Vote Set On NHS Expansion Shortfall

By John Voket

Only two taxpayers and four public officials attended a special town meeting Wednesday morning that set a date for a referendum that could authorize bridging a $6 million-plus shortfall on the local high school renovation project.

According to Town Clerk Debbie Aurelia, the referendum will be Tuesday, October 7, from 6 am to 8 pm, at the Newtown Middle School gymnasium. During the brief town meeting, First Selectman Joe Borst read into the record the language of the question qualified taxpayers will consider:

“Shall the Special Appropriation and Bond Authorization for the planning and construction of additions and renovations at Newtown High School, be increased by $6,045,454, from $38,826,000 to $44,871,454, be approved?”

No one among the six in attendance at the town meeting — Ms Aurelia, Mr Borst, Republican Selectman Paul Mangiafico, town Human Resources Director Carole Ross, and residents Richard and Francis Fenaroli — objected to waiving the reading of the full resolution. But the document describes in some detail exactly what taxpayers were led to expect to get for the original $38.8 million appropriation that passed by a significant margin at an April 22 referendum.

The original resolution stipulates work on the project to include “...renovations and additions to provide additional space for 20 general use classrooms, five science classrooms/laboratories, two culinary arts classrooms, two child development classrooms and a new multipurpose cafeteria and kitchen; new teacher offices for the new classrooms and school assistant principal offices & conference areas.”

Also, “[an] expanded and improved nurses suite, accessible toilet and work stations, faculty workroom, dance studio, exercise room, computer lab; renovations to the film studio, expansion of a circulation stair, conversion of existing spaces to an art studio, ensemble music rooms, and renovations to the electronic music rooms; installation of a new synthetic athletic field and all-weather track, modifications to the existing concrete bleachers to provide accessibility to disabled spectators; expansion and renovations to the existing gymnasium, including new retractable bleachers with handicap accessible seating.”

As well as, “new service space area; new handicap parking spaces and improvements to existing handicap parking spaces to meet new code requirements; construction of a small children’s play area to accommodate the child development area needs; HVAC improvements; site work, roadwork, lighting, landscaping, miscellaneous renovations and improvements, furniture, fixtures and equipment related thereto, and for feasibility, surveys, testing, inspections, environmental, construction management and other professional fees, administrative, financing, printing and legal costs.”

Subsequent to that approval, bids for the project were sought and returned, with the sum total of lowest qualified bidders coming in at $6.045 million over budget. Since the shortfall was identified, representatives of the school district administration, the Board of Education, the Public Building and Site Commission, the project construction firm, The Morganti Group, and representatives of the architect firm Fletcher Thompson have appeared at various forums recommending the additional spending to meet project criteria.

The general consensus among those representatives, who also advocated for the project before the Boards of Finance, selectmen, and council meetings, was that escalating materials costs were mostly to blame for the overruns.

Registrar of Voters LeReine Frampton told The Bee that the high school referendum is a great opportunity for local voters to confirm eligibility, and to get information related to the upcoming Presidential Election November 4.

“When they go to vote, we will verify they are registered, and registered at their current address,” Ms Frampton said. “They can double check the location of their polling place as well.”

The registrar reminds voters in District 3-2, who will be considering a 112th District state legislative representative, that they now must vote at the Edmond Town Hall lower gym instead of Middle Gate School.

“This is a new and permanent polling place for District 3-2,” Ms Frampton said. The registrars office, on the ground floor of Edmond Town Hall, will be open every Saturday in October from 9 am to noon to register voters and answer any related questions.

The town clerk said in a release that pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 7-6, any person who is a registered voter in the Town of Newtown or who is a US citizen who is assessed at least $1,000 for the real estate or motor vehicles on the 2007 Grand List for the Town of Newtown is qualified to vote at the referendum.

Absentee ballots are available for the referendum during office hours, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm. The town clerk’s office will have special hours on Saturday, October 4, from 9 am to noon, for the sole purpose of absentee ballot voting on the above question. 

Any qualified person who meets any of the following criteria may vote by absentee ballot: 1) active service in the Armed Forces, 2) absence from the town during all the hours of voting, 3) illness, 4) physical disability, 5) religious tenets which forbid secular activity on the day of the referendum or 6) duties as a polling official at a polling place other than your own during all the hours of voting, the release states.

That criteria also applies for absentee ballots for the Presidential Election, Ms Frampton said.

As per Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 9-140 and 9-369c, for a referendum held with less than three weeks notice, qualified voters may obtain an absentee ballot by applying at the town clerk’s office in person or designating one of the following: 1) a person caring for you because of your illness, including but not limited to a licensed physician or a registered practical nurse, 2) a member of your family, 3) a police officer in the municipality in which you reside or 4) a registrar of voters or deputy registrar of voters in the municipality in which you reside.

Absentee ballots can be returned in person to the town clerk’s Office by 4:30 pm Monday, October 6, or by mail or one’s designee before the closing of the polls on referendum day (8 pm, October 7). Questions should be addressed to the town clerk at 270-4210.