SWAMPSCOTT — Town Facilities Director Max Kasper, presented FY24 school projects to the School Committee earlier than in previous years at a meeting Thursday because town administration moved up the proposal submission deadline.
After the district submits its capital update, these projects will be reviewed by administration, the Town Administrator, Capital Improvement Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Select Board, before they will be advanced to the regular town meeting, which typically happens in May.
Kasper then gave a comprehensive review of eight FY24 projects. The first one is district wide network upgrades. This is an E-rate funded project and repeatsevery year. Funding is set at $70,000 and half of that is covered by the grant.
The middle school security upgrades are a design-only project that its main piece is to make the entryway to the middle school more secure. Currently the entryway is a glass door entryway and could be more secure according to Kasper. The design proposal is to have layering of doors, improvement of quality of the glass and upgrade of hardware. Budget is standing at $30,000 for the middle school security update.
The joint project with facilities community development is the town wide traffic improvements projects. The department of public work has targeted capital traffic improvements to roadways and sidewalks. Some critical projects on the list are integral to the new school project, including Orchard Road, orchard circle Forest Avenue, extension Forest Avenue. The funding is $1 million for the joint project.
Next discussed project is the town and school phone improvements. “When you call 911 from a remote phone in a large building like the high school, the law now requires that (the caller) identifies which room specifically you are in,” Kasper said.
Additionally, there should not be a barrier to call 911, such as having to dial eight before 911. The phone system in the 15-years history building is probably 20-year-old, which is the driver of the upgrade project. The school phone improvements project requires $100,000.
District pick up with a plow is a simple project that one of two plow trucks meets its five-years replacement due date, and the budget for it is $75,000.
Next up is the green communities projects, which are also heavily grant funded. This project comes up almost annually, and Kasper anticipates this round of green communities projects to be 100 percent funded.
The shades in the Swampscott High School library have been defunct for quite a while. According to Kasper, the shades are not repairable and needed to be replaced. Estimated cost of replacement stands at $50,000.
The last proposal is the Clark renovation as a design-only project. When Clark closes as a full elementary school, students go to the new elementary school. The Clark building will turn into an administration office and an enhanced preschool. For the funding of $600,000, it will allow work with a project manager and a design firm.
The committee also voted yes on the amended proprietary list for the new elementary school. In a letter written by Kasper addressing the ongoing design development for the new elementary school project, he made an amendment. Linoleum tile has been identified as an appropriate fit for the design because it is easier to repair than past materials.
Committee member Suzanne Wright pointed out that the letter identified a specific brand of linoleum. Kasper explained that in the current market there is only one type of modular linoleum tile readily available.
