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Select Board backs reserve‑fund transfer request to shore up Mystic School annex
Summary
The board authorized a request to FinCom for about $54,000 to fund temporary shoring of the Mystic School annex after inspections found posts in poor condition and the recreation department lost classroom space; the shoring would allow programs to resume while permanent solutions are engineered.
The Winchester Select Board on Nov. 17 approved sending a request to the Finance Committee for a reserve‑fund transfer of approximately $54,000 to pay for temporary shoring at the Mystic School annex.
Recreation staff (Nick) told the board an inspection found structural posts in the annex that require temporary shoring so classrooms can be used safely. Nick said the initial engineering and shoring‑rental package would cost about $40,000 plus rental for a six‑month period, bringing the estimate to roughly $54,000. "If the shoring is in, you could put the classroom back," he said, noting the department had combined rooms and was operating at reduced capacity while kindergarten and enrichment programs continued elsewhere.
The recreation director explained a short timetable: with contractors mobilized, shoring could be installed in about one to one‑and‑a‑half weeks and buildings re‑occupied after inspection. He described lost program revenue and operational strain from reduced classroom capacity and urged the board to help find short‑term funds so programs can continue into winter.
Board members agreed the town needed to avoid extended disruption and moved that the select board support a reserve fund transfer to FinCom in the amount of approximately $54,000. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The board asked staff to check school lease receipts that may be available promptly and to pursue a FinCom meeting to get the transfer before contractors are scheduled to mobilize.
Longer‑term repairs and a permanent solution remain under engineering review; Gale (engineering) was conducting a scope for permanent remediation. The board directed staff to coordinate funding and to bring follow‑up recommendations (spring town meeting articles or FY27 budget options) for permanent repairs and capital planning.
Next steps: town manager and recreation staff will ask Schools/Finance to consider available lease income, submit the reserve‑fund transfer request to FinCom, and return with engineering proposals and funding options for permanent work.
