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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-04-23 ad Hoc School Building Committee MinutesREADING SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE MINUTES APRIL 23 1997 A MEETING OF THE READING SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE WAS HELD IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM AT TOWN HALL. THE MEETING WASCALLED TO ORDER AT 6:36PM. PRESENT WERE ROGER SANSTED, ROBIN DANTONA, HARRY HARUTUNIAN, MARGARET COWELL RICH RADVILLE AND RUSS GRAHAM. THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WAS TO DISCUSS THE INPUT THE SCHOOL BLDG COMM WISHED TO IMPART TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE RELATIVE TO A LAST MOMENT REQUEST FROM THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE;TO TOWN MEETINGfFOR $40,000.00 FROM THE BUDGETJO FUND AN ARCHITECT/CONSULTANT STUDY OF THE HIGH SCHOOL. THE CHAIR REPORTED TO THE COMMITTEE THAT HE HAD BEEN SUPRISED ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF TOWN MEETING TO SEE INTRODUCED ,FOR THE FIRST TIME, A CAPITAL REQUEST IN THE CAPITAL OUTLAY PLAN FOR $40,000.00 FOR AN ARCHITECT FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL. NO DISCUSSION HAD TAKEN PLACE WITH THE SCHOOL BLDG COMM A SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF TOWN MEETING NOR HAD THE SCHOOL COMMITTE OR ADMINISTRATION COMMUNICATED WITH THIS COMM ON ANY ASPECT OF THE REQUEST. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT WAS FOUND THAT AT THE LAST MEETING OF THE SCHOOL COMM A MEMBER OF THAT COMMITTEE HAD REQUESTED THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE USE $40,000.00 AVAILABLE IN THE BUDGET(AS A RESULT OF A CONTRIBUTION OF A VAN TO THE SENIOR CENTER MAKING MONEY APPROPRIATED FOR SUCH VAN AVAILABLE) FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING AN ARCHITECT TO STUDY THE HIGH SCHOOL AND TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE MIGHT HAVE RELATIVE TO THE HIGH SCHOOL. THAT SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER HAD PREVIOUS TO THAT MEETING ASKED THE TOWN MANAGER TO INCLUDE SUCH AN ITEM IN THE CAPITAL PLAN TO BE PRESENTED TO TOWN MEETING PRIOR TO DISCUSSION OR VOTE OF SAME REQUEST BY THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE, FINANCE COMMITTE OR SCHOOL BLDG COMMITTEE. THE TOWN MANAGER DID SO. A MEETING OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOLLOWING THIS MEETING TO DISCUSS THE REQUEST. FIN COM HAS REQUESTED THE SCHOOL BLDG COMM FOR ITS INPUT. THE CHAIR FURTHER REPORTED THAT HE HAD STRONGLY ARTICULATED HIS CONCERN OVER THE HANDLING OF THIS ITEM BY THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE TO BOTH THE CHAIR OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND TO THE SUPT OF SCHOOLS. MRS DANTONA REPORTED AS LLIASON FROM THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE. SHE OUTLINED TO THE COMMITTEE THE DISCUSSION THE SCHOOL COMMITTE HAD PRIOR TO ITS VOTE AND REPORTED ON THE REASONS THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE FELT THE REQUEST WAS NECCESSARY AND REASONABLE. MRS DANTONA HAD ABSTAINED FROM THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE VOTE TO REFLECT HER NON SUPPORT FOR THE REQUEST BUT AT THE SAME TIME NOT GIVE THE PERCEPTION THAT ANY MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE DID NOT SUPPORT THE NEED FOR ACTION ON THE HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING. DR HARUTUNIAN DEFENDED THE SCHOOL COMMITTEESACTION WHILE ACKNOWLEDEING THAT HE HAD EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN OVER THE ABSENCE OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE. HE FELT THAT THE COMMITTEE AND THE ADMINISTRATION HAVE COME UNDER A GREAT DEAL OF PRESSURE FROM MANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL AND FELT THAT THIS REQUEST REPRESENTED A REASONABLE RESPONSE TO THAT PROBLEM. THE CHAIR OPENED DISCUSSION OF THE ISSUE TO THE COMMITTEE AS A WHOLE. MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE OUTLINED A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY THEY FELT SUCH A REQUEST WAS INAPPROPRIATE AT THIS TIME. ROGER SANSTED POINTED OUT THAT THE REASON WHY ACTION ON THE HIGH SCHOOL WAS NOT PROCEEDING WAS A LACK OF MONEY TO DO SO~AND EMPHASIZED THAT THIS BASIC PROBLEM STILL REMAINSrTHUS MAKING THE FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF MONEY ON CONSULTANTS IMPRUDENT. RICH RADVILLE FELT THAT THE LACK OF MONEY AND LONG TERM PROSPECT OF RECEIVING SUCH MONEY WOULD MAKE ANY CURRENT STUDY OBSOLETE PRIOR TO ITS USE. MANY FELT THAT THE EXPENDITURE OF MONEY SO SOON AFTER A FEASIBILITY STUDY WOULD SERVE LITTLE OR NO PURPOSE. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS PENDING RELATES TO RENOVATION OF THE PRESENT HIGH SCHOOL VERSUS BUILDING A NEW ONE,AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FELT LITTLE INTERNAL DISCUSSION HAD TAKEN PLACE ON THAT ISSUE AND ITS EDUCATIONAL IMPACT. THEY FELT SUCH DISCUSSION SHOULD PRECEDE FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF MONEY FOR CONSULTANTS. TIME RUNNING OUT PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED MEETING WITH THE FINCOM, A MOTION WAS MADE BY ROGER SANSTED SECONDED BY MARGARET COWELL THAT THE SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE ,PENDING FURTHER INTERNAL REVIEW AND PENDING A SOURCE OF FUNDING DOES NOT AT THIS TIME SUPPORT THE EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS FOR A NEW CONSULTANT TO REVIEW THE HIGH SCHOOL. THE MOTION CARRIED 5 10 WITH DR HARUTUNIAN VOTING IN THE NEGATIVE. DR. HARUTUNIAN NOTED THAT HE PERSONALLY DID NOT THINK IT A GOOD IDEA BUT FELT COMPELLED AS SUPT TO SUPPORT THE REQUEST OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE. ON MOTION OF MARGARET COWELL SECONDED BY ROBIN DANTONA THE COMMITTEE ADJOURNED AT 7:3lPM NOTE; AT THE FINCOM MEETING FOLLOWING THE ABOVE MEETING THE FINCOM VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO NOT INCLUDE THE $40,000.00 REQUEST IN THE BUDGET. IN A SUBSEQUENT MEETING OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE IT WAS VOTED TO NOT REQUEST THE MONEY FROM TOWN MEETING.