Lanesborough Considering Options For School Project Vote
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Residents may or may not have a chance to vote on the Mount Greylock Regional School building project at a special town meeting.
Mount Greylock School Committee Chairwoman Carrie Greene told the Selectmen on Monday that a special town meeting vote isn't needed to authorize the borrowing but the Selectmen could call one anyway.
The part renovation and part new build was last estimated at $64.8 million with the two towns splitting somewhere between $31.9 million and $35.8 million. To fund Lanesborough's portion — likely to around a third of the district's share — the town may need a debt exclusion vote but not authorization to bond.
"All the towns have to do is vote the debt exclusion, assuming the towns need to exclude the debt," Greene told the Selectmen.
On Jan. 14, the Mount Greylock School Committees is expected to vote on the project to submit to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, including a total budget. That vote authorizes the district to take on the debt and the MSBA's vote on the 27th will authorize the state's reimbursement. Greene said the Mount Greylock vote authorizes the debt and it is up to the towns to call a special town meeting to rebuff that vote.
"We have two towns that are used to having special town meetings so it may be an important part of the project for you," Greene said.
Greene said the School Committee would likely authorize the debt contingent on positive votes on the debt exclusions, which gives the residents a say on the project at the ballot box while avoiding a special town meeting vote.
Lanesborough would likely have to put the measure on the ballot to exclude the debt from Proposition 2 1/2. Greene suggested setting that vote for the presidential primary's Super Tuesday.
"The best time to do that may be when people are going to be at the ballot anyway, which is March 1, Super Tuesday," Greene said. "It'll save the town the set up for another ballot vote."
The Selectmen were concerned about that date though because it has to be a separate election; voters would have to sign in to vote for the presidential primary, vote, then sign in again and vote for the exclusion. Selectman Henry Sayers said that dual process may confuse voters who are used to casting only one ballot and then leaving.
"I think it would be better to have it separate so people know what they are going in to vote for," Sayers said.
Greene said she is confident there would be enough public engagement so people will understand the process saying, "I really think we can make it clear that these are two separate elections held at the same place on the same day."
Selectman Robert Ericson added that the positive of holding the vote then would be that there will be a large number of voters coming out for that election because of the presidential primary.
Town Manager Paul Sieloff says he still has concerns about the overall cost of the project. Greene said the project manager is finalizing the cost figures now and in early January a final budget will be set.
"I was hoping the scalpels would come out again and there would be another round of cuts," Sieloff said.
Greene responded that the focus during the project will be to reduce costs in every budget line in hopes to come in under budget. She said that was successful in the the Williamstown Elementary School project, which ultimately came in under budget. But in setting a project budget, she says she'd like to ensure there is enough funding to do the project as planned and then come in under budget through cuts.
"We have a desire to come in under budget. We don't want to spend the entire budget but we don't want to have a number too small," she said.
Ericson pointed to one budget line in which he thought could be reduced by some $300,000. The line is for fixtures such as file cabinets which he said could be reduced by going with more inexpensive products.
"We pulled a number of things out of the project. If there are other things we can pull out, we will," Greene said.
But Ericson wanted that number cut now, before the project is approved.
The town hasn't taken an official position on the project. On Monday, the board urged Sieloff to move forward with mailing a survey to town residents to get their opinions on the project before making a public stance.
Sieloff had a draft of questions to be asked that he presented to the board. But, he refused to share a copy with the public and Selectmen were coy about addressing the contents of the survey.
Nonetheless, the board is calling on Sieloff to hire a consultant to look over the survey in an attempt to remove bias from the way questions are worded.
"I'd say let a professional do the survey so nobody can we we fixed it," Sayers said.
Sieloff estimated the survey will cost about $1,200, which includes postage, a consultant, and printing.
Tags: , MGRHS school project, MSBA,
