SOMERS SCHOOL BUILDING
CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE
October 10, 2002
Members present: D.Pinney, T.Cowles, H.Broer, J.Butler,
J.Formeister,
J.Persano, P.Roland (8:30pm)
Ex-Officio: B.Boutwell,
K.Klein (7:50pm), T.Jefferson (8:10pm),
J.MacFeat (7:45pm)
Others: D.Moser, C.Stuart (JI), T.Geib (9pm)
The meeting was called to
order at 7:36p.m. by Vice-Chairman Persano.
Minutes of the 9/26/02 and
9/30/02 meetings were approved as presented
(Cowles, Butler).
D.Moser showed the committee
drawings reflecting the changes from cuts
made at the last
meetings. SES is essentially unchanged;
SHS has no art
room addition to accommodate
a choral room, the choral suite is on the
1st floor, Life Skills on
the 2nd floor; 7 new classrooms, 2 science
labs, choral room to be used
as classroom when not used by chorus; MBA
has no stage; storage
building and athletic field work eliminated.
H.Broer and J.Formeister
presented schedule of meetings with civic
groups. ROTARY-TBD, T.Jefferson and J.OBrien;
SENIORS---10/16 luncheon,
H.Broer, P.Roland;
RTC---11/20?, J.Formeister; DTC---11/12, H.Broer,
D.Pinney; Lions---11/21?
J.Persano, J.Butler; PTSA---11/18,
J.Formeister; Women's
Club---?11/7 noon if they have time for us,
J.Formeister; BOE---10/28,
D.Moser; BOS & BOF---10/21 or 11/4,
?P.Roland; Fire Dept.---to
be contacted.
First mailer---has Town
Att'y approval and T.Cowles will bring it to
printer 10/11. Will cost around $1000 for printing,
folding, postage,
and there will be 150 extra
for use at presentations. A motion was
made
(Formeister), seconded
(Broer), and approved unanimously to approve the
expenditure of up to $1000
for this mailer. J.Persano will bring the
bill to the BOF.
Second mailer---solutions to
needs, as answers to needs presented in
first mailer, along with
brief re-cap of project. Will include
number
of classrooms to meet
projections, explanation of Renovate-As-New
including the fact that the
state may pull this reimbursement in the
future, MBA issues such as
safety/security, asbestos abatement, ADA,
fire protection, replacement
needs, age of building, kitchen equipment
replacement, etc. Also
comparison of cost of portable classrooms.
T.Cowles will work on this
mailer but needs more info and figures.
Third mailer---will have
photos, plans, cost figures, letters
from BOF
(J.Persano), BOS (P.Roland),
BOE (K.Klein, T.Jefferson).
P.Roland distributed
timeline printout and explanation.
There was
discussion about legal
issues and what the committee needs to do in the
next 2 months. We do not need Planning Commission approval
before a
referendum, but P.Roland
will attend their 10/24 meeting to give an
update. The BOS does the referendum wording; the
BOF and probably BOS
want 5 separate questions,
MBA/CO, SES, SHS, fields, maintenance
building. There was discussion about 5 vs 3 vs 1
question, some feel
voters need a choice, others
feel certain needed projects could fail, or
the entire package could
fail with just one question, but the
BOS will
decide on the questions.
The referendum can be called
for at Town Meeting, which gives citizens
more of a say, or by the
BOS. Our timeline will be determined by
that
decision, probably on 10/28.
A motion was made (Persano),
seconded (Broer), and approved unanimously
to endorse going to
referendum via Town Meeting.
Our cutoff date for public
hearings and mailers will be 11/26 if we go
to Town Meeting. Two hearings were discussed, at Town Hall
11/7 and at
MBA Music Room 11/19,
allowing people to look at the school.
The
Building Committee will hold
special meetings after each presentation
and cancel the regular
meeting of 11/14.
A motion was made (Pinney),
seconded (Persano), and unanimously approved
to ask the BOS for a
referendum date of 12/10.
There was discussion about
the idea of getting rid of school libraries
and just having the Public
Library for students to use. Besides
the
safety and logistical issues
of children leaving school during the day
and walking to the library,
T.Jefferson stated SHS's accreditation would
be in jeopardy without a Media Center. This is a BOE issue and not a
Building Committee issue.
It was decided our next
meeting, 10/24, will begin at 7:30p.m.
Motion to adjourn at
9:50p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Joan Formeister, Secretary