Cheshire Town Officials Planning Meetings on School District
 The Selectmen plan a meeting with other Cheshire officials about the future of the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District. |
CHESHIRE, Mass. — Cheshire officials have agreed to schedule a meeting to discuss about the future direction of the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District.
Selectman Paul Astorino said Tuesday he would like the Selectmen, the Advisory Board, and the Cheshire-elected School Committee members to meet and discuss how Cheshire wants the district to move forward.
He said with the recent override vote, the town needs to hash out what it wants the district to look like so it is more prepared for regionalization and next year's budget.
"We were the tail being wagged by the dog this time, when Adams told the school what they would pay that the school accepted," he said. "It trickled down to us being in an override position."
He said he would like to meet with the full School Committee and ACRSD administration after meeting with other town officials. The school district is also planning community forums to get input on goals.
The selectmen also said they have signed a contract with Foresight Land Services for the engineering for the partial reconstruction of the closed Sand Mill Road Bridge, which received a failing grade from the state in early spring.
Once the plans are complete, the state Department of Transportation must approve them before the town can put the project out to bid. Webber said it is unlikely this will be completed before winter hits.
"It will take as long as it takes but they were not optimistic about pre-snow flying," Webber said.
The engineering will cost about $50,000 and the actual construction is anticipated to cost $100,000.
The Selectmen received no bids for the property on Depot Street taken by the town because of unpaid taxes. The town asked for a minimum bid of $49,000.
Webber said the town can rebid the property with a lower minimum bid or the same, hire an auctioneer, or check with town counsel to see if it is legal to list the property with a realtor.
The Selectmen also approved the spending of $10,000 to purchase a frame-mounted sander for a 10-year-old town truck that can no longer be used as a dump truck.
Public Works Director Peter LeFebvre said he wanted to replace the truck in the next few years and the town will need it for plowing in the winter.
"You can use the plow and the wing; we just can't use it as a dump truck anymore," LeFebvre said. "This way it will give us a couple of years because next year it doesn't look like we are going to be able to buy a bunch of trucks."
Astorino presented the board with a Water Department superintendent job description for discussion and editing.
The department has requested the position to help it with duties and to fulfill state Department of Environmental Protection requirements.
Water Commissioner Francis "Bigs" Waterman requested that the description not mandate certain licenses, but rather "prefer" them or the willingness for the superintendent to get them. He said the town will not get applicants at the salary being offered if a license is demanded.
"I think you will limit the field and our most important thing is to get someone who wants to do what we want them to do," Waterman said. "In the short term we really have to get that person here ... this hole is pretty deep right now and we have to try to dig out of it."
The Selectmen agreed to discuss the job description next week after all interested parties had a chance to review it.
Selectman Robert Ciskowski praised the Cheshire Community Association and all those involved in last week's second summer block party.
"I thought it went very well and the party was very well received," Ciskowski said. "I've got to say thank you to all of the people who organized it. There were people still taking tables down in the dark."
The Selectmen approved National Grid's request of the placement of a supporting utility pole on East Harbor Road.
The board did ask the National Grid representative to ask Verizon, the company responsible for removing many of the town's poles, to remove a double pole on Church Street the company promised to remove years ago.
Tags: ACRSD, school budget, water district,
