BCS Press Release
A Berlin Board of Education workshop on Monday, September 29, was held in the Berlin Elementary School to hear reports from school attorney Robert Schofield and SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review) specialist Phillip Dixon. Attorneys led Board members through the short form for a Type 2 SEQR action, answering questions about this form and the criteria for designations of other actions such as Type 1 and Unlisted as established by State regulations and the Department of Environmental Conservation. The Type 2 designation shows less than 10,000 square feet of new construction and no significant impact on the environment.
Proposed elements of the renovation/new construction project for the Berlin District requiring blacktop, relocation of bus drop off and public parking at Berlin Elementary as well as blacktop at the bus garage area were addressed by Board members and the attorneys. After a nearly two hour session, the Board of Education approved the Type 2 submission with agreed changes.
The Board turned attention to a report from ARCH architect Dan Woodside and Engineering consultant Doug Dickson regarding last week’s meeting with Carl Thurnau and Kurt Miller at the State Education Department’s Bureau of Building and Facilities, also attended by Interim Superintendent Charlotte Gregory and State District Superintendent Dr. James Baldwin of Questar III BOCES. After several days of consultation with other SED officials, it was determined that the Berlin Elementary School could receive some $1.8 million in additional aid to renovate that building if the District continued to plan consolidation of three elementary buildings to a single site at Berlin Elementary. This gesture was in recognition of District needs, economically and for educational efficiency of programs and would only apply if the consolidation occurred, otherwise the estimates would be based on previous plans. Previous plans reveal that all three elementary buildings would receive less aid as a result of small enrollments and regulatory aid factors based on building units. Building Units (BU’s) are based on a standard class size. The bus garage project and the roofing/ADA compliance project at the Junior/Senior High School sites would be eligible for full aid ratio of 76% of all eligible work.
Further, the Board and architects heard a report from a representative, Dr. Rick Timbs, of BPD Financial consultants, Bernard Donegan’s group, who gave a “ballpark” estimate of the new aid impact on the overall project. Timbs estimated that the net cost to taxpayers on an annual basis would be $812,000 instead of the previously estimated $1.03 million.
Tempers flared over the discussion of project expenditures as proposed. The current estimate for work to be done is $21.9 million. Board Member Tom Morelli said he had agreed to a project costing no more than $18 million. But Board Member Jeff Paine argued that costs have escalated in the past two years and the Board should not cause any further delay. He and Board Member Liz Miller encouraged the Board to act on a proposal to be set before the public. “The public will tell us whether, or not, this is the right thing to do!” Miller said. Morelli disagreed saying, “We have a fiduciary responsibility to provide guidance to the public. If we are to recommend to the public, and you fundamentally believe that you can’t pay for it, it says that you are not leading the public in the right direction.” Miller responded emphatically, “I don’t think that is the case. That is what YOU think.”
The meeting ended at about 10:15 pm. Dr. Timbs and the BPD organization is expected to provide a more comprehensive report to the Board in the near future.
Another Workshop meeting with architects is scheduled for Wednesday, October 8, at 7:30 pm in the Berlin Elementary School Cafeteria.