PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES
AUGUST 30, 2004
6:30 P.M.
SOUTH WINDSOR COUNCIL CHAMBERS
PURPOSE: TO RECEIVE CITIZEN INPUT ON THE PLACEMENT OF A REFERENDUM QUESTION REGARDING THE “ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FACILITIES RENOVATION PROJECT” ON THE NOVEMBER 2, 2004 ELECTION BALLOT
The Public Hearing was called to order at 6:30 p.m. The Clerk of the Council read the Call of the Meeting (a copy of which is attached). The following Town Council Members were present: Mayor Havens, Deputy Mayor Pelkey, and Councillors Aman, Delnicki, Fine, Paquin, Pendleton, Streeter, and Yacavone.
Also in attendance at this Public Hearing were Town Manager Matthew B. Galligan, Dr. Joseph Wood (Superintendent of Schools), Board of Education Chairman Robert O’Connor, and other Members of the Board of Education.
There were approximately 40 people in attendance in the audience for this Public Hearing.
Mayor Havens asked the Town Manager who would be making this evening’s presentation. Mr. Galligan responded that he had supplied information on the tax impact of this project were it to be approved by the voters, as well as “layman’s information” on operation cost. He asked for the opportunity to go over this information sometime during the meeting. Mayor Havens invited him to proceed at this time.
Mr. Galligan then went over the Budget Impact information which was broken down by year, Increased Debt Service Cost, Total Budget (including Debt Service), and Increased Budget by percentage (see attached Exhibit A.); and the Current Operating Costs for Five (5) Elementary Schools vs. the Operating Cost Summary for Four (4) Elementary Schools with new additions (see Exhibit B.)
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MINUTES
Public Hearing – Town Council
August 30, 2004
Before concluding his remarks, Town Manager Galligan offered other uses for Wapping School should the voters choose to discontinue its use as an elementary school facility.
Mayor Havens then called upon Dr. Joseph Wood who, at the Mayor’s behest, explained that the reason for this Public Hearing was to provide a “good understanding of the proposal that has received a good deal of time and attention from the Board of Education over the past five years.” He said that Board Chairman Robert O’Connor would be speaking next, providing a little background as to how the Board “arrived at this point in decision-making—following which a brief presentation describing the proposal would be made by Board Members; and questions from the Council and audience addressed.
Next to speak was Mr. Robert O’Connor, Chairman of the Board of Education, who said he would be as brief as possible. He began by thanking the Town Council for hosting these meetings this evening. He started by, briefly, going through the following summary.
He reiterated Dr. Woods’ statement that “a lot of time has been spent on this project.” The project started in the 1980s by attempting to address the facility needs for all of the Town, including the High School, Middle School, with the elementary schools being the last consideration in that schedule. This Referendum, he added, should address this last educational facility need.
It was Mr. O’Connor’s opinion that if this work is not approved and done soon, the Town of South Windsor will find itself “behind the eight ball—with schools that need to be renovated, made to ADA compliance, needing approved air quality, etc.” and with no way to pay for them.” While this is a big plan, he conceded, it takes care of these problems all at the same time.
Mr. O’Connor made special note of the cooperation and input from the Town Council. He felt that the cooperative spirit, questions, etc. from the Council have been of great value.
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MINUTES
Public Hearing – Town Council
August 30, 2004
The four (4) elementary schools to be renovated, according to the Chairman, are Pleasant Valley School (which was built in 1958); Philip R. Smith School (built in 1959), Orchard Hill School (built in 1964), and Eli Terry School (built in 1965). Mr. O’Connor added that, while these schools have been maintained excellently over their lifetime, they are “tired buildings” that don’t fit today’s modern teaching curriculum. Continuing, he said, that the teaching that has to be done today and into the future needs to be done in facilities that reflect that time—and, right now, they don’t.
Mr. O’Connor then invited any residents interested in doing so to take a trip to one of the those four schools and draw their own conclusions. An excellent education has been provided despite those schools, he added; however, now there is an opportunity to bolster the educational program at these facilities. He envisioned, too, renovations that would benefit the entire community—larger gymnasiums, meeting rooms, and a future use of those buildings as community buildings, rather than just as schools.
The program being proposed, the Chairman reported, also addressed ADA accessibility requirements; makes safety improvements in the building itself for security—as well as child “drop-off and pick-up.” An additional benefit, he added, was that the proposal also addressed the 18 non-permanent classrooms currently a part of the South Windsor school system.
The Superintendent referred to the Citizens Advisory Committee (a cross-section of Towns people) were represented in this proposal; as well as input from teachers, parents.
Speaking of the cost, Superintendent O’Connor emphasized that the Board of Education was well aware of the high cost of this project; and, because of that fact, requested that the Architect address this by suggesting what might be a “smaller plan.” However, when the Board of Education reviewed the smaller plan it determined that it “was just not enough.” He felt the plan before them was the
correct plan.
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MINUTES
Public Hearing – Town Council
August 30, 2004
Mr. O’Connor pointed out that the Town of Glastonbury was looking to their own Referendum to build a new school at a cost of $29,000,000. He stated that were this Referendum approved, South Windsor would, in essence, get four new schools for about $14,000,000 each—after the Town received its 40% reimbursement from the State. He emphasized that the Town should take advantage at this time of probably the “highest reimbursement we’re going to get from the State.”
(At 7:00 p.m., Mayor Havens called the Special Meeting to order, immediately recessed it, and reconvened the Public Hearing.)
Explaining that, under the proposed plan, each school would receive the same “like new” treatment, Dr. Wood then introduced a representative from the architectural firm of Schoenhardt., Ms. Jamie DePinto, whom he said would be explaining the proposal in more detail—by focusing on one of the schools—namely, Eli Terry School.
Ms. DiPinto said that she had been involved with this project from its beginning stages; and, using Eli Terry School as an example pointed out that all four schools would have their cafeteria services and gymnasium services expanded to allow community use after-hours. After-hour security, she added, would also be enhanced in each school.
Continuing, Ms. DiPinto said that classrooms in each of the cases have been increased to the square footage based on the outline of the “Ed Spec..” She then went on to explain enhancements to the “Media Center;” MIA (after- and during-hours additional activity space); Kindergarten and Pop programs are all oriented within close proximity to each other and to the front of the buildings.
She then went on to explain “additions” to the original facilities. This concluded the overviews.
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MINUTES
Public Hearing – Town Council
August 30, 2004
Before the Mayor turned the meeting over to receiving questions from the public, Town Manager Matthew Galligan pointed out that Council’s packet had contained a copy of a letter from the State of Connecticut’s Department of Education stating that the question regarding South Windsor’s eligibility for school construction grants for this type of project under a concept involving the transfer of the schools to the developer, who would renovate the schools, lease them back to the Town until the costs of the projects were paid, and then return them to the Town—such an arrangement, according to the State, would render the Town of South Windsor “ineligible for reimbursement under (the State’s) current method of funding school construction projects.”
Additionally, Mr. Galligan, referring to the town’s Debt Service said that, currently, South Windsor “can float $381,000,000 worth of bonds, according to the Town’s Financial Statements as of June 2003. There is, he said, more than ample debt capacity to do this project. There is about $30 million of debt, currently, to be redeemed. South Windsor, he said, can go “seven times more, under the law, than what is collected in taxes.”
Mayor Havens then opened the Public Hearing to the public to receive their questions.
Speaking on this proposal, from the audience, were:
Lonnie Maytubby, 16 Lake Street
Tom Berstene, 95 Rimfield Drive
Cary Prague, 60 Krawski Drive
Paul Burnham, 25 Pear Tree Lane
Marc Finer, 30 Karen Way
Bruce Burnham, 1909 Main Street
David Joy, 100 Bramblebrae (Member of the Board of Education)
Jody Oliver, 67 Murielle Drive
Tim Kenefick, 63 Rosemary Lane
Gregory Lentz, 11 Kelly Road
Jan Snyder, 191 Bourbon Street (Member of the Board of Education)
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MINUTES
Public Hearing – Town Council
August 30, 2004
Following the public’s questions and comments, Mayor Havens informed the public that he would be taking a straw vote on the proposal. He then asked
All those in favor of bringing this issue
To Referendum 11
All those opposed to same: 13
Mayor Havens declared the Public Hearing concluded at 8::10 p.m.
A brief recess was called before reconvening the Special Meeting.
Respectfully submitted
Patricia R. Brown
Clerk of the Council
Attmts. (Exhibits A. and B.)
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