendation committee, and then we'll also start another round of
- public feedback at that time on April 20th.
- Then we hope to have the recommendation committee presenting a final recommendation to the CIB at the
- May 20th meeting. Thank you. Any questions for Galen about the work of the arts installation group,
- Mr. Tease? I just want everyone on the board of managers here to know how hard Galen has worked to do
- this. A lot of this has fallen right on his shoulders. He does not get paid a dime and he is doing a
- tremendous amount of work.
- to push this forward. Yes, thank you. Thank you. And I certainly agree. And Galen, if I understand correctly,
- is it a pizza conference today? That's right. It turns out there's a conference for pretty much anything,
- which is why a conference center is so important. And where did one have to go to attend a pizza conference?
- I'm in Vegas. And at the same time, there's a spray foam
- convention going on too. So anything can be a convention. Well thank you for your report and to echo
- Mr. Tease's comment I want to thank Galen for all of his efforts and for all of his hard work. He's
- taken over a major coordination role especially of these visits. We had three visits artists from Los
- Angeles, from New York, from London. So three of the five and they were here for various various periods
- of time. I also want to
- recognize and express appreciation to Mike and Rachel McAfee, Jim and Beth Silberstein, Jane Coopersmith,
- the B group who met with them while they were here, Talisha, obviously. Linda and I had the opportunity
- to take one of the artists to dinner. So I want to thank everybody who stepped up and helped Galen,
- but Galen's
- been very much in charge of all of this coordination. And it's been much appreciated. He thought when
- he went on the board, he might be able to get out from under this. And that was not to be the case.
- So thank you again, Galen. Next item on the agenda, old business. Let me simply report out that I've
- been advised of dates for the various governmental units to act on our request for them to identify parcels.
- of land that they might be willing to donate to us for our project. And so what I've been advised is
- that the city process, the Redevelopment Commission will meet on Monday, April 6th to determine what
- actions they want to take. The Board of Public Works then will meet the following day on Tuesday, April
- 7th on what actions they want to take.
- The city parcels, some are owned by the Redevelopment Commission, some are owned by the Board of Public
- Works. So that's why there are two meetings. The county commissioners are tentatively set to act on
- Tuesday, April 2nd on our request and the county council on, I'm sorry, that's Thursday, April 2nd.
- The county council will meet on, tentatively scheduled to meet on Tuesday, April 14th.
- the county council meets on the second and fourth Thursdays. So that's why there's a delay between the
- commissioners meeting and the county council meeting. So by April 14th, we should have the information
- from the city and the county about what parcels they intend to donate for use in the project. And so
- I would ask that you put a hold, if you will, on your calendars for an executive session of our board
- at 1.30 p.m.
- on Wednesday, April 15th. So just prior to our scheduled April meeting so that we can meet an executive
- session for the purpose of discussing real estate. So we'll be able then to have the information from
- the city and the county and to meet an executive session to discuss that. So that's my old business
- update. Any other old business from any other members? New business for many members? Seeing none.
- comments from board members and I want to allow Mr. Teese to go first with comments. Thanks, John. Today
- will be my last meeting with the CIB. I've resigned my position to the mayor of Bloomington who appointed
- me to this position. It's been a real honor and pleasure to work in the context of the CIB.
- Many of you know that in February, I left a position at Indiana University where I had been the associate
- vice president for capital planning and projects. I did that job for 10 and a half years and have recently
- moved on to a position with ratio design.
- That position operates in the private sector. And in the private sector, there are conflicts of interest
- when you deal with public boards. And I'm not a fan of public conflicts of interest. So stepping down
- takes me away from any kind of potential conflicts of interest. And that's the kind of guy I am. And
- I am really proud of the effort that has gone into this. Every single one of you have played a big role.
- All the consultants have been very, very impressed. Contractors,
- architects, you should all be very, very proud. My family lives here in Bloomington. We drive by the
- center almost every single day. We plan to live here for the rest of our lives. So I don't plan to not
- look at it in the future. And at the end of the day, very proud of all the work that all of you have
- done and look forward to seeing it come out of the ground. Thank you, Adam. And I want to mention this isn't
- Adam's first rodeo. He and I were on this board or an iteration of this board in 2017, 2018. That work
- was suspended for a couple of reasons over that period of time. One of the good things that came out
- of it was Schmidt Associates was selected to be the architect for our project. But I want to thank Adam for his
- insight for his advice for his expertise and for his friendship. It's been a pleasure to have you on
- the board and I thank you for your service. Well let's give him a round of applause. I will say that
- I'm going to miss having a name card that has my name spelled right but on the other side it has it
- spelled wrong so it's
- It's quite fascinating to have your own name card with your name spelled right and wrong on the same
- card. And you know, I don't and I don't think it would be a financial problem for me to award you that
- so you can take that home with you. Very good, very good. And then you can pick whatever you want to
- be at any point in time. Yes, yes. So any other comments from board members? Comments from the public?
- and we have a 10 minute period of a lot of time with speakers a lot of two minutes within that period.
- So do we have any members of the public who would like to say anything? I know Mr. Baer has joined us
- and this is your opportunity if you'd like, Mr. Baer, if you'd like to share any wisdom with us, but
- you got to hold it to two minutes of wisdom. No wisdom today other than I will miss sitting next to
- Adam when I'm there in person. Thanks for your hard work. Thanks for giving us hard work.
- Uh, love the progress that we're seeing. Uh, and indeed there is a conference for everything currently
- dialing in from Kansas city on the conference of 2000 independent grocery store owners. So you never
- know. Okay. Thank you. And, uh, we have Audrey, uh, who is, uh, uh, joining us remotely who has, uh,
- wants to make some comments. Audrey.
- Apparently your microphone is muted, Audrey, if you could unmute. She is still muted. Audrey, it appears
- you're still muted on your end.
- Well, I'm sorry for the technical difficulties. Anyone else who would like to make comment? Let me come
- back to Audrey to see if we've been able to reach her. Apparently not. Again, my apologies, Audrey.
- Next board meeting is scheduled for April 15th, 2026 at 3pm here in the Convention Center.
- And as I said, perhaps we'll meet in executive session at 1.30 that day and we'll get notice out prior
- to that to firm that up. So the last item is adjournment. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay
- here and we are adjourned.