Elementary School Plans Clear Hurdle
Get key endorsement; Selectmen reviewing design contracts
Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer
TEMPLETON The town’s new elementary school project cleared its first hurdle with the Massachusetts School Building Authority earlier this month, gaining the endorsement of the group’s Facilities Assessment Subcommittee.
“That was requesting formally that we be allowed to build a new elementary school on the Templeton Center School site,” project OPM Jonathan Winikur told selectmen Monday night.
The endorsement paves the way for the project to go before the full MSBA board in July, where it will “very likely” be given approval, according to Mr. Winikur.
That vote will signal the beginning of the schematic design phase, when engineers, architects and consultants pore over the site and data to create a detailed design of the new building, which includes two independent construction cost estimates. The final product will be brought back to the Elementary School Building Committee and Board of Selectmen for their approval before it is sent to the MSBA for a final review during its board meeting on Nov. 18.
“At that time we would be asking to enter into a formal contract with MSBA,” Mr. Winikur said.
The contract would finalize the town’s 60 percent reimbursement rate and, after gaining the state’s approval, the town would have 120 days — or until mid-March — to hold a special election and secure the votes needed for local funding.
“If you don’t either make it to the MSBA board meeting in November or don’t get the votes, you’re removed from the program entirely and have to start over again at some future point in time,” Mr. Winikur said.
Ahead of the MSBA’s endorsement, Mr. Winikur requested selectmen approve a series of contracts to carry the project through the schematic design phase, totaling about $341,000 to cover engineers, consultants, architects and OPM services. The money, Mr. Winikur said, has previously been approved by the town and the contracts are set at a fixed rate so as not to run into the red.
“Everyone is well aware of what the services need to be and that there is no money,” he said.
In order for the project to be considered for the November meeting, all materials must be submitted by Oct. 1, requiring an almost immediate approval by selectmen.
“We need to get working through the summer to do it,” Mr. Winikur told the board.
Chairman John Columbus requested one week for the board to review the series of contracts that will be discussed for approval at its next meeting.
As Mr. Bennett stated in :
ReplyDeleteIn case you lost count;
At a special Town meeting back on March 29, 2014, article 5, Town meeting voted to take on debt of $3,500,000.00 for the wood chip boiler project. You may wish to check, but I believe the Town was told the project would pay for itself.
Article 6, special Town meeting vote on March 29, 2014; $500,000.00 additional debt for the design part of the new school, so that would make the total appropriated so far for that project at 1 million 50 thousand dollars ($1,000,050.00) and I would like to know if anyone can provide us an accurate accounting of all of those funds.
Last time I asked for an accounting of the original $550,000.00, I was told it would take a while and cost me $650.00 to get it. It was stated at the selectmen meeting on Monday, June 29, 2015 that $341,000.00 would be needed to get through the schematic design phase.
Perhaps sometime in the near future and before asking for 50 million dollars, someone (preferably the selectmen) can show us an accurate accounting of the above mentioned funds, $100,050.00.
Jeff Bennett
The words "about" in the article are a cause for concern. Will the contracts exceed the amount remaining...if that amount can be determined?
Again -
How can a town without a bond rating ask voters for authorization to borrow over 50 million dollars...give or take?
How does that process work?
How can a board of selectmen sign contract documents if they don't have accurate figures?