SWAMPSCOTT — The Capital Improvement Committee met Thursday evening to discuss several upcoming projects, with one major element being the middle school window replacement project.
According to Town Treasurer Patrick Luddy, a recommendation was made by Max Kasper, director of facilities, for $190,000 to be put into the FY26 budget for the design of the window replacement project.
Luddy noted it was requested by the town that the whole project be pushed out a year to FY27. He said Kasper was advocating for design money for the project in order to help get the ball rolling toward the finish line.
“He’s advocating at least for design money this year so that it’s ready to go for next year, and the work can ideally be done in the summer when the building isn’t occupied,” Luddy said.
The estimated total for the project currently sits at $2,000,000. “What Kasper is proposing is to drop the $190,000 into the FY26 budget to fund the design, and my belief is that if we do that, we could trim the number down,” Luddy explained. “Obviously, it’s a ballpark estimate, but we’ll know the construction costs better once the design is done.”
“I support that 100%,” Interim Town Administrator and Director of the Department of Public Works Gino Cresta said. “I think it’s a wise investment.”
Cresta spoke about the project to install a solar canopy on the elementary school as one of the big elements of the budget.
“When the solar canopy came up, a couple of Select Board members questioned whether or not we should do this first or the middle school windows,” Cresta said. “I stand by this because our return on investment is better with this. I know the windows are a concern, but I’m going to stand by doing it this way.”
During the meeting, the committee voted to pull $190,000 forward from FY27 to FY26 for the design of the windows.
