Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Shared Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sudbury Select Board and schools continue talks over shared facilities MOA, maintenance reporting and staffing
Summary
The Select Board and school leaders agreed to continue talks on the 2012 combined facilities MOA after discussing capacity, reporting lines for a school‑dedicated maintenance person and use of a work‑order system; town officials urged implementation fixes rather than an immediate split because of fiscal constraints.
Town and school officials resumed discussions on Dec. 3 over the 2012 combined facilities memorandum of agreement (MOA), focused on whether the current shared‑services model is delivering expected service to Sudbury Public Schools and how reporting lines and technology should operate.
Town Manager Andy said the combined facilities director took on significant responsibilities early in her tenure, including the Fairbank project and a fire‑station project, and that capacity issues during transitions can create perceived shortfalls. He urged the town and school to pursue implementation remedies before considering separation, noting the town’s limited fiscal capacity to absorb personnel and operating costs if the departments divorce.
A central sticking point is who supervises and receives reports from the SPS‑dedicated maintenance position. School leaders said they want a dedicated maintenance staffer responsive to school needs; the combined facilities director argued that clearer reporting and shared operational plans — and better use of the town’s work‑order/tracking system — would increase transparency and efficiency.
Board members and staff agreed to continue structured meetings (superintendent, town manager, combined facilities director and school committee chair) and to produce a redline MOA and an operational plan with agreed reporting, joint annual reviews and measurable expectations. The board also discussed coordination on capital prioritization and the risk that separating facilities could increase operating costs by roughly $150,000 or more, depending on staffing choices.
What’s next: The working group will meet again to review a redline MOA and an operational plan; staff said adding regular joint meetings and a clarified review and goal‑setting process were potential near‑term fixes.
