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Date: 5/5/2021
EAST LONGMEADOW – Two projects involving the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) were approved during the April 27 East Longmeadow Town Council meeting.
The first of the projects is the $1.26 million feasibility study to assess the construction or renovation of East Longmeadow High School. Councilor Thomas O’Connor asked about assurances that the MSBA would reimburse the town for a portion of the study. East Longmeadow Public Schools Superintendent Gordon Smith told O’Connor that the MSBA reimbursement rate is about 56 percent. He said that the vote from the board is the last step before a funding agreement is signed between the town and the building authority, and at that point the MSBA virtually always follows through.
After the feasibility study is completed, the town will have options of the best course of action, be it renovation, an addition or a new building. A second agreement with the MSBA will be sought to bring that solution to fruition.
The second vote conducted by the council was to amend a March 23 directive approving the borrowing of $913,000 for a new roof at Meadow Brook School. Town Accountant Stephen Lonergan explained that the total amount to be borrowed must be approved for MSBA-funded projects – in this case, $1,706,115. Despite the approval of the whole amount, the balance between the two numbers will be reimbursed by the building authority.
After some debate, the council approved a request from the Community Preservation Commission for $1,400 to purchase mobile pickleball nets to be used on the East Longmeadow High School tennis courts.
Councilor Ralph Page noted that the money, which would come from the CPA open space account, isn’t a relatively large amount and could be funded through donations, similar to the way that the funding for the ice skating rink was crowdsourced. He asked if other funding sources had been considered.
Resident Kathy Hood addressed the board and said that the single tennis court that has been painted for pickleball is “packed every day” with fans of the sport. She explained that three of the high school’s six tennis courts would be painted with lines for pickleball in addition to the existing tennis lines. The funding would allow for the purchase of pickleball nets that, when not in use, can be rolled to the side to allow for tennis on the same court. The remaining three courts would be left as is.
While other fundraising sources were not sought for the nets, it was explained that this is the first phase of planned recreation expansion and that fundraising is expected to pay for future phases.
In news from land court, a judge denied the town’s request to reconsider judgement on the Pease Road solar project proposed by the company PLH Group. The decision, dating from August 2019, found that the Planning Board was in the wrong in rejecting the company’s solar array due to its location in a residential zone.
An updated version of the town’s operating budget was reviewed by the council. The main difference between the current version and the one submitted in March focuses on the $200,000 that was recently spent to repair the core network equipment for the town. That project was originally slated to be completed with the FY22 budget. The remaining budget is less than a 1 percent increase over last year.
“We’re lean and mean and we’re working hard to stay that way,” Town Manager Mary McNally told the councilors.
Page asked McNally if the coronavirus relief package known as the American Rescue Plan can be used to pay for a water project on Cooley Avenue. McNally told him that the money and restrictions on its usage are expected May 10 and while it is possible, she won’t know until then.
During the town manager’s report, McNally shared that East Longmeadow Police Chief Mark Williams taught at an FBI academy over the previous weekend. She said that Williams is “an excellent representative for the town.”
The Recreation Department has put in for a $100,000 grant. “It’s essentially a landscaping project and improvement of public playgrounds,” McNally explained. The grant is through Kubota, a construction equipment manufacturer. “Pine Knoll is such a tremendous community resource,” McNally said, adding that even if the town does not secure the grant, she would like to see it “spruced up.”
The Director of the Council on Aging (COA), Mary Beth Dowd, resigned on May 15 to take a job in the private sector. She had been the COA director since late Dec. 2020.
McNally said that Director of Planning and Community Development Bethany Yeo is putting together a restaurant week in late May. In light of the governor’s newest update to the state’s reopening guidelines, McNally said that a phased-in reopening of the town hall, library and senior center will be completed by Aug. 1.