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Adams Officials Worried School's Request ConfusingBy Jen Thomas - May 16, 2008
iBerkshires Staff
ADAMS — With only a few weeks left before town meeting, Adams-Cheshire Regional School District Superintendent Alfred Skrocki is looking to clarify a warrant article that will move forward the improvement of the town's educational facilities.
At the Wednesday workshop meeting of the Board of Selectmen, Skrocki and School Committee Chairman John Duval said the warrant article requesting $400,000 from the both the town and Cheshire would require a thorough explanation at the June 16 town meeting.
"There are very confusing pieces to this and it's a little bit complicated," Skrocki said.
Because of the language of the article (which is determined by the state School Building Authority to be worded a specific way), voters may misunderstand the issue, said Skrocki.
State Reimbursements
The warrant article asks the town to authorize the borrowing of up to $400,000 to conduct Phase 1 of what school officials hope will be a long process, ending in the renovation of Hoosac Valley High School for a Grades-7-through-12 curriculum.
The funds will be used to hire a project manager and a designer to conduct a feasibility study and develop a project proposal, which will include schematic drawings.
Chosen as one of approximately 80 school districts selected to move forward with building projects — out of close to 500 applicants — the district needs to act now in order to ensure the best chances to get a project approved.
"There's no guarantee when this first phase is finished that a project will be approved out of this, but if we don't act now, we'll be pushed to the bottom of the list. Who knows? We might never get the chance again," said Skrocki.
The towns will be reimbursed by the SBA at a 68.4 percent base rate, which translates into a total cost of $126,400 for both towns. Adams would be responsible for $89,200 of that amount and Cheshire, $37,200.
"The $400,000 is a ballpark figure and it's obviously an estimate but, hopefully, it's a conservative estimate," Skrocki said. "The bottom line is, if we indeed spend the entire $400,000, the towns will incur a little over 31 percent of that."
Though no plans have been finalized, Skrocki said the district is looking to return Adams Memorial Middle School to the town and move the seventh and eighth grades to the high school. Because C.T. Plunkett Elementary School is already crowded, the problem of where to place the sixth grade will need to be addressed by the feasibility study.
The Columbia Street middle school building is more than 50 years old and has a laundry list of problems, including a deteriorating roof, an aging heating and cooling system and classrooms that fail to meet space recommendations.
"We have to make sure that whatever we decide will accommodate the students or the expected students we'll have," Skrocki said.
Skrocki also noted that reimbursement points are available and could increase the reimbursement rate up to 70 or 72 percent.
Selectman Joseph R. Dean Jr. said he was eager to move the project forward and failing to pass the article at town meeting could prove disastrous for the town.
"You snooze, you lose," he said.
"We're really looking for the towns to demonstrate that they are really committed to this," said Skrocki.
In Other Business
- Police Chief Donald Poirot told the Selectmen that he was facilitating a resolution between a business owner and a neighbor who had written a letter to the Selectmen, complaining about noise. He said the issue could be resolved in a matter of weeks and that both parties were agreeable to compromising.
- After prompting from Selectman Donald Sommer, the board voted 3-2 to begin reviewing the town's strategic plan issue by issue after the summer recess, in an effort to set measurable goals for Town Administrator William Ketcham. Sommer and Selectman Michael Ouellette opposed, saying they wanted to begin the process sooner.
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It will be interesting to see if the voters from both Cheshire and Adams both approve of this warrant. If either community rejects this warrant, another year will be lost in what to do about the Columbia Street middle school. The middle school building, which was the old Adams High School, could be one step away from being condemned for safety reasons.
No one really knows how long or how expensive the outcome to the Adams-Cheshire School District will be as a result of the loss of the Middle School, but the way I interpret it, this is the first step required in what will be a long and expensive process. Either community could derail the process at anytime.
The situation at the Middle School on Columbia Street is very serious. I have watched with agony as the process has bumbled along and the building continues to deteriorate.
The town of Adams has spent too much time and effort worried about pie-in-the-sky projects such as the Greylock Glen and not enough time about the basics - such as town's long term strategy and the cost and maintenance of structures that are vital to the quality of life to the community. You can bet no one from the Sierra Club will be in the basement of the middle school trying to figure out what to do about heating the school in the middle of February when the antiquated heating system has a meltdown.
| | from: Jay Lukkarila | on: 05-18-2008 |
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| Ok...here's something constructive (in support of Yippee). I propose that the board meet every Tuesday and Thursday in open session with the public invited throughout the summer to review and refine their strategic plan to the point where it becomes an effective, working tool leading to the budget process that will start anew in early October. This will give them three to four solid months of active, interactive discussion with the townspeople on the towns future economic direction...on something we can all buy into and promote. Goals for the town administrator notwithstanding, I believe the board needs to first determine where the town will be investing its very limited financial and tactical resources over the next three years before it considers anything else and meet with the fire district and school board to discuss a unified approach to town money management. If the board rescinds there vote and chooses to do this, I will be there with my fellow townspeople whom I will encourage to attend. Yes, it was a board vote and it was a ridiculously wrong one considering the fiscal condition of the town. Don and Mike voted correctly. Just because the "board" majority voted doesn't make it logical or right. I happen to disagree and unless you have a better perspective, which obviously you do not, why don't you join them and rest your weary head this summer wherever they may be. I don't support this board as a whole, I didn't vote for them (well, one I did) and I disagree with the way they are running their show. I will continue to turn up at meetings on occasion, voice my concerns publicly and privately as loudly as I can until someone wakes up and continue to volunteer on various committees. As far as the days of Barb, George and Company go, well...those days are gone and the town unfortunately didn't take advantage of its available time to plan sufficient to avoid or mitigate the condition it is currently in. Bottom line...if the board cannot meet as it should given current conditions, why should anyone else? Lead by example folks! | | from: Amused - Couldn't Resist | on: 05-17-2008 |
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| As I remember in past years, the Board always resumed regular sessions after the summer. That is why Joe Dean said something. Remember the days of Barb Meczywor, Joe Lefebvre, George Haddad. Did they have workshops during the summer? How quickly we forget, and how quickly we are able to find fault with people we don't like. Yippee - how about something constructive and stop the derogatory comments. Obviously, you are not a supporter of Joe and Ed, but remember this - it was a board vote and the majority won. | | from: Adams Resident | on: 05-17-2008 |
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| Remind me again, why did we elect Joe Solomon and Ed MacDonald? Their vigilence? There tireless efforts? Their 100% commitment to the task? Nope....it was so the board could "take the summer off"....I thought recess was for school children.....oh, wait....there we have it. No comment on Joe Dean, he could probably use the rest. | | from: Yippee | on: 05-16-2008 |
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| Summer recess? I didn't know the board took a summer recess. Apparently all is well and there's no pressing need to re-evaluate strategy or set goals for the town administrator. Hear that Adams!...ALL IS WELL! You can sleep easy now...the board is taking a summer recess. | | from: Yippee | on: 05-16-2008 |
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