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Council reaffirms MSBA submission and splits $1 million school-design appropriation into three votes
Summary
Lawrence City Council re-read MSBA-required language and voted to split and reaffirm a $1,000,000 appropriation into three parts to fund schematic design/feasibility work for Arlington School windows ($400,000), Frost School roof ($300,000), and South Lawrence East roof ($300,000).
The Lawrence City Council voted Feb. 17 to reaffirm and split a previously approved $1,000,000 appropriation requested by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) into three separate votes so the city could satisfy MSBA language requirements.
Jason Cabrera, chief financial officer for Lawrence Public Schools, described timing and certification needs. Councilors suspended rules to allow the item to be split and asked that the MSBA-provided motions be read into the record. The three approved motions read into the record and passed were:
• Document 4-79A-25: $400,000 from free cash for feasibility and schematic design costs related to an accelerated repair project involving the Arlington School window project (approx. 800 windows at 150 Arlington Street).
• Document 4-79B-25: $300,000 from free cash for feasibility and schematic design costs related to the Frost School roof replacement at 133 Hamlet Street.
• Document 4-79C-25: $300,000 from free cash for feasibility and schematic design costs related to the South Lawrence East roof replacement at 135 Crawford Street.
Each motion included standard MSBA acknowledgements (that the MSBA grant program is discretionary and that any costs beyond MSBA grants are the city’s responsibility) and authorized the city’s chief administrative and finance officer, with council approval, to appropriate the funds under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 44 or other enabling authority.
Councilors were given copies of the MSBA language and were told a certified vote must be submitted by March 3. The motions passed after brief procedural discussion; councilors had the opportunity to ask questions prior to each recorded vote.
Next steps: Certified language and votes will be forwarded to the MSBA to pursue grant-collaboration steps; schematic-design work may begin upon subsequent administrative approvals.
