Council delays vote on Friends of Onancock School loan after wide public comment

The Onancock Town Council heard more than an hour of public comment about proposed capital work at the town-owned historic school and a Friends of Onancock School (FOS) proposal asking the town to apply for a long-term loan on FOS's behalf. Residents and FOS representatives disagreed about estimated repair costs, the group's finances and whether a 40-year loan is appropriate given the building's condition and town responsibility.

Kent Sudman, a resident, said the council changed the agenda by allowing comment and asked the town manager to explain why a visual inspection had been done and who is responsible for capital improvements to the school. Multiple speakers from FOS defended the nonprofit's stewardship. Joni Donahoe, identified as director of the Friends of Onancock School, read a letter and disputed numbers in a recent newspaper ad; she said her organization had obtained local contractor quotes for short-term repairs and that ‘‘The aggregate quote was 532,000 to install new HVAC to replace a failing boiler and add air conditioning to the facility, replace windows for efficiency, and upgrade electrical to accommodate the new HVAC.’’ Donahoe said FOS had invested over $650,000 in maintenance and that, as of Sept. 7, 2024, an EIDL loan balance was about $59,047 with reserves over $140,000.

Opponents in public comment argued the town has historically borne responsibility for major capital work and questioned the wisdom of committing the town (or future councils and taxpayers) to a long 40-year loan if FOS could cease operations. Council members said they would not vote tonight and directed the town manager to gather financial documents, including three years of historical income and expense statements and projections, and to return the item to the agenda in two weeks for further consideration.