MONROE, Conn. — First Selectman Terry Rooney presented a proposal for a new Facilities Planning Committee to assess town and school building needs, and lead capital projects, to the Town Council, which unanimously approved its creation Monday night.
Critics contend that at least one member of the Ad Hoc Facilities Committee, which assessed capital and space needs of all of Monroe’s schools and recommended a renovation and reuse of Chalk Hill as a school, should have been chosen to serve on the new committee to share knowledge gained from the experience.
But the first selectman tried to assure them that the new committee will use information compiled by the Ad Hoc Committee in its work.
“I believe that this is the prudent step forward from getting analysis and information, which is going to be greatly beneficial to this new facilities committee,” Rooney said at Monday’s Town Council meeting. “It is the purpose of this committee to use those findings from Ad Hoc to move forward with a structure and a building — and of course we’ll move to have a referendum, because ultimately it’s the town that says yes or no on whether these projects go through.”
The new committee includes:
- Dona-Lyn Wales (R) – Town Council member
- Greg Beno (R) – Board of Education member
- Samantha Spino (D) – Board of Finance member
- Domenic J. Paniccia (D) – Planning and Zoning Commission alternate
- Michael A. Vitello (R) – Citizen At Large, construction project management experience
- Tom DiBlasi (R) – Citizen At Large, engineering/architectural experience, and
- Geoffrey Medeiros (R) – Citizen At Large
There have been public accusations of delays in forming the committee. Rooney said he put a lot of “due diligence” into the process and had been working on it since his last meeting with the Ad Hoc Committee.
“I highly respect the work of the Ad Hoc Committee, which gathered amazing information that will be beneficial moving forward,” he said. “It was very important to me to bring in people that had a very deep knowledge of these processes.”
“While considering the Chalk Hill thought process, I also heard the buildings are deteriorating and the schools are falling apart,” Rooney said. “I thought it would be irresponsible just to focus on one item and not the others … I believe the only path forward is to look at them all.”
The first selectman said he has had meetings with Superintendent Joseph Kobza on the heating of school buildings, and talked about the importance of finding energy savings for the town’s schools. He mentioned a company called Energia, which he said is similar to the Honeywell program, adding it is up to the Facilities Planning Committee to decide whether or not to incorporate it into projects.
While working with Kobza, Rooney said they can create a file for every building in town to decide what needs are immediate, and what needs to be done 10 or 20 years from now.
Rooney went over the background and credentials of each individual committee member.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, I brought in a large amount of people, a diverse group that has a lot of experience,” he said. “This is a group that can get in there and hit the ground running. They know how this system works, and when we are looking at multi-millions of investments in this town, we have to do it responsibly.”
Town Attorney Frank Lieto reworked language in the motion the Town Council voted on to ensure it complied with state guidelines for forming a building committee.
Prior to the vote, Councilman Jason Maur said he initially had concerns over it complying with state statutes, but now felt comfortable and thanked Lieto for his work.
Maur thanked the Ad Hoc members for their “tireless efforts” and encouraged them to stay involved. He asked members of the new committee to listen to them, the first selectman and the superintendent so the town can “work at a pace to move things forward quickly and efficiently.”
“Short term thinking, planning and building, as well as long term planning is a great first step,” he said.
On Tuesday, the first selectman sent a letter to committee members, which can be read by clicking here.
Calls to action
During the public comment portion of the Town Council meeting, Catherine Tolan, a concerned parent, said she was curious why none of the 19 members of the Ad Hoc Committee are on the Facilities Committee.
“That was 14 months of research and knowledge regarding the renovation of Chalk Hill,” she said, adding it would be wise, efficient and transparent if at least some of the new committee’s members had served on the Ad Hoc Committee.
“I fear as well as others that this new committee is yet another way to kick the metaphorical can down the road, another stonewall tactic,” Tolan said. “We do not need another committee to lose paperwork, create inefficiencies and further extend timelines. In my opinion, the last thing this town needs is another committee.”
“Monroe’s schools are overcrowded,” said Elizabeth Richer, a parent. “That’s not a matter of opinion, it’s a documented reality our families live with every day.”
Richer also expressed concern that no Ad Hoc Committee members were chosen to serve on the new committee after “13 months and over $113,000 analyzing our school facilities.”
She noted how the Ad Hoc Committee recommended prioritizing the renovation and reopening of Chalk Hill School, especially due to the fact that state reimbursement for renovated schools is at a higher percentage than it is for new building construction.
“The grant process is time sensitive,” Richer said. “Our students cannot wait. We need to address this now, not keep kicking this can down the road.”
She expressed her wish that the town would add at least one more member to its committee from Ad Hoc, so the person’s knowledge could help to avoid inefficiencies.
Richer said she does like the idea of a generalized committee that looks at all of the town’s needs and not just one thing in isolation. “But traditionally, generalized committees are not as efficient at moving individual projects along,” she added. “I hope that’s not what happens here. We need this. We cannot make 13 months of work obsolete. I urge you to set a timeline now.”
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