HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-11-11 ad Hoc School Building Committee MinutesTown of Reading
School Building Committee
Meeting Minutes
November 11, 1992
Time: November 11, 1992 - 7:00 P.M.
Place: Town Hall, Conference Room
16 Lowell Street
Reading, MA 01867
Present: Ms. D'Antona - School Committee Representative
Mr. Farnham - School Administrative Representative
Mr. Graham - Town Meeting Representative
Mr. Grasso and Mr. Sanstad - Citizens at Large
Ms. Margret Cowell, Mr. Joe Lupi, Ms. O'Leary, Mr. David Swyter and Mr. - Guests
Mr. Sanstad called the meeting to order at 7:05 P.M.
1. Minutes of meeting held October 27, 1992:
On a motion made by Mr. Graham and seconded by Mr. Farnham, the committee voted to approve
the minutes of October 27, 1992. The motion passed unanimously.
2. Committee Reports:
a. Chairman of the Committee:
Mr. Sanstad reported on the successful tours of the Birch Meadow Elementary, Joshua Eaton
Elementary and W. S. Parker Middle Schools on 11/10/92. Representatives of the Board of
Selectmen, Finance Committee, Capital Improvement Sub-Committee of the Finance Committee,
School Committee, School Administrative Staff, Town Meeting Members and interested citizens
were familiarized, first-hand, with the existing conditions. Mr. Sanstad discussed several comments
made during the tours relative to the lack of building space within the elementary schools to service
the projected expansion of school population and the stabilization of deferred maintenance needs
at the middle school.
Mr. Sanstad reported that he had spoken with Dr. Ensminger relative to the committees request for
an updated study of projected elementary school enrollments. Dr. Ensminger will update and
submit his projections for the committees use.
b. Town Meeting Representative:
Mr. Graham reported that Town Meeting on 11/09/92 had taken the following actions related to
school building improvements: - -
Article 2 (The School Committees request for the expansion of the School
Building Committee) - Passed.
Article 5 (Replacement of roof areas at the senior high school) - Passed.
Article 6 (Natural gas conversions for the school boiler plants) - Tabled, due to a lack
of final data.
Article 7 (Handicap chairlifts additions at the Arthur W. Coolidge Middle School) - Passed.
Article 8 (Additional funding for the school building expansion study) - Passed.
Mr. Graham noted that Town Meetings discussion relative to Article 8 included a perceived split in
funding of four thousand dollars for each of the elementary schools and seventeen thousand dollars
for the middle school.
Minutes November 11, 1992 Page 2
Mr. Graham submitted a Mission Statement for the Reading School Building Committee dated
11/10/92 for review
c. School Committee Representative:
Ms. D'Antona reported that Ms. Beth Klepeis, Town Treasurer/Collector, has reviewed the ratio of
indebtedness of the Town Departments and potential sources of funding for anticipated school
building expansions, modernizations and repairs.
d. School Administrative Representative:
Mr. Farnham submitted copies of the following reports:
Report on Elementary School Building Needs for the '90's dated (10/24/88).
Report of needs at the W. S. Parker Middle School (dated 02/02/89) and Information for School
Building Assistance Bureau Building Needs Conference at Regional Office, Department
of Education dated (04/27/89).
Mr. Farnham noted that the information within these reports is dated and does not necessarily
reflect the schools current conditions and/or needs.
e. School Teachers Representative:
No Report.
f. Citizens at Large
No Report.
(Ms. D'Antona left the meeting at this point: 8:10 P.M.)
4. Technical Reports and Presentations:
a. No Reports.
5. General Discussion Items.:
a. On a motion made by Mr. Farnham and seconded by Mr. Grasso, the committee voted to approve
the Mission Statement for the Reading School Building Committee, dated 11/10/92. as submitted
by Mr. Graham. The motion passed unanimously.
b. Mr. Sanstad reviewed briefly the processes which will be required to formally submit building
plans before the Massachusetts Department of Education's School Building Assistance Bureau
(SBAB). Mr. David Finney, The Design Partnership of Cambridge, will be asked to attend the
upcoming committee meeting scheduled for 11/17/92 to update the committee on current SBAB
design requirements and document filing procedures. -
c. The Committee discussed at length Town Meetings perceived split in the funding of four thousand
dollars for each of the elementary schools and seventeen thousand dollars for the middle school.
The concenious of the Committee was to prepare a report of progress for the April 1993 town
meeting which included the elementary and middle schools, prioritizing the improvements required
at the elementary schools space needs, concluding with a motion to town meetings for the funding
of design documents for the elementary and middle schools as required for SBAB approval by June
of 1993,
d. Mr. Farnham accepted the task of distributing the aforementioned Reports of Needs to each school
administrator for revision; revisions will hopefully be available at the upcoming committee meeting.
Mr. Richard Davidson, Principal at Birch Meadow Elementary School, will be asked to attend the
upcoming committee meeting scheduled for 11/17/92 to discuss specific needs at his school.
Minutes November 11, 1992 Page 3
e. The Committee discussed the process for extending the current design contract with The Design
Partnership of Cambridge, and/or legal requirements of rebidding same. Mr. Ted Cohen Esq.,
Town Counsel, will be asked thru Mr. Peter Hechenbleikner, Town Manager, to attend the
upcoming committee meeting scheduled for 11/17/92.
f. Mr. Sanstad advised that a notice will be posted for the newly created committee positions by the
Town Clerk, five days following the close of the 1992 Subsequent Town Meeting. Mr. Sanstad
encouraged each guest to register with the Town Clerk.
6. Action Items.:
a. Dr. Ensminger's updated report on population projections.
b. Town Accountant report on the ratio of indebtedness of the Town Departments and potential
sources of funding for anticipated school building expansions, modernizations and repairs.
c. Report on current SBAB design requirements and document filing processes,by Mr. David Finney.
d. Report on the revised Reports of Needs for Birch Meadow Elementary, Joshua Eaton
Elementary and W. S. Parker Middle Schools.
e. Town Counsel report on legal requirements as required to extend and/or rebid architectural
services contracts.
f Critical path schedule withthe defination of major milestones and dates.
7. Professional Services:
a. No account payable requests reported.
8. Other Business:
a. None.
The next Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 18, 1992 at W. S. Parker Middle School,
45 Temple Street, Reading, MA, in Room 213 at 7:00 P.M..
There being no further discussion in Regular Session nor Executive Session, on a motion made by
Mr. Graham and seconded by Mr. Farnham, the Committee voted to adjourn at 9:10 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
David M. Swyter