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Merrimack School District
Planning & Building Committee

Minutes of the July 29, 2002 Meeting






Present: C. Morrison, W. Morrsion, K. Powell, T. Koenig, School Board Liaison P. McGrath
Excused: S. Heinrich, M. Morrison
Guests: T. Levesque, P. Bergeron, W. Morris, M. Chiafery, M. Shevenell

The meeting was called to order at 7:07 PM by W. Morrison who thanked M. Chiafery for returning early from her vacation to meet with the committee.

Middle School Fall Space Use

T. Levesque presented a map of the middle school showing the current plans for using modular units at the middle school in the fall. He noted that two of the sixth and eighth grade clusters will have four teacher teams. The other two clusters will have five person teams. One of the four teacher sixth grade team had requested placement in the modular units. The buildings will be locked for safety and security reasons and students will be allowed supervised restroom breaks as needed. He informed the committee that there is already a storage trailer behind the Smith Gym; however, potentially there is a need for another. He further indicated that, where possible, some teachers have been relocated to put Social Studies in larger classrooms within the cluster configuration. C. Morrison reminded T. Levesque that, while a student : teacher ratio of 25:1 might be considered good in regard to state standards, the current student : square foot ratio is well above state standards. Additional concerns were raised regarding the need for fencing and fire drill egress.

Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)

M. Chiafery told the committee that a new maintenance building and parking lot improvements for Thorntons Ferry and Reeds Ferry Schools have been removed from the CIP as they are currently in process. The new middle school, purchase of land, consolidation of the SAU administration, sewer at Thorntons Ferry, paving at the Mastricola complex, and a new elementary school are now parts of the proposed School District CIP. She noted that Kindergarten was left out of the CIP. However, the kindergarten grant application is almost completed. She told the committee that Dave DeBaie has worked on the kindergarten traffic flow at the three elementary schools which is part of the application as well as overall parking/traffic situation at the Mastricola complex and that she will ask the committee to discuss the latter issue in the fall. She also indicated that kindergarten playground space was still being determined. She also said that the administration is still deciding whether to include kindergarten as part of the new middle school warrant article or whether it would be considered as a separate warrant article but contingent on passage of a new middle school.

M. Chiafery explained that the new middle school is the district's major need and the administration is not planning other capital items at this time. An updated construction price has not been received so last year' figure of $20,232,000 has been left in the CIP for 2003-04. Paving at the Mastricola complex has been moved to 2004-05 with a cost of $300,000. The building size and the number of people that would be housed in a consolidated SAU office was discussed. The building could include the SpEd offices as well as the district media specialist. The committee suggested that a figure of $500,000 for this facility was more realistic. Consolidation of SAU offices was left in 2005-06. There was also discussion about future use of the space gained by relocating both the current SAU and SpEd facilities. There is a Capital Reserve Fund (CRF) for sewer which currently has $270,000 in it. There is $250,000 in the CIP for TFS Sewer for 2004-05. No more money will be requested for this fund. The actual time framework for connecting Thorntons Ferry to sewer is dependent on completion of a pump station in the area of the school. The committee suggested that paving at the Mastricola complex be moved to 2004-05. The committee noted that more information needs to be obtained and the new school needs to pass before a thorough parking plan can be written. How bus traffic for an upper elementary would be different from a middle school was the main concern. An additional concern was the need to wait until an upper elementary was an actuality so that the parking/paving would not have to be re-done. C. Morrison suggested looking into grants for help funding any paving project as long as the paving plan met certain ecological criteria. The committee suggested that $600,000 funding for Kindergarten Construction (adding storage space in the courtyards at Thorntons Ferry and Reeds Ferry) with a rating of "Desirable" be placed in 2003-04. The committee further recommended that kindergarten be placed on the ballot as a separate warrant article.

The committee asked about roof issues. M. Shevenell noted that no roof reconstruction is expected to be necessary until at least 2009-10 which means that it would be included in the CIP again next year.

On a motion from T. Koenig, seconded by C. Morrison, the committee voted unanimously to recommend the CIP as presented with the following changes: SAU offices in 2005/06 - $500,000; Mastricola Paving in 2004/05 - $100,000; and Kindergarten Construction in 2004/05 - $600,000.

On a motion from C. Morrison, seconded by T. Koenig, the committee voted unanimously to adjourn at 9 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Planning & Building Committee
Merrimack School District

Last Updated: April 5, 2003 by Wayne Morrison