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Operations committee moves $25,000 consultant-extension to full board after members debate cost and value
Summary
The Wallingford School District operations committee voted by voice consensus to forward a $25,000 extension for a consultant contract to the full board, with the proposal to fund it from the district's 2% unallocated fund after a debate over costs, billing rates and consultant attendance at town council meetings.
The operations committee of the Wallingford School District on April 20 voted by voice consensus to forward a $25,000 extension of the district's consultant contract to the full board, with the extension proposed to be paid from the district's 2% unallocated fund.
Superintendent Bizzy told the committee the extension covers budget refinement, coordination of schedules, site due diligence, assistance with public presentations and attendance at public meetings and town council gatherings. The cover proposal submitted by the consultant lists the extension amount as $25,000.
Supporters argued the consultant's presence was useful at a recent town-council meeting. Dr. Rasco said the consultant had been “extremely instrumental” in enabling the district to execute necessary studies and helped the board present information at the council meeting. She added that keeping the consultant available helped avoid delays in project work.
Opponents raised cost and scope concerns. Mrs. Reus said she did not support further spending on the consultant and questioned why the consultant attended town-council meetings, saying constituents had asked her not to approve additional payments. “I do not agree with spending any more money with Colliers,” she said, adding that prior contracts led the board to expect some meetings would be covered.
Several members asked how long the additional $25,000 would last and what account would pay for it; Superintendent Bizzy and other administrators said the extension could vary depending on the number of meetings requested and recommended using the 2% unallocated fund so the funding could cross fiscal years. Miss Door noted the consultant’s hourly rate was $220, a rate held from 2023.
The chair took consensus votes later in the meeting to move the Kier contract extension (listed as agenda item 4.1.5) to the full board and to allocate the $25,000 from the 2% fund; the committee voiced assent and the item was forwarded without a recorded roll-call tally.
The full board will consider the extension at its April meeting; the operations committee did not name a formal mover or record individual vote tallies during the voice consensus.
Next steps: the superintendent will include the extension on the full-board agenda with the recommendation that it be funded from the 2% unallocated fund.
