Committee recommends $220,000 transfer to replace Gibbons Middle School gym floor; other school capital items deferred for more detail

The Advisory Finance Committee voted to recommend that Town Meeting transfer $220,000 from free cash to replace the Gibbons Middle School gym floor, following committee discussion about the floor’s condition and the facility’s multi‑use role for recreation and school programs.

Committee members noted the gym floor dates to 1956 and that the surface had passed the point where sanding and layering would be adequate; the capital submission included photos and an assessment that the floor’s wood and finish are at end‑of‑life. Member McMahon moved the recommendation and Bridal seconded; the committee recorded a unanimous recommendation on roll call.

Separately, the committee reviewed a broader school capital request for HVAC and plumbing repairs across multiple buildings (unit ventilator parts, circulation pumps, mixing valves and possible boiler work). Members asked whether funds were intended for diagnostic work or to pay for repairs, noted overlap with a previously proposed Armstrong boiler request, and asked staff for clearer documentation before moving those items. A separate $60,000 request to fund design work for a Mill Pond chiller replacement was moved but the committee deferred further action pending additional explanation and documentation.