Belmonte board removes 5 members for non-attendance

SAUGUS – The Belmonte Middle School Building Committee voted unanimously Monday to remove five members for a lack of attendance.Selectman Stephen Horlick, former selectman Michael Kelleher, School Committee member Joe Malone, Jim Russo and Ben Lynch were all removed from the committee.Committee Chairman Wendy Reed said reducing the number of people on the committee will help it meet quorum, which the committee has had trouble meeting over the last month.’We have never had an issue with quorum until recently,” said Reed. “I’m not sure if it’s the change in time. I’ve tried polling people, but I haven’t seen that much of a response.”According to Reed, the committee now has 19 members, down from 24, and will only need 10 members for a quorum instead of 13.In other business, Skanska Builders project manager Jim Dowd updated the committee on the bidding process. Dowd said early release bids are due back on May 16 by 2 p.m. and noted that construction drawings are at 90 percent and should be at 100 percent by Friday.”Estimates show us that we’re right on course,” said Dowd. “We’re not under-budget, but we’re not over-budget.”Construction costs are currently at $15.71 million.Dowd said the main bids go out on May 23, which are due back three weeks later. After that, Dowd said he will have a “very firm grasp on the numbers.”Dowd also said he’s been in contact with World Series Park owner Bob Davis to set up a “line of communication” to avoid interfering with games over the summer.Jill Rachubinski, project manager for construction management firm Consigli, said construction crews will begin setting up at the soccer field to the left of the middle school on June 11, and on June 19 a construction fence will be put up around the entire school.”We’ll prep the field and set up our trailer and fencing,” said Rachubinski. “It will all be within the fence and properly signed.”With fire alarm work being done in the administrative areas over the summer, Belmonte principal Geoff Bruno said staff will likely relocate for the summer.”It’s really just the clerks and myself,” said Bruno.The committee will meet again on May 23 at 4 p.m.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].