School Needs to Decide where to Spend its Extra Money

"The reason the high school feasibility study ranks so high is that we have money on the table from the state," said Sarah Girotti.

Insuring that every possible avenue for potential funding is explored was one important thread during Wednesday night's Capital Planning Committee meeting at Town Hall.

It was announced that Winchester would receive some of the $250 million that was allotted to Massachusetts as part of the federal "Race to the Top" grant program. The grants, according to the U.S. Department of Education, "go to states that are leading the way with ambitious yet achievable plans for implementing coherent, compelling, and comprehensive education reform."

While these funds will help the community, finances are tight and many challenges remain.

"We need to determine where we get the most bang for the buck," Chairman Doug Marmon said.

And this is just what the subcommittees were charged to do following the August 11 Capital Planning meeting. On Wednesday night they presented their recommendations.

"Our feeling is that $125,000 must be allocated for ADA," Selectman Jim Johnson said. "If we don't use it all this year we can bank it and use it for a higher cost project later."

There are numerous ADA issues where the committee feels money could be allocated, one of which is an elevator for the Mystic school. Johnson also expressed concern that within the coming years the cost for ADA related projects is anticipated to rise so funds should be set aside.

According to Betsy Cregger, the Planning Board feels that the Mystic elevator should be completed and that other top priorities are flood mitigation and GIS system improvements.

The Transfer station was also discussed. If approved funding here would be used to institute single stream recycling and to upgrade the scale house.

"We feel that location is important so that we have some sanitary facilities for the workers," Betsy Cregger said.

Pat Clewley though expressed some dissent.

"So what we're looking at is what's the best way to provide a bathroom for two people," she said.

Clewley also outlined some of the DPW's priorities. The primary one is a salt shed.  They are also in need of a new fire truck and SUV. The consensus was that there was only enough money for one of the two vehicles.

For the School Committee though one of the most critical items is the roof at the Lynch Elementary school. If completed by December 2011, the project would be eligible for up to 33 percent reimbursement from the Massachusetts School Building Authority's Green Repair Program.

Now the job before Capital Planning is to sort through the recommendations made by the subcommittees and vote on all of the projects as a whole. To adequately do that though more information will need to be presented to support many of items.

"If you don't answer questions to our satisfaction, then you don't get the money," Doug Marmon said.