HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-02-12 ad Hoc School Building Committee MinutesREADING SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE
FEBRUARY 12 1998
THE SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE MET AT 7:30 PM FEBRUARY 12 L998 AT THE
LIBRARY OF THE COOLIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL. PRESENT WERE ROGER SANSTED JOE'
LUPI, MARGARET COWELL, RICH RADVILLE, TIM TWOMEY, HARRY HARUTUNIAN, JEFF
STRUBLE AND RUSS GRAHAM. JOHN DOHERTY PRINCIPAL OF THE COOLIDGE WAS ALSO
IN ATTENDANCE.
THE CHAIR POINTED OUT THAT THE SCHOOL SIZE AND ENROLLMENT COMMITTEE
HAD ONE POTENTIAL OPTION IN THEIR RECCOMENDATIONS THAT WOULD APPROPRIATE
THE COOLIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL AS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THIS OBIOUSLY
CONTRADICTS THE SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEES INTENT TO PRESENT THE RESULTS
OF THE FEASIBILITY WHICH WOULD RENOVATE AND ADD ON TO THE COOLIDGE
BUILDING FOR CONTINUED USE AS A MIDDLE SCHOOL.
ROGER SANSTED OUR LLIASION TO THAT COMMITTEE EXPRESSED HIS BELIEF
THAT THE OPTION TO MAKE COOLIDGE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS AN EXTREMELY
UNWISE DECISION TO WHICH HE HAD BEEN OPPOSED. THE CHAIR SAID THAT HE HAD A
CONVERSATION WITH THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, WHO HAD BEEN CO-CHAIR OF THE
SCHOOL SIZE AND ENROLLMENT COMMITTEE, AND THAT SHE TOO BELIEVED THAT
OPTION TO BE AN UNWISE ONE TO WHICH SHE HAD BEEN OPPOSED.
MR GRAHAM ASKED FOR COMPLETE CONCURRENCE FROM THE SCHOOL
BUILDING COMMITTEE, THAT DESPITE ANY OTHER RECCOMONDATIONS, THIS
COMMIT'T'EE WAS COMMITTED TO GO FORWARD TO TOWN MEETING WITH OUR
PROPOSAL CONSIDERING IT TO BE THE BEST ADVISE TO GIVE THAT BODY. THE SCHOOL
BUILDING COMMITTEE FULLY AGREED TO THAT COMMITMENT.
ON MOTION OF RICH RADVILLE, SECONDED BY MARGARET COWELL, THE SCHOOL
BUILDING COMMITTEE VOTED 6-0-2 TO PLACE AN ARTICLE ON THE SPECIAL TOWN
MEETING PROPOSING OPTION A OF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY FROM STREVALOSKY AND
HOIT AS THE BUILDING PROJECT NEEDED TO ANSWER THE SPACE AND ENROLLMENT
NEEDS AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL. DR. HARUTUNIAN AND TIM TWOMEY
ABSTAINED FROM THE VOTE PENDING PRESENTATION TO THEM, OF THE
RECCOMENDATION OF THE SCHOOL SIZE AND ENROLLMENT COMMITTEE.
DISCUSSION ENSUED ON THE CRISIS PRESENTLY BEING EXPERIENCED AT THE
ELEMENTARY LEVEL AND THE COMMITTEE WAS APPRISED OF THE FACT THAT $50,000.00
SHOU1_D BE ASKED FOR,FROM TOWN MEETING, FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING A FULL
FEASIBILITY STUDY OF THE ELEMENTARY AND SUGGESTIONS FOR SOLUTION TO SAME.
ON MOTION OF JOE LUPI, SECONDED BY RICH RADVILLE, THE COMMITTEE VOTED
8-0-0 TO SUPPORT THE REQUEST FOR $50,000.00 FOR THE ABOVE PURPOSE FROM TOWN
MEETING.
THE CHAIR ADVISED THAT HE WOULD INFORM THE TOWN MANAGER AND TOWN
COUNSEL OF THE VOTES AND THAT HE WOULD ATTEND THE CLOSING OF THE WARRANT
ON FEBRUARY 17,1998.
ON MOTION OF MARGARET COWELL SECONDED BY JOE LUPI, THE COMMITTEE
ADJOURNED AT 9:38 PM.