A MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING ADVISORY BOARD WAS HELD ON THE ABOVE DATE IN THE CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT 6:05 P.M.
ROBERT F. WEBER, JR
ROBERT A. FERRI
GENE R. NOURY
WILLIAM AUNCHMAN
LEN RYSZLIEWICZ
LEO LECLERC
LINDA J. CELONA
MAUREEN CHEVRETTE
KATHY MATUSZEK MARTIN
WILFRED P. DEMEULE
HOMER L. LAFOND
LEE M. MATTHEWS
MILDRED VEGA
BOB CANAVAN (ARRIVED AT 7:25 P.M.)
MAUREEN SLOWIK (ARRIVED AT 6:50 P.M.)
JANUARY 29, 1997;FEBRUARY 12,19,26 1997; MARCH 6, 12, 1997.
PETER DEMEULE ASKED TO CORRECT MINUTES.
MOTION TO APPROVE AS CORRECTED WAS MADE BY MR. LECLERC AND SECONDED BY
ROBERT FERRI. ALL AGREED. SO VOTED.
MEMO-JAMES BRIDEN-OPEN MEETINGS LAW.
COUNCILMAN NOURY ASKED MR. BRIDEN TO EXPLAIN DECISION.
JAMES BRIDEN, CITY SOLICITOR COMMENTED EXTENSIVELY ON THE CITY CHARTER
AND REVISED ORDINANCES. HE CITED SECTIONS 8-101 AND 3-100 WHICH DEALS
WITH ADVISORY BOARDS. HE STATED THAT SECTION 8-101 NEITHER PRECLUDES OR PROHIBITS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM SERVING IN THIS CAPACITY.
HE STATED THAT IT WAS VERY INSIGHTFUL OF COUNCILMAN NOURY TO BRING THIS QUESTION TO THE FOREFRONT. HOWEVER, THIS WOULD BE MORE IN TUNE WITH POLICY RATHER THAT THIS BEING A LEGAL ISSUE.
MR. DEMEULE COMMENTED ON MURPHY VS DUFFY.
CHAIRMAN WEBER QUESTIONED MR. DEMEULE AND STATED THAT THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE FOR CENTRAL FALLS IS THE STATE ADMINISTRATOR WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND STUDENT BUT THAT THE CITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BUILDINGS.
MR. DEMEULE ASKED THAT THE HIS CORRESPONDENCE BE PLACED ON FILE WITH THE COMMITTEE.
CHAIRMAN WEBER STATED THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD ACCEPT THIS UNDER NEW BUSINESS.
MR. DEMEULE STATED THAT THIS IS ILLEGAL BECAUSE YOU CANNOT MAKE A LAW AND ACT ON THE LAW.
MR. BRIDEN RESPONDED THAT PAGE 21 SECTION D OF 3-101-HE STATED THAT IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THAT THIS BOARD IS SUCH ADDITIONAL BOARDS AS THE MAYOR MAY APPOINT. THIS IS NOT A BOARD OR COMMISSION CREATED UNDER THE CHARTER WHICH MAKES A DISTINCTION BETWEEN ADVISORY BOARDS AND INDEPENDENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
MR. DEMEULE COMMENTED.
CHAIRMAN WEBER CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND COMMENTED ON 16-2-15 WHICH DEALS WITH LOCATION OF SCHOOLS AND CONTROL OF PROPERTY.
MAYOR MATTHEWS SUGGESTED THAT THE SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE BE ADVISORY AND THAT THIS IS THE THIRD WEEK ON THIS TYPE OF ISSUE, HE STATED THAT IF THERE IS ANYONE WHO IS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH BEING ON THE BOARD SHOULD LEAVE AND THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE COMMITTEE MOVE FORWARD.
CHAIRMAN WEBER AGREED AND RETURNED TO THE ISSUE OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS.
ELLA RISK AND MARGARET I ROBINSON SCHOOLS WERE DISCUSSED AND SUGGESTIONS WERE MADE BY LEO LECLERC AND MAYOR MATTHEWS.
CHAIRMAN WEBER QUESTIONED MRS. CHEVRETTE EXTENSIVELY ON THE REPAIRS AND ADDITIONS NECESSARY TO THE MARGARET I. ROBERTSON. SHE STATED THAT IT IS ESTIMATED THAT $835,000 WOULD BE NEEDED TO MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS.
SHE EXPLAINED THAT THIS WOULD INCLUDE THE COST OF AN ELEVATOR, WINDOWS AND BOILER FOR THIS BUILDING.
MAYOR MATTHEWS ADDRESSED THE BOARD AND SUGGESTED THAT ELLA RISK BE CONSIDERED AS THE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH WOULD PROVE TO BE THE MOST BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY AND IT WOULD BE MONEY BETTER SPENT.
MR. LECLERC COMMENTED ON THE MAYOR'S PROPOSAL.
MAUREEN CHEVRETTE COMMENTED ON THE MAYOR'S CONSIDERED TO BE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, MAY BE LESS EXPENSIVE THAT ORIGINAL PLAN. SHE ASKED THAT IF THIS PLAN IS ACTED UPON , IT SHOULD BE DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOR THE PLANNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR NEXT YEAR. SHE IS CONCERNED WITH THE TIME ELEMENT AND LAND SPACE AVAILABLE.
DISCUSSION CONTINUED RELATIVE TO RENOVATIONS AND CONSTRUCTION TO ELLA RISK.
ROBERT FERRI QUESTIONED THE SUPERINTENDENT ON YARD SPACE FOR RECESS AND GATHERING BEFORE SCHOOL.
HOMER LAFOND CLARIFIED WHERE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WOULD BE, IS THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AT CALCUTT OR RISK. HE COMMENTED ON LEO LECLERC'S PROPOSAL AND THE REPAIRS INVOLVED.
DR. CHEVRETTE QUESTIONED SPACE AVAILABLE AT ELLA RISK SCHOOL FOR LUNCH, GYM AND ACCOMMODATE 700 STUDENTS.
DISCUSSION CONTINUED.
MS. CHEVRETTE CALCUTT WOULD NEED LESS WORK THAN RISK FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND QUESTIONED IF RISK WOULD BE LARGE ENOUGH FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL. SHE COMMENTED ON STUDENT ENROLLMENT AND CLASSROOM AVAILABILITY. CALCUTT MOST SUITED TO BE A MIDDLE SCHOOL BECAUSE IT WAS BUILT WITH THAT IN MIND.
MR. LAFOND CONTINUED TO COMMENT AND QUESTION THE ELLA RISK PROPOSAL.
LEO LECLERC COMMENTED.
MR. DEMEULE COMMENTED ON STUDENT ENROLLMENT AND CLASSROOM SPACE.
MS. CHEVRETTE COMMENTED ON SPACE, ENROLLMENT AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS THOSE THAT ARE REQUIRED AND THOSE THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
DISCUSSION CONTINUED.
MR. DEMEULE COMMENTED ON THE ELEVATOR AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND ITS INABILITY TO REACH THE 9 CLASSROOMS OF THE 3RD FLOOR OF THE OLD PART OF THE BUILDING.
CATHY MARTIN COMMENTED ON THE ELEVATOR AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
THE CHAIR RECESSED THE MEETING FOR 5 MINUTES.
MEETING RECONVENED.
DISCUSSION CONTINUED ON ELLA RISK SCHOOL AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
MOTION TO ADJOURN WAS MADE BY MR. LAFOND AND SECOND UNANIMOUSLY. ALL AGREED. SO VOTED.
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ELIZABETH A. CROWLEY
ACTING CITY CLERK