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Date: 5/11/2021
WILLIAMSBURG – At the Williamsburg Board of Selectmen’s May 6 meeting, the board discussed the upcoming transition between town administrators and received updates on the Highway Department’s projects for the year along with an update on the HVAC systems in the schools.
As one of the meeting’s first orders of business, Highway Superintendent Dan Banister discussed the department’s projects for the rest of the year.
“Right now, we are working with the Cemetery Commission to do the fence at the Old Village Hill Cemetery that had fallen over, we are going to help them by resetting one of the fence posts at the right height. I would like to get the North Main Street drainage done; we have three catch basins to put in there. I still plan to reclaim and repave a section of Nash Hill Road that is falling apart pretty badly,” he said.
Along with providing an update on the current projects, Banister said the department would also be giving money back to the town from its budget.
“Even our winter budget will be turning money back, we did not overspend on that either. Given the winter we had we were fortunate, but even the labor line, we’ll be giving money back for that,” he said.
To start her HVAC system update, Anne T. Dunphy School Principal Stacey Jenkins said because of issues with the HVAC system, the school has had heating problems.
“We have had real temperature issues in the school, and frankly the only thing that has saved me from screaming and fixing this earlier is that we have a radiant panel system,” Jenkins said, adding that without those panels the school would have had to close because of heating issues.
Over the past six years Jenkins said the school has spent over $90,000 on repairs for the HVAC system through Jamrog HVAC and replacing the system would cost upwards of $150,000.
“We have paid them $94,600 which averages out to $15,700 dollars a year that we are paying out to Jamrog just to constantly patch and fix this system. The total for everything is $150,750 to replace all four units, which have the same issue,” she said.
Board member Denise Banister said she was in favor of taking care of the project sooner rather than later.
“I think that because we have the money and because it is a real need, I think I would like to see us do the project. I just do not see any benefit to put it off because we have a big project coming up and it makes no sense to push it down the road,” she said.
Ultimately, the board agreed to allow Jenkins to move forward with looking at fixes for the school’s HVAC system.
To start the transition discussion, current Town Administrator Charlene Nardi said new Town Administrator Nicholas Caccamo is on track to begin on May 17.
“Our hope is that Nick will be able to start on May 17. Things are going along, and I am hoping to have most if not all the Town Meeting stuff in order. My plan is to have a list of people he can go to as a guide,” she said.
She added that Town Administrator Assistant Eleanor Warnock would be a big benefit to Caccamo in the transition.
“The fortunate thing is you do have Eleanor here, who has a really good idea of how things work or knows who knows how things work so that is going to be a benefit to him,” Nardi said.
After leaving her position, Nardi said she would be available to help Caccamo during the transition.
During the meeting, the board also approved the establishment of a Public Safety Complex Building Committee.
The Board of Selectmen next meets on May 13.