Council hears two motions on school facilities; update on city-school facilities department expected

Summary

The council received two motions related to school facilities: one to hire dedicated facilities personnel for LHS as part of the FY26 budget and another requesting an update on establishing a city-wide facilities department covering both city and school properties. The city manager said an update will come within a few weeks.

Councilors brought forward two motions regarding school facilities during Tuesday’s meeting. One motion asked the city to include hiring dedicated facilities personnel for LHS in the fiscal year 2026 budget. The second motion requested an update on establishing a facilities department to oversee both city and school properties.

The city manager said an update on the facilities-department proposal would be provided within a few weeks because the proposal must go through the City Council, the school committee, and the law department. The transcript does not record final votes on either motion in the excerpt provided.

Councilors framed the requests as steps toward improving maintenance and coordination of school buildings; the record does not include staffing levels, cost estimates, or a formal timeline beyond the manager’s promise of an update. Additional review and interdepartmental approvals were cited as prerequisites for any formal proposal to be included in the FY26 budget.

Provenance: this discussion follows the personnel contract renewals and precedes roadway and transportation items in the transcript.