Westport News

BOARD OF SELECTMEN

SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES

FRIDAY

OCTOBER 21, 2011

Members Present:                 Richard M. Spirlet, Chairman

                                                                Craig J. Dutra, Vice Chairman

                                                Steven J. Ouellette

                        Antone C. Vieira Jr.

                        James W. Coyne, Clerk

Also present:                          John F. Healey, Interim Town Administrator

Chairman Spirlet called the Board of Selectmen meeting to order at 4:00 P.M. in the Westport Town Hall, 816 Main Road, Westport, MA with the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance by all present.

Joint Meeting with the Finance Committee and the School Committee in order to review the Special Town Meeting warrant articles

Present for the joint meeting were:  Town Treasurer George Foster; Finance Committee members Hugh Morton, Warren Messier, John Miller and Mark Carney; School Committee members Michael Sullivan, Antonio Viveiros and James Bernard and School Superintendent Carlos Colley.

Mr. Spirlet stated the purpose of this joint meeting was to discuss the $3 million removal of PCB’s from the Westport Middle School.

Motion made by Mr. Dutra that the Board of Selectmen rescinds the vote for Special Town Meeting on November 8, 2011 and to rescind the vote for the Debt Exclusion vote on December 13, 2011.  Second by Mr. Ouellette.  The Board voted unanimously in favor.

Mr. Spirlet stated there are a lot of bills associated with this matter and there is limited cash so there is an option on the table to bond the $3 million over a 10-year period and this would not require a Special Town Meeting or a ballot vote and it can be done at the Annual Town Meeting.  Mr. Dutra stated that if we can’t get a debt exclusion, we are going to have to borrow and it will be paid out of operating expenses.  Mr. Healey stated there was a meeting with himself, the Superintendent, the Town’s financial advisors and Lisa Dickinson from UNI Bank, who is the Town’s Financial Advisor; this procedure was suggested by Ms. Dickinson.  Mr. Colley stated the bills for the PCB clean-up are estimated at $3 million but he is suggesting $3.1 million to include a study to finish the remediation of the remaining PCB problem.  Tiles, stairwells, walls between rooms, loading dock area and all windows still need to be remediated; the contaminated materials also have to be removed and there is still the remediation or encapsulation of the brick around the windows, 70,000 sq.ft of ceiling matter and the soil under the windows around the building.  Dr. Colley suggested paying the bills and adding a little money to cover the study because he and no one on the School Committee are experts on this type of thing. Dr. Colley stated this is a short-term solution to allow the school to function but a long-term plan is needed.  Massachusetts School Building Authority will not consider building a new school only an expansion or to redo the whole entire Middle School.  The cost so far is not the caulking, it is everything else.  The windows are contaminated and they need to be removed.  The MA School Building Authority is willing and agreed already to funding 46% of the replacement cost of the windows; once we do this, the Town has to agree to keep the school as a school for the next 50 years; Dr. Colley did not want to tie the Town into such a deal.  Dr. Colley stated that if the Town decided to keep this school, everything needs to be looked at.

Mr. Spirlet stated tonight, we need to look at making a decision of how to pay the $3 million dollars.

Mr. Foster stated that short-term borrowing would cost $60,000.00 and could be budgeted into the FY ’13 for one year and then the nine-year long term bond would be $400,000.00 per year for debt service.

Mr. Morton stated we are looking at a decision of whether to do a short-term/long-term debt or committing the school for 50 years.  Mr. Morton asked about the Middle School in terms of space.  Dr. Colley stated the High School and Macomber School both have space to accommodate the Middle School students each with a small expansion.

Mr. Bernard stated he had a concern over the bonding with the idea of rolling it over in an override that could fail; then the School Budget takes the hit for the next nine years.

Mr. Vieira asked what the student enrollment was; also, in regards to the short-term needs right now, the Superintendent says that he can’t meet payroll and contracts are not being honored, this could be a liability to the Town.  As for a February meeting, it makes no sense and we should follow the bylaw.  We should do a short-term borrowing and absorb it into the School Budget.  Mr. Bernard stated that the number of students enrolled is 1,691; Macomber has 241, Elementary has 509, Middle School has 486 and the High School has 455.  This figure does not include one classroom of head start (non-resident) students.

Mr. Vieira suggested that a 30-day period be identified with proper language to go forward to make sure bills are met.  Mr. Vieira stated that everyone must understand, it won’t be easy but this is the School’s problem and the Schools need to absorb it. 

Mr. Morton agreed with Mr. Vieira.  Short-term borrowing takes care of the immediate problem and the School Budget is the appropriate place; short-term borrowing limit as opposed to Town Meeting authorized borrowing.

Mr. Foster stated the DOR says they won’t authorize short-term borrowing.

Mr. Morton stated that a Special Town Meeting is needed and a debt exclusion vote is needed; people will need to know this is what is happening and that it is necessary.

Mr. Spirlet stated this needs to be sold to the people and perhaps a power point could be used.  Mr. Vieira stated this is a short-term and long-term strategy for the Schools and should be given guidance by the Schools, who should take the lead on this.  Remember, bills need to be paid and we need a Special Town Meeting to deal with this issue.  We will rely on the School Committee to take the lead for the language for the ballot.

Mr. Morton stated that Special Town Meeting will pay for the short-term problem but a long-term solution has to be found before Annual Town Meeting.  Mr. Sullivan asked if the cost of the short-term borrowing will be carried to the FY’13.  Mr. Vieira stated yes.  Mr. Sullivan clarified that $400,000.00 per year will go to the School Budget and then an override for long-term will be sought; if it fails, the burden goes to the School.  Mr. Spirlet stated yes.  Mr. Vieira stated that short-term is less than $400,000.00; and yes it should come out of the School Budget, there is little wiggle room in a $15 million budget.  For long-term, there is a lot that needs to happen; the School needs to take the lead, they need to come forward and provide the information necessary.  Mr. Dutra stated the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee can’t commit to anything that the Town Meeting votes on.  Mr. Dutra suggested that tonight a vote on the Special Town Meeting was needed and then work has to be done aggressively on the long-term.  Mr. Ouellette stated that he would be abstaining from voting due to a family member, his wife, being an employee of the School Department.

Mr. Morton cautioned about the word usage; people are not easy with an override.

Motion made by Mr. Dutra to approve a $3.1 million short-term borrowing by the Treasurer. Second by Mr. Vieira.  The Board voted 4 in favor, 1-abstention (Ouellette).

Dr. Colley stated that by including the additional $100,000.00 for the cost of the study, it is better to float a bigger bond rather than two smaller ones.

Motion made by Mr. Vieira that the wording for the article on the Special Town Meeting Warrant for December 6, 20011 be as follows:  To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money to pay costs of environmental remediation at the Westport Middle School, including the payment of all costs incidental and related thereto; to determine whether this appropriation shall be raised by borrowing or otherwise; or to take any other action relative thereto.  Second by Mr. Coyne.  The Board voted unanimously in favor.

Mr. Vieira stated this authorizes the Treasurer to seek borrowing and will allow the School’s bills to be paid; then the School Committee will be open to pursue this and it could be rolled into an Annual Town Meeting.  Mr. Spirlet stated that with a Special Town Meeting, within 35 days, there must be a ballot vote; by doing this, no Special Election will be needed.

Motion made by Mr. Ouellette to adjourn the Board of Selectmen meeting at 4:45 Pm.  Second by Mr. Dutra.  The Board voted unanimously in favor.

Adjournment.

                                                            Respectfully submitted,

                                                            Diane Pelland, Confidential Clerk

                                                            to the Board of Selectmen

                                    APPROVED:                                                                         

                                                            James W. Coyne, Clerk