Recently, some have suggested that I have waffled on the high school override that is Question 1. The truth is that my message - indeed, the message sent by 35 town meeting representatives - has been very consistent.
The high school needs to be finished, but we need to shed light on this. The books need to be opened and the people need to know what is happening here. Indeed, the Tuesday, May 13 edition of the Falmouth Enterprise, opined...
"Best hope for passage of the ballot question on additional funding for the high school is to answer as many questions as possible in the coming week and for everyone involved to be open and candid.
It doesn’t help when public school officials make a tour private. They should have opened the doors wide for everyone to see. Everyone, regardless how they plan to vote next week, wants a clear accounting of the project. Openness can only help."
The high school needs to be finished, but the people deserve answers.
For example, we've been told that the project is 2/3rds completed and all the surprises (such as asbestos) have been found, so the rest of the project should move along smoothly.
But if this is the case, why are we replenishing the contingency fund to the original $8 million? Wouldn't $2-3 million be enough if only 1/3rd of the project remains?
This is the full text of the petition reported in the Falmouth Bulletin, now signed by 35 town meeting representatives and presented to the selectmen in writing on April 16. The Board of Selectmen never acknowledged - via phone, email or postal service - that they had received or even considered this petition.
We, the undersigned Town Meeting Representatives, respectfully request that the Falmouth Board of Selectmen,
1) Conduct an independent audit of Phase I of our – the taxpayer's – high school renovation project, including review and comment by an independent cost estimator. This should be completed prior to the May 20 election to assure Falmouth's taxpayers that all funds spent to date have been spent responsibly. This will also provide the selectmen and building committee with a clear picture of what of the original $67.5 million is available.
2) Conduct a comprehensive review of the renovation project. This should, at a minimum, include the Phase I interim audit, the state-required audit, all litigation information (obviously this won't be available until all cases are settled), and a cause and effect analysis.
We do not want a witch-hunt, or to stall or prevent completion of our school's renovation. These requests are intended to provide answers about the project's finances, explain how it got out of control, and how the issues have been and will be resolved.
These requests are not unreasonable. During the joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and High School Building Committee on Monday, March 31, Selectman Mustafa noted that, "People want the facts," and Chairman Murphy said the people need "transparency" from town government.
Taxpayers are being asked for an additional $18.8 million to complete this project. Property tax bills will bear an additional sum for 20 years if the override succeeds. If Falmouth's taxpayers are to approve this request, Falmouth's leaders must first show that our taxes have been spent responsibly, that the questions will be answered, and that the lessons learned will be applied to future public projects.
Brent Putnam, Precinct 9
Carol Murphy, Precinct 9
William Peck, Precinct 9
Scott Thrasher, Precinct 4
Chester Krajewski, Precinct 3
John Weir, Precinct 3
Stanley Bazycki, Precinct 2
Cynthia Botelho, Precinct 4
Deborah Aguiar, Precinct 9
Charlotte Tashiro, Precinct 4
Douglas Brown, Precinct 3
Margo Finnell, Precinct 8
Bruce Barrow, Precinct 8
Leslie Lichtenstein, Precinct 8
Ron Smolowitz, Precinct 8
Ed Schmitt, Precinct 8
Rebecca Putnam, Precinct 9
Michael Mueller, Precinct 9
Linda Davis, Precinct 4
John Farrell, Precinct 9
Grace O'Gorman, Precinct 4
Louise Houle, Precinct 8
Diane Thompson, Precinct 2
Maureen Northern, Precinct 2
James Nidositko, Precinct 6
Joe Martinho, Precinct 9
Diane Poole, Precinct 9
Robert Young, Precinct 5
Michael Freeman, Precinct 8
Margaret Freeman, Precinct 8
Veronica Zylinski, Precinct 9
Randall Peat, Precinct 8
Rebecca Putnam, Precinct 9
Dan Shearer, Precinct 6
Michael Netto, Precinct 9
Readers will note that nowhere in the petition does it say that the high school should not be finished. Rather, it very clearly states that "We do not want...to stall or prevent completion of our school's renovation" but rather, "These requests are intended to provide answers about the project's finances, explain how it got out of control, and how the issues have been and will be resolved."
Is that too much to ask?
No comments:
Post a Comment