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Select Board debates scope, caps and timing for March 2 special town meeting on school repairs and feasibility studies
Summary
Board members debated warrant language and funding strategy for multiple school-related articles — feasibility studies for Neary (partial and full renovation), Trottier & Finn reconfiguration, and a roof repair article — including whether to set a target budget or 'must-haves' and how to present combined or separate articles to Town Meeting.
The Select Board extensively debated warrant language and funding approaches for a March 2 special town meeting that would authorize feasibility and design work for several school projects.
The draft warrant included four articles: (1) $175,000 for a feasibility study and schematic design for a potential Neary renovation; (2) $324,000 for a phased feasibility/design process to accommodate grade‑shifting at Trottier and Finn; (3) $500,000 for a feasibility/design study to expand a school to a K–4 configuration; and (4) funds to repair the Neary roof and study additional capital repairs and systems.
Board member Al proposed including a not‑to‑exceed parameter of $15,000,000 as a planning target to guide the consultants and set voter expectations for the limited‑renovation option: “$15,000,000 borrowed over 15 years … would hit a $900,000 home to the tune of about $310 a year,” he said. Several board members and residents cautioned that a single board member’s number can confuse voters and urged reliance on professional cost estimators and demographers. Mary Tinti, a resident, told the board to avoid “throwing out numbers like 40,000,000 that I heard or 15,000,000 most recently,” arguing feasibility studies should drive accurate cost estimates.
Members discussed two linked approaches: commission a full schematic design and cost estimate for a comprehensive renovation, and simultaneously require the consultant to produce a separate 'minimum‑viable product' or limited‑renovation option that prioritizes must‑have safety items (for example, roof replacement, fire‑suppression measures, asbestos abatement, ADA compliance and critical HVAC repairs) sufficient to keep the building serviceable for a 15‑year planning horizon. Several members said presenting both analyses under a single article could be efficient because the consultant’s work would overlap; others favored separating the articles so voters can approve items independently.
Board members asked schools to review the combined article language before the warrant is finalized (signing deadline cited as Feb. 13) and asked staff to produce clearer motions and 'must‑have' lists to distribute before Town Meeting. Residents urged the board to ensure clarity on Chapter 97 land‑use constraints when considering site changes at Fenn School and to obtain any needed legal guidance in writing.
The board agreed to refine article language before its Feb. 3 meeting; members said they expected additional cost detail on roof repair figures by Jan. 29 and would try to finalize warrant language before the Feb. 13 sign‑off deadline.
