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| By Courtney Llewellyn Reminder Assistant Editor LONGMEADOW The School Building Committee (SBC) is moving forward one step at a time with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) project for a new or renovated high school. Last Wednesday, the SBC received six proposals from 23 companies or individuals asked to become the Owner's Project Manager (OPM). The members of the SBC need to shortlist their top three or four candidates for the position by their next meeting on Oct. 21. If the high school project funding is approved at the Special Town Meeting on Oct. 28, the interviews of the top candidates will take place on Oct. 30. Although there is a lot going on, the SBC wants to ensure that the process is as open to the public as possible. "We're trying to put everything out there," Christine Swanson, a member of the SBC and chair of the School Committee, said. "There's nothing hidden." The SBC also wants town residents involved in the entire process. The committee hosted a public forum last Tuesday at the high school, which approximately one dozen concerned citizens attended. "The turn out for the forum was not great," Swanson noted. "The good news was we did see some new faces and they had some good questions." An in depth tour of the high school and the forum will be shown on LCTV (channel 12) on Oct. 21 at 6:44 p.m., Oct. 23 at 7:14 p.m., Oct. 25 at 2:14 p.m., Oct. 26 at 5:44 p.m., and Monday through Friday, Oct. 20 through 24, at noon. The forum will be shown following each tour except on Oct. 21. The members of the SBC also invite residents to ask questions on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Business/Technology Center at the high school and on Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. at the Council on Aging. The forum at the Council on Aging will be a discussion regarding the high school building project, specifically, the feasibility study debt exclusion. The feasibility study, which is estimated to cost $750,000, is a necessity required by the MSBA. Swanson said it will take a feasibility study to discover if the school can be renovated or if it should be rebuilt. If rebuilding is the best option, the school may follow the model school guidelines, which would use an existing school's blueprints to save time and money. "The feasibility study is broader in nature than a facilities study," Swanson explained. The school conducted a facilities study before submitting its Statement of Interest to the MSBA more than a year ago, which cost about $25,000. Swanson said the facilities study was "a great baseline for us." The $750,000 for the feasibility study will go into debt exclusion if approved by voters. If the study costs less than that, the leftover funds would be put toward the school project. "The high school is Longmeadow's greatest asset," Swanson said. "It's our job as citizens to ensure it lasts." Article 6 of the Special Town Meeting warrant will see if the town will vote to appropriate $750,000 to be expended under the direction of the SBC to procure an owner's project manager and to conduct a feasibility study. The feasibility study is required by the MSBA and is the first and most critical step in determining the long term solution for our high school. The feasibility study is supported by the Select Board, School Committee and Finance Committee. This will be proposed as a borrowing article and will require a 2/3 vote. Article 7 will see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $18,950 to pay borrowing costs for the Longmeadow High School feasibility assessment to pay for the bonding costs for the feasibility study. If approved, the cost to the average household in Longmeadow will be about $30 a year for five years. For more information, visit the SBC's page at www.longmeadow.org/sbc/index.htm. |