Little Compton Town Counsil Acts on School Project
Here we find ourselves still reeling from what the Mass Media is calling the worst recession since the Great Depression. I’m not sure that I agree with that assessment, I remember the Jimmy Carter years; the Prime Rate was 12%, unemployment 10%, 13.5% inflation factor and gas went from 99 cents a gallon to $1.50… In any case here in RI we are still mired in some pretty horrible fiscal times.
One would think that our town leaders would continue their outstanding record of holding the line on spending even tighter than they have over the past several years. I can remember them quibbling over a few thousand dollars for senior citizens transportation. But no, the proposed school building program has them throwing numbers around that boggle the mind.
At last Thursday night’s meeting of the Town Council there was an item on the agenda where the members were going to decide whether or not to endorse the RIDE Stage II application for approval by the Rhode Island Board of Regents. Sadly, even though the application is unfinished the council agreed that the town should send out the yet to be completed document.
Members of the School Building Committee and the School Committee were throwing around numbers in the millions of dollars like confetti at Tony & Maria’s wedding. $14.5 million construction costs or maybe it was $18.1 or was it $34. 7 million for a 5% 30 year Bond Issue. It is amazing to hear how easily these numbers flow off the lips of our elected and appointed government officials. One might think that we have money to burn.
Remember all of the hell that was raised when it was learned that the Federal Government was paying $300.00 for a hammer or $500.00 for a toilet seat?
Wait until you hear the numbers for some of the items on the architects pricing out list of stuff for the school.
I have been looking at the list: A new exterior sign for the school $10,000.
Two mop sinks, $7,500 bucks: Hardwood floor for the stage in the Gym $12,000. Relocate the Public Playground, $77,674.00. Redo the baseball field, 80 Grand. Landscaping $695,709. New Visual display surfaces (black boards) $8,692… And get this, three (3) robe hooks in a restroom, $105 dollars, that’s 35 bucks a pop.
What the hell, its only money, your money, all of it! Even the 40% State reimbursement is your money. And what about the impact on your property taxes? How about somewhere between 14 & 16 percent!
A major chunk of money is going to be spent to address a safety issue involving the dropping off and picking up children whose parents have decided for whatever reason that they don’t want their kids riding the school busses. Remember those golden chariots that turned the town meeting upside down a few years ago. Get this, there is an average of 12 children daily that are delivered and picked up by parents. We are being asked to spend $8.7 million dollars to totally change the School Bus area so that the kiddies being dropped off by parents won’t get run over. That is 725 thousand dollars per kid. OMG! There has got to be an easier solution to this very costly problem.
How about the School Department establishing a policy that unless there are very serious and justifiable reasons to the contrary, all students must use the town provided transportation. Not only that, those parents who must drive their children will deliver them into the building, and pick them up in the gym after school. Nah, that’s too simple.
In conclusion (for now) this writer believes that the Town Council displayed an astonishing lack of courage in going along with this massive spending project. No, they did not give the Stage II application their final approval, but many believe (including building & school committee members) that by agreeing to send the incomplete package forward that the members are giving tacit approval to the project.
If the State ends up approving the school building project it will all end up in what the School Committee and supporters of this Mega Millions project are hoping and praying for; a no holds barred Special Financial Town Meeting to approve funding.
Sarge
One would think that our town leaders would continue their outstanding record of holding the line on spending even tighter than they have over the past several years. I can remember them quibbling over a few thousand dollars for senior citizens transportation. But no, the proposed school building program has them throwing numbers around that boggle the mind.
At last Thursday night’s meeting of the Town Council there was an item on the agenda where the members were going to decide whether or not to endorse the RIDE Stage II application for approval by the Rhode Island Board of Regents. Sadly, even though the application is unfinished the council agreed that the town should send out the yet to be completed document.
Members of the School Building Committee and the School Committee were throwing around numbers in the millions of dollars like confetti at Tony & Maria’s wedding. $14.5 million construction costs or maybe it was $18.1 or was it $34. 7 million for a 5% 30 year Bond Issue. It is amazing to hear how easily these numbers flow off the lips of our elected and appointed government officials. One might think that we have money to burn.
Remember all of the hell that was raised when it was learned that the Federal Government was paying $300.00 for a hammer or $500.00 for a toilet seat?
Wait until you hear the numbers for some of the items on the architects pricing out list of stuff for the school.
I have been looking at the list: A new exterior sign for the school $10,000.
Two mop sinks, $7,500 bucks: Hardwood floor for the stage in the Gym $12,000. Relocate the Public Playground, $77,674.00. Redo the baseball field, 80 Grand. Landscaping $695,709. New Visual display surfaces (black boards) $8,692… And get this, three (3) robe hooks in a restroom, $105 dollars, that’s 35 bucks a pop.
What the hell, its only money, your money, all of it! Even the 40% State reimbursement is your money. And what about the impact on your property taxes? How about somewhere between 14 & 16 percent!
A major chunk of money is going to be spent to address a safety issue involving the dropping off and picking up children whose parents have decided for whatever reason that they don’t want their kids riding the school busses. Remember those golden chariots that turned the town meeting upside down a few years ago. Get this, there is an average of 12 children daily that are delivered and picked up by parents. We are being asked to spend $8.7 million dollars to totally change the School Bus area so that the kiddies being dropped off by parents won’t get run over. That is 725 thousand dollars per kid. OMG! There has got to be an easier solution to this very costly problem.
How about the School Department establishing a policy that unless there are very serious and justifiable reasons to the contrary, all students must use the town provided transportation. Not only that, those parents who must drive their children will deliver them into the building, and pick them up in the gym after school. Nah, that’s too simple.
In conclusion (for now) this writer believes that the Town Council displayed an astonishing lack of courage in going along with this massive spending project. No, they did not give the Stage II application their final approval, but many believe (including building & school committee members) that by agreeing to send the incomplete package forward that the members are giving tacit approval to the project.
If the State ends up approving the school building project it will all end up in what the School Committee and supporters of this Mega Millions project are hoping and praying for; a no holds barred Special Financial Town Meeting to approve funding.
Sarge
posted by Kevin Paul Healey at
6:27 PM
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