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Committee debates hiring PR firm as June 30 grant deadline compresses outreach timeline
Summary
Wellington School Building Committee members debated a four-to-six-month public-engagement proposal versus a compressed timeline tied to an imminent June 30 grant-application window; the committee tabled a PR contract decision pending OGA responses and a clearer square-footage estimate.
The Wellington School Building Committee on March 23 reviewed a proposal from a public-engagement consultant recommending four to six months of outreach work but debated whether the committee can execute an effective campaign if it must submit a grant application by June 30.
Committee members said a longer outreach window improves referendum prospects, while consultants warned that a compressed timeframe would make it difficult to present multiple options and educate voters. One committee member summarized the tradeoff: ‘‘If it's going to cost the community $15 million more [in the long run]… we have to decide whether we push now or buy time.’’
The committee heard that the grant application can be submitted by June 30 while a referendum could be scheduled as late as November; Colliers explained that submitting in June and passing a November referendum would place the project on a priority list by December, which affects when reimbursements are available.
For immediate outreach, Lisa Eden reported a mailer had been sent and offered to provide a digital version for committee posting. The group also discussed restarting a School Building Committee Facebook page through a town email account and targeting in-person events such as the scouts’ Easter event and Memorial Day weekend for public engagement.
The committee decided to table contracting with a PR firm until written guidance arrives from the Office of Grant Administration about reimbursement parameters and square-foot costs, and until Tecton produces a clearer ED spec and square-foot estimate.
