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Committee split on $250,000 for BOE administrative building feasibility study for Havemeyer
Summary
A 2-2 committee split resulted in the item being recommended as NonRoutine after debate over sequencing, governance and whether the feasibility study should wait for FY28 capital planning; two members favored proceeding immediately.
The Budget Committee on May 12 deadlocked 2-2 on a $250,000 interim appropriation request from the Board of Education to fund feasibility and test-fit analysis for relocating BOE administrative offices from the aging Havemeyer Building.
Dr. Toni Jones, Superintendent of Schools, and Ben Branyan, CAFO, told the committee the 1892 Havemeyer Building lacks modern HVAC in parts of the building, has no elevator and suffers deteriorating conditions that make a more than $50 million renovation an impractical option for BOE administrative use. The $250,000 request would fund site and parking analyses, coordination with Public Works and initial planning for a potential new BOE administrative building behind Town Hall. Mr. Branyan said an updated BOE space needs study is expected by late May or early June and that facilities operations might move to the Horseneck Building, pending further review.
Commissioner of Public Works Jim Michel said DPW conducts ongoing space-utilization analysis and offered to collaborate. Committee members Laura Erickson and Doug Fenton expressed concern there is no town-wide space-utilization study, no defined project plan or governance structure, and questioned whether steps had been sequenced correctly before committing due-diligence funds. Harry Fisher and Joe Kelly supported proceeding now, noting the BOE’s updated space needs study constitutes the necessary first step and that the requested funding is required to advance planning.
With Erickson and Fenton opposed and Fisher and Kelly in favor, the committee voted 2-2 and recommended the item as NonRoutine; the split means the item was not advanced as a routine approval and may be revisited with additional planning or in the FY28 capital process.
