UNDERUTILIZED ASSETS COMMITTEE
Regular Meeting
July 12, 2011
The meeting opened at Mechanics Hall at 6:30PM. Present were: Phil Mighdoll, Tom Daly,
David Krashes, Henry Beth, Larry Deblois. Also attending was Alex Fiandaca.
The group toured the building, compared physical measurements with plot plans, and determined the “kitchen” and back rooms were part of the addition which does not appear to have a foundation. The consensus was the space seemed adaptable to a variety of uses but extensive renovation would be required. There is more parking area than one might have thought but still could not accommodate large groups.
The meeting was then resumed at the Annex. Tom moved that Phil be named Chairman, David seconded, all agreed. Phil moved Tom serve as Secretary, Henry seconded, all agreed. Meetings will be conducted on the second Tuesday of each month beginning in September.
There will be no meeting in August.
Tom made a suggestion that a guiding principal and recommendation to the Select Board should state that any proceeds of any liquidation of assets should be reinvested in a capital account and not used for general revenue purposes. After a brief discussion, all agreed.
There was a general discussion of possible uses of Mechanics Hall, be it privately or publicly owned. Alex suggested we solicit input from the public. David moved that Phil be given the authority to prepare a public invitation to the September meeting and approach the Light Department to determine if a flyer could be inserted in the August billing.
David shared a conversation he had with a state historical representative regarding Mechanics Hall. While the Hall has great value to the town, it’s not a high priority item for historical preservation as nearly every town has one. While there might be state or grant funds available for renovation, it is doubtful any historical association would be interested in taking ownership of Mechanics Hall (MH). Alex shared the estimated renovation costs prepared by the light department as being $400,000. David suggested material costs may have doubled since that report was done.
While there are other assets to be reviewed, the group felt MH should be the immediate priority. The next step is to solicit input from parties of interest, determine which possibilities have merit, and develop various strategies based on that input.
At the next meeting, Phil will do a review with the public of where we have been and practicalities regarding future use/disposition. Larry suggested we not get too detailed and keep the overview brief. All agreed.
Future meeting dates are: Sept13, Oct 11, Nov 8, and Dec 13.
Henry moved we adjourn the meeting, Tom seconded, all agreed.
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