Saugus split over Belmonte overrun

SAUGUS – Saugus residents interviewed recently offered mixed feelings about the recent vote by the Belmonte Middle School Building Committee to ask Town Meeting another $950,000 for the repair project.John Tankevich said he wasn?t surprised the project was over-budget.?It?s like when they asked for money for snow removal too,” said Tankevich. “They?re going to get it one way or the other. Do you know of any construction project that doesn?t go over budget? Especially in a municipality and government jobs.”Voters passed an $18.9 million debt exclusion in November but, at a building committee meeting on Feb. 27, developers said the project was $3 million over budget. Several cuts later, the project was back within the budget.The project includes improvements to the heating, air conditioning and plumbing systems, upgrades to the windows and building facade and new interior lighting along with electrical and energy efficiency improvements. However, The Building Committee voted last week to ask Town Meeting for an addition $950,000 for asbestos removal, which was not in the original plan.Dave LeBlanc of Saugus has a grandchild at the Belmonte School and said the project “has to get done.”But Bill Cross Sr. of Saugus expressed skepticism about the project costs.?How do they ask for $18 million and come up $3 million short?” said Cross. “I don?t understand that. I guess they?re going to have to come back and ask for it, but I don?t think they?re going to get it.”Wendy Reed, who chairs both the School Committee and Building Committee Chairman, said she doesn?t know whether Town Meeting will support borrowing the extra money, but noted that asbestos removal should be done this summer.?It seemed like the consensus was to go this route,” said Reed. “The asbestos was never in the project because it was never reimbursable. We were hoping through savings to include it back in the project. If it doesn?t pass Town Meeting, it probably won?t get done this summer.”Reed said if approved by Town Meeting, the money would be borrowed separately from the $18.9 million debt exclusion.Reed said the Massachusetts School Building Authority won?t reimburse the roughly $270,000 needed to remove the tiles, but it will reimburse 53 percent of the $600,000 to install new floors.Saugus resident Steve Austill said the committee should “absolutely” ask for more money if they need it.?That school needs to be fixed,” said Austill. “I?ve been down there and it?s a wreck. I never saw such a poor school. It?s awful. I?ve been there for a couple of plays and some basketball events. I?m ashamed for it to be in Saugus.”Janina Szwarc supports the request for additional money and said money spent on kids is always money well-spent.?If we don?t invest in the kids, what else are we going to invest in,” said Szwarc. “Kids are always the priority. I?d rather they?d ask for more than cut. It seems like a lot, but when you talk about per household, I don?t think it?s going to be that much.”Town Meeting member Al DiNardo said he would like to see some cost-cutting before asking for more money, and noted that there isn?t enough growth in Saugus to cover costs.?I?m a bit concerned with that and obviously I?m going to have some questions,” said DiNardo. “In light of everything that?s going on ? we?ve already been in structural deficit for the last five or six years. There is so much on the radar screen now I don?t know where that sort of money would come from.”Town Meeting member Peter Manoogian compared the project to the Tom Hanks movie “The Money Pit,” where a married couple keeps spending money to repair their dilapidated house, and said the trust of the public and the credibility of the building committee is at stake.Manoogian said asbestos removal should be a top priority over the building facade and upgraded networking infrastructure.?Personally, I would hold their feet to the fire that they make this thing come in on budget and the only thing I would consider is $297,500,”