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Ridgefield Board notes Willis Field bond passed and approves legal contract for shared‑services agreement
Summary
The Board heard that a borough bond to fund work at Willis Field passed and unanimously authorized an extraordinary‑unspecifiable‑services legal contract to finalize a shared‑services agreement with the borough for field repairs and joint transportation services.
The Ridgefield School District Board of Education on Oct. 17 heard that the borough’s bond to fund work at Willis Field has passed and unanimously approved a legal contract to finalize a shared‑services agreement connected to that work.
Council liaison Mrs. Congalton‑Hali told the Board the bond for Willis Field had passed and outlined several community events and donations tied to the district’s fall calendar. Separately, Operations Committee Chair Michael Jacobs reported two interlocal efforts in development: a shared‑service agreement to pay for repairs to Willis Field and a separate agreement to share buses and drivers between the borough and the district to address driver shortages.
At the meeting the Board approved an Extraordinary Unspecifiable Services (EUS) contract with Schenck, Price, Smith & King, LLP to review and advise on the Willis Field shared‑service agreement. The resolution, carried by roll call (motion by Claudia Narvaez; second Rafal Szumilo), states the contract began Sept. 1, 2024 and will remain in effect until the shared‑service agreement is finalized and approved by the Board.
The EUS resolution describes the need for outside legal expertise because the shared‑service agreement requires specialized review and impartial legal advice and indicates that drafting formal bid specifications was not practicable for this work. The motion passed unanimously; the recorded vote listed Andrew Grippa, Lori Hoffman, Maryam Inan, Michael Jacobs, Claudia Narvaez and Rafal Szumilo in favor.
Board members said the district and borough will continue to coordinate logistics and legal review before returning any final shared‑service agreement for the Board’s approval. The Board did not take further action on the substance of the repair plan at the Oct. 17 meeting.
