North Adams City Council Votes Resolution for Conte
|
Councilor David Bond said he hadn't heard a more viable project than renovating the former Conte Middle School. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A majority of the City Council put its support behind the Conte School project just one week before a ballot vote deciding the building's future.
The council voted 7-1 on Tuesday night for a resolution introduced by President Michael Bloom recommending voters to approve the bonding for the $30 million renovation, of which the city will pay $6.5 million.
"I have served as a city councilor for 24 years and have had the privilege to vote on the funding of the only two school building projects during that time span — Drury and Brayton schools, respectively," wrote Bloom in a letter accompanying the resolution. "Both of these projects involved retrofitting or building on to existing structures. .... like these previous school projects, the new Conte elementary school will also serve the city well."
The evening saw a repeat of arguments for and against the kindergarten-through-Grade 7 project, as councilors and residents expressed their perspectives.
The most outspoken has been Councilor John Barrett III, the lone no vote, who said he hoped council's resolution would have "the same result as the endorsement of the [failed] 2 1/2 [Proposition] two years ago."
A citizen's petition forced the borrowing to public vote after the council had already approved the spending.
Barrett has advocated against using the former middle school, saying the project won't fully address the overcrowding in the elementary schools and that the process wasn't open enough to public input. Proponents of the project say it will solve more than half the space issues, with hopes to renovate or rebuild Greylock Elementary School later.
The councilor said the School Committee should have looked at a study done in 2008 that would have treated the schools more equitably, but added that he would support whatever the voters decided.
"I feel strongly about my position but I also feel strongly about making sure our kids our educated," he said.
Several residents expressed concern over the costs (expected to be covered by debt from the previous school projects coming off the books) and overruns (the cost estimate contains a contingency amount).
"If Conte is a good project it should be able to stand on its own," said opponent Robert Cardimino, referring to advocacy group Friends of North Adams Schools. "You're trying to buy the election."
 Councilor John Barrett III said the School Building Committee should have looked at fixing Sullivan and Greylock schools. |
Others pointed to the need to replace Sullivan (which has foundation issues among other problems), the state's approval and funding of the project and the chance to restore a vacant heritage building.
"We have a chance to take our historical Drury building and bring it back to life again," said Councilor Nancy Bullett.
Resident Edward Morandi questioned the point of spending money on a new school, and the likelihood of repayment. Brayton had been redone but too many children were still not "proficient" on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System test, he said.
"If the kids are scoring low, so we don't need a new building?" said Councilor Jennifer Breen, who thought the school issue was bogged down by past political squabbles. "It doesn't make any sense to me."
Ronald Superneau, a member of the School Building Committee, said the panel "had done everything humanly possible" in investigating options. Should the vote go down, "we won't be on top we'll be in trouble," he said.
While Massachusetts School Building Authority officials have declined to specifically say what would happen, they point to the MSBA's guidelines that state the agency does not want to tie up funds for communities that reject projects.
"A failed local vote likely will result in the school district being required to submit a new Statement of Interest to the MSBA ... ."
That would mean next year to submit another statement of interest, then waiting for an invitation to re-enter the program.
In the meantime, Councilor and School Building Committee member Keith Bona said the city is facing $2 million to $4 million for immediate needs at Sullivan and about $2 million to fix the roof on Conte. Why not get a new school for the same price? he asked.
The voters will decide whether to pursue Conte or start over again on Tuesday, April 30, the same day as the Senate primary.
Tags: Conte School, MSBA, school project,
