HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-10-28 ad Hoc School Building Committee MinutesREADING SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE
MINUTES
OCTOBER 28, 1998
A MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE WAS HELD AT THE
CAREER CENTER OF THE READING MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL.
THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:35 PM. PRESENT WERE JOE
FINNEGAN, RICH RADVILLE, JOE LUPI, ROGER SANSTED, JEFF STRUBLE AND RUSS
GRAHAM.
THE CHAIR INFORMED THE COMMITTEE OF THE DEATH OF MARGARET COWELLS
FATHER.
THE CHAIR HAS ASKED THAT A WARRANT BE OPENED AND CLOSED ON
NOVEMBER 17, 1998 FOR A SPECIAL TOWN MEETING TO BE HELD ON DECEMBER 7,1998.
TED COHEN, TOWN COUNSEL IS LOOKING INTO THE LAND AT BARROWS AS TO
WHO HAS CARE CUSTODY AND CONTROL. HE IS ALSO LOOKING INTO DIVIDENCE ROAD
AS TO THE MEANING OF EDUCATION AND RECREATIONAL USE AS STIPULATED IN THE
TOWN MEETING VOTE TAKING THE LAND.
THE SUPERINTENDANT IS WORKING ON AN OPERATING BUDGET TO BE
PRESENTED WITH THE REQUEST FOR THIS PROJECT. ANY DISCUSSION SHOULD INCLUDE
THE COST OF NOT DOING THE PROJECT.
A DISCUSSION OF STRATEGY FOR PRESENTATION TO TOWN MEETING WAS
DISCUSSED. THE CHAIR POINTED OUT THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN VERY
SUCCESFUL IN A THREE POINT PRESENTATION-THOSE BEING- DEFINING THE NEED-
OFFERING THE SOLUTION-AND OUTLINING THE FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY OF THE
SOLUTION.
THE CHAIR ASKED THAT ROGER SANSTED AND JEFF STRUBLE OUTLINE THE
NEEDS PORTION OF THIS CASE : ENROLLMENT AS OPPOSED TO THE PHYSICAL SHAPE OF
THE SCHOOLS. THE NEED TO PRESENT THE NESDEC PROJECTIONS AND TO BOLSTER
THEIR VALIDITY BY REFERRING TO ACTUAL BIRTH RATES SINCE THIE ISSUANCE OF
THAT REPORT. THE NEED EXISTS TO GO BACK TO THE ENSMINGER PROJECTIONS WHICH
WERE ON THE MONEY FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME-THE NEED TO BOLSTER
CONFIDENCE IN PROJECTIONS.
THE ARCHITECT WAS ASKED TO PRESENT THE SOLUTION PROPOSED, THAT BEING
OPTION B OF THE RENDERED OPTIONS.
SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT KIND OF RENDERING WOULD BE AVAILABLE AS
TO WHAT THE BUILDING MIGHT LOOK LIKE. NO RESOLUTION WAS REACHED, BUT THE
ARCHITECT LEANED TOWARS NO FORMAL RENDERING BUT INSTEAD A NARRATIVE
DESCRIBING THE KIND OF BUILDING IT WOULD BE.
THE COMMITTEE ITSELF, THROUGH THE CHAIR, DISCUSS THE IMPA CT ON THE
NEIGHBORHOOD, SPECIFICALLY DISCUSS THE NEEDS OF KILLAM AND THE PARITY OF
KILLAMK WITH OTHER SCHOOLS..
FINALLY, THE COMMITTEE WOULD:
1) OUTLINE THE FINANCES INCLUDING TOTAL COST AND REIMBURSEMENT FROM
SBAB AND THE NET COST TO READING.
2) THE COST OF NOT DOING IT.
3) HOW IT WORKS VIS A VIS THE CAPITAL PLAN.
4) THE IMPACT ON THE OPERATING BUDGET WITH EMPHASIS ON THE CAPITAL
NEEDS BEING AS IMPORTANT (THIS TO BE DONE BY THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND OR
ADMINISTRATION)
THE COMMITTEE NEEDS TO ADRESS THE FUTURE OF OUR EDUCATION AND THE
NEED FOR CONTINUED COMMITMENT. THE NEED TO LEARN FROM OUR EXPERIENCE
WITH THE FIRST GO ROUND ON THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS NOT BEING APPROVED, AND
HOW WE ARE STILL PAYING THE PRICE.
THE COMMITTEE ON MOTION OF JOE FINNEGAN, SECONDED BY ROGER SANSTED
ADJOURNED AT 8:29 PM.