Norton Officials Divided on School Town Meeting Article

The Norton Board of Selectmen was wary in regards to a last-minute warrant article put forth by the school department.

The article, which is asking to borrow $93,000, was put forth when a $600,000 feasibility study was approved for renovations to the high school in 2010. The $93,000, while not yet in the school department’s possession, was leftover after the study was done.

The schools are asking to borrow that money as contingency funds, in the event of unforeseen problems.

“This allows us to have the funds to do what needs to be done,” school committee chair Andrew Mackie said.

But some selectmen disagreed.

“In my opinion, the scope of the article, in the way it’s currently written, is not legal,” said selectmen vice chair Robert Kimball. “I’m personally not going to support it.”

Town Manager Michael Yunits agreed, saying since the money has yet to be borrowed (but was still approved for borrowing in May 2010), it would technically be a new loan for the town.

School Director of Operations Barry Nectow said there are usually unforeseen costs to a building project. He used an example of a recent roof renovation project within the schools where costs went much higher than expected because contractors on another renovation in the past had not removed the original rooftop

“There were many extra layers on the roof that should not have been there,” he said. “Gravel, shingles, instead of removing all the old material, they just layered on top of what was already there. It was a removal cost we didn’t know anything about. That’s why you have the contingencies on any project.”

Kimball said the board should wait until fall town meeting and really break down the request.

“I think this is something that can really wait until October,” he said. “The way this is trying to be appropriated, I don’t agree with it at all.”