School plan delayed, but site purchases moving forward

The controversial $130 million plan to construct two new schools may be delayed for as long as three years.
School Superintendent Philip Streifer proposed a new timetable Tuesday that would put off most of the construction of the 900-student schools for up to three years, shifting their opening date to the fall of 2015.
The goal of the new timetable is to lock in the state’s promise to reimburse the city for nearly 74 percent of the cost while postponing the bulk of the tax impact until, with luck, better times have returned, officials said.
Mayor Art Ward said he embraced the shift because it takes the economy into account as well as the difficulties that taxpayers face already.
Plus, he said, it looks forward “the hope for a brighter future.”
City Comptroller Glenn Klocko said the revised plan is “much better” for the city from a financial standpoint because “it allows for a market correction.”
The move by educators followed Klocko’s warning last week that market chaos, and problems selling municipal bonds, might force the city to cancel the projects.
Streifer offered an alternative that keeps the project alive for an extended period while requiring city taxpayers to fork over only about $3 million during the next five years, according to figures prepared by the Board of Education.
Basically, Streifer’s new plan calls for everything to go along as anticipated until a construction contract is issued in June 2010.
The difference would be to have the firm hired carry out only $1 million worth of work for each of the next three years, just enough to keep the project on the state’s active list, if everything works out.
The bulk of the construction – some $97 million worth – would be done in 2014 and 2015 under the plan that Streifer offered to a joint session of the City Council and Board of Finance.
“It’s a very well thought out plan,” said Cheryl Thibeault, a finance commissioner.

Nicastro calls for hearing on new school site
City councilors unanimously agreed to hold a public hearing on the possible purchase of a 17-acre lot at 851 Matthews Street for a new school.
“I don’t think the public should feel they are left out of the loop,” said city Councilor Frank Nicastro, who proposed the hearing.
Mayor Art Ward called it “a good idea” and the rest of the council endorsed it.
It will likely occur before a joint session of the West Bristol School Building Committee and the City Council slated for “he next two or three weeks,” Ward said, where officials will take action on the proposal to put one of the new schools near the corner of Matthews Street and Clark Avenue.
Rimcoski said he would rather have joint session after the hearing so there’s time to get answers to the public’s questions.
The city is only eyeing the 17-acre site at the moment, but it will probably consider purchasing an adjacent 12 acres as well.
School Superintendent Philip Streifer said the allowable acreage for a school this size is no more than 24 acres, so buying the adjacent 12 acres would leave the city paying for the extra 5 acres by itself.
Streifer said it would make sense to acquire it for additional playing fields, which Ward and councilors appeared to accept. There was no vote, however.
Streifer said the owners of both parcels are willing to sell.

New timetable
December 2008 – Complete purchases of two school sites.
Fall 2008 – Hire architects for schools.
January 2010 – Complete blueprints for schools.
June 2010 – Bid out project and hire contractor.
August 2015 – Finish construction.
September 2015 – Open new schools. Close old ones.

Read Streifer's memo by clicking here.

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com