City of Middletown, CT Article VI Building Committees

[Adopted 5-7-1984; amended in its entirety 5-3-2021 by Ord. No. 07-21[1]]

[1] Editor's Note: Prior amendments included 4-3-1995; 2-3-1997; 6-2-1997; 4-3-2000; Ord. No. 01-03; Ord. No. 10-05; and Ord. No. 02-07.

§ 14-23 Appointment and purpose.

A. Building committees for any City project having a total cost of $500,000 or more shall be appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the Common Council for all such projects, including the construction or renovations of buildings. Separate building committees shall be appointed for each such project, and said committees shall terminate upon completion of the project, or sooner upon a recommendation of the Mayor and approval by the Common Council.

B. Building committees have the following purposes:

(1) Evaluate the overarching plans and needs of the City and how a project fits within them;

(2) Include relevant subject matter experts on the committee;

(3) Focus on efficiency, sustainability, and technology, with an eye toward attaining net zero emissions status;

(4) Solicit input from relevant departments prior to final project approval by the Common Council;

(5) Coordinate with other boards, committees, commissions, and departments so that all agencies are working together and aware of all issues.

§ 14-24 Membership.

A. All such building committees shall consist of at least seven members, all of whom shall be electors of the City, including the following representation:

(1) One member with experience in building renovation;

(2) One member with experience in the construction industry;

(3) One member with experience in business or finance;

(4) One member representing the City's Committee Concerning People with Disabilities (CCPD) or an agency or organization of similar purpose;

(5) One member of the Clean Energy Task Force;

(6) One member of the Common Council;

(7) One member of the public; and

(8) Where appropriate, one member with experience in visual arts.

B. For school building projects, in addition to the members listed above, the following five members will be included:

(1) One member of the Board of Education;

(2) One member who is a certified teacher within the Middletown school system and an elector of the City;

(3) Two Common Council members from different political parties; and

(4) One member of the public who is an elector of the City.

C. Building committees may also form subcommittees, provided that such subcommittees adhere to Charter, minority representation, open meeting, and other applicable federal, state, and local requirements. If a building and projects committee wants to include people on a subcommittee who are not currently on the committee, such people may serve on an ad hoc basis if the Mayor nominates and the Common Council confirms them. Such subcommittee members will not become voting members of the building and projects committee but can serve in an ex officio capacity.

D. In special circumstances, and with a written explanation from the Mayor, the Mayor may, with the consent of the Common Council, designate an existing commission, committee or board to serve as the building committee. Notwithstanding any ordinance to the contrary regarding the membership of such commissions, committees, or boards, by Mayoral nomination and Common Council confirmation, a member of the Clean Energy Task Force may be appointed as an ex officio member without voting rights.

[Amended 2-7-2022 by Ord. No. 02-22]

§ 14-25 Powers and duties.

Such building committees shall:

A. Monitor the progress and completion of all projects assigned to them by the City of Middletown;

B. Review any feasibility study leading to the creation of the committee for the underlying project;

C. Upon request, and where necessary to aid process, review staff-created facilities studies and inventory of current City and Board of Education properties;

D. Review and approve for payment, where warranted, all bills and obligations of the project, with the power of final approval and payment remaining vested under Charter in the Mayor as the City's Chief Executive Officer;

E. Make recommendations concerning said building projects to the Mayor and Common Council;

F. Make recommendations to the Mayor as to proposed change orders;

G. Provide quarterly status reports to the Finance and Government Operations Commission and provide such information concerning any building projects undertaken by the City of Middletown as may be requested by the Common Council;

H. Provide a financial report to the Finance Department at the conclusion of the project that includes a schedule of anticipated project revenues along with their anticipated date(s) of receipt. The Board of Education shall provide such information for all school projects;

I. Evaluate how well planning, budgeting, design, and construction achieves the lowest possible carbon footprint and highest possible levels of energy efficiency and conservation, with reference to building sustainability criteria, including LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification or higher, Passive House, Living Building Challenge, and Net Zero Energy;

J. Report to the Clean Energy Task Force and the Common Council the results of such evaluation;

K. Consider transit access as well as walkability and bikeability criteria in the planning, design, budget, and construction phases of the project and report to the Complete Streets Committee, the Public Works and Facilities Commission, and the Common Council the results of such consideration.

§ 14-26 Meetings.

Building committees shall meet regularly when such projects are undertaken with staff assistance as appropriate from the Director of Public Works, the Director of Water and Sewer, the Fire Marshal, and the Board of Education's Director of Facilities, or their designees. Such committees will also seek guidance from the City's consultant on energy, whether serving as a contractor or as an employee. The committee may also request the assistance of other City and Board of Education departments, boards, committees, and commissions.