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02/08/2024 05:19 PMREGIONAL
Staff Report
There is an important event coming up for the electors and citizens who are qualified to vote in town meetings of the towns of Chester, Deep River, and Essex. On Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m., there will be a District Meeting of Regional School District No. 4 for the purpose of conducting a public hearing on the District Board of Education’s (BOE) recommendations regarding remediation and repairs for a mold outbreak at John Winthrop Middle School (JWMS) in Deep River. This event will take place at Valley Regional High School at 256 Kelsey Hill Road in Deep River.
The District BOE has recommended that $5.8 million be appropriated for the remediation of a mold outbreak and repairs to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and dehumidification services at JWMS. The BOE’s recommended appropriation for these projects may be expended for design, construction, renovation and installation costs, dehumidification services, demolition and abatement services, new insulation and ceiling tiles, repairs to HVAC controls system, engineering and professional fees, materials, equipment, purchase costs, legal fees, financing costs, interest expense on temporary borrowings, and other costs related to the projects. The appropriation will include any federal or state grants received for the projects. The BOE will be authorized to determine the scope and particulars of the projects, may reduce or modify the scope of the projects as desired, and the entire appropriation may be spent on the projects as so reduced or modified.
The hearing will discuss the BOE’s recommendation that the $5.8 million of bonds, notes, or temporary notes of the district will be authorized to finance the appropriation. The amount of the bonds authorized will be reduced by the amount of any federal or state grants received by the district for the projects.
The hearing will also discuss the BOE’s recommendation that the chair of the District BOE and the district treasurer be authorized to make representations and enter into written agreements for the benefit of holders of the bonds or notes in order to provide secondary market disclosure information.
The BOE also recommended that the superintendent of schools and the finance director be authorized to contract with architects, engineers, contractors, and others in the name of and on behalf of the district with respect to the projects, to approve design and construction expenditures for the projects, and to exercise such others powers as are necessary or appropriate to complete the projects. This is another topic that will be discussed at the hearing.
Also up for discussion at the hearing is the BOE’s recommendation that the authorization of the issuance of bonds, notes, or temporary notes will be submitted to a referendum vote by the electors and citizens qualified to vote in town meetings of Deep River, Chester, Essex—the members towns of the district.