Resident asks board for public accounting of school renewal bonds; board to follow up

Resident Janet Nicolini used the public comment period to request a public accounting of the town’s school renewal plan, asking which bonds have been issued, what grants have come in, what projects have been paid for, and what liabilities remain unpaid. "Can we get an accounting of the school renewal plan? How are we tracking? What bonds have been issued so far? What grants have come in? What has been paid for? What are our outstanding liabilities yet to be paid?" she asked, also offering her address for the record.

Board members acknowledged the request and discussed how bond funds may or may not be repurposed. A committee member asked whether unused bond authorizations could be applied to demolition (Ryerson Demolition) or other projects; staff explained that repurposing previously authorized bond funds would require approvals from the selectmen, the Board of Finance and, in some cases, a town meeting or referendum if additional authorization were necessary. "So we can use the funding, but it takes town — the existing fund for the bonds that already have been issued," a staff member said, adding that changes in scope and additional funding would follow formal approvals.

The chair said he would send an email to the finance department to process the citizen's request and to prepare an update for a future selectmen meeting. The board agreed to follow up and provide the public accounting requested by the resident.

No formal action on the school renewal accounting or on repurposing bond proceeds occurred at the meeting; the board recorded direction to staff to prepare the requested materials and to schedule the matter for a future agenda.