Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Facilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Select Board seeks more details before committing ARPA funds for Mystic School heating work
Summary
Board members pressed for room‑by‑room need, cost breakdowns and lifespan estimates after engineers presented a preliminary $900,000 estimate to upgrade heating at Mystic School; staff said ARPA funds have been earmarked but cautioned the estimate may change and a school‑committee discussion is pending.
The Select Board on June 17 discussed proposed heating work at the Mystic School annex after Weston & Sampson presented a design and a preliminary cost estimate. Board members raised multiple questions about scope, longevity and funding before agreeing to seek further detail.
One board member said they were not comfortable approving the project as presented because they could not "get [their] mind around $900,000 for heating" without clearer, room‑by‑room justification and an understanding of how long the solution would be expected to last. Other members asked about asbestos abatement timing, contingency plans if systems fail during winter, and whether a multi‑year capital strategy or phased approach might better serve the town than a short‑term fix.
Town staff said the board has set aside $900,000 of ARPA funds for the project; project partners indicated earlier estimates of about $1.1 million during schematic design and said the number could shift as the design is refined. Members emphasized the need to coordinate with the school committee — which planned to meet to review the matter — and for staff to bring back a clearer cost breakdown, expected useful life, and options that might reduce near‑term cost while addressing urgent heating failures.
The board did not take a final vote; members asked staff to forward questions to Weston & Sampson and to attend a scheduled meeting with school committee and design staff the following day to resolve outstanding questions.
Provenance: Board discussion of Weston & Sampson design, ARPA funding status and follow‑up directions.
