School Committee covers ground on several issues
Published on September 4th, 2002
STONEHAM, MA - While most kids have had notebooks, pencils and folders ready for weeks, it is now time for the grown ups to do the same.
The Stoneham School Department is resuming adult education classes for the fall and the School Committee put its support behind the effort on Thursday night.
Stoneham High School's new Assistant Principal Donna Cargill has been hard at work putting a program together for the fall semester that offers a variety of courses to adults.
Specifically, Cargill sought and received School Committee approval on rates to be paid to instructors and the fee structure for students. The School Committee also approved lowering the age for a senior citizen discount to 55, in order to be even more attractive to area residents. Cargill reported that to be successful, the program must be self funding.
In general, courses will consist of 10 two-hour sessions and will cost $100 for the semester. Persons over age 55 will pay $75. Instructors will be paid $25 per hour. While the instructor fee is more in line with what surrounding towns are paying their adult education instructors, Cargill reported that student fees are still less in Stoneham.
A listing of all course offerings is available through Stoneham High School and will be advertised in the Stoneham Independent, at Town Day on Sept. 14, and at a registration night in the Stoneham High School cafeteria on Sept. 17.
In other news, School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly reported that a letter has been drafted for area colleges, businesses and organization that might be interested in renting out space in one of Stoneham's school buildings.
This summer, the School Department rented out space in the new Central School to WGBH and has another rental scheduled for April by Cam-bridge College. These two opportunities have resulted in nearly $10,000 of rental revenue to Stoneham. This money is applied to the Building Rental Revenue Account which the School Committee controls and can be used for building maintenance.
Assistant Superintendent Joseph Casey asked the public on Thursday night to forward any ideas as to who would be a good candidate to use school building facilities across the district to the superintendent's office at (781) 279-3826.
The elementary school building program, which is half-way completed, is helping to make Stoneham schools more attractive to outside interests. While the Central School has already been deemed a desirable space to potential renters, its building project, however, has yet to be finalized.
The School Committee approved a Memorandum of Understanding last week that spells out what the town expects from the contractor and when in order to officially close out the project.
According to Connelly, Stoneham threatened to hit project contractor Alexandra Construction with liquidated damages when contracted work was not completed. In response, Alexandra Construction threatened to sue Stoneham, claiming that its delay in completing the work was due to design flaws and other matters out of its hands.
Getting the contractor back to the bargaining table this summer was a big step for Stoneham and this letter, according to Stoneham's attorney David Hawkins, is another step closer to completing the project.
The Memorandum of Under-standing assigns a dollar amount on all punch list items not completed to the town's satisfaction. According to the document, the majority of the work must be completed by Sept. 20 with some items given until Oct. 4 for completion. If these items are not completed, the town will take a credit in the dollar amount associated with each item.
While some items in dispute over the past year have ultimately been completed and others negotiated, the punch list currently stands at a value of $125,000.
Connelly said that most items are flaws in workmanship or work not done and much of it now includes site work to the exterior of the Central School, such as loam never spread and grass not planted. Other failures on the contractor’s part have already been corrected by the Central School staff including clean up of stairwells and floors prior to students moving in last fall.
In addition to Hawkins and attorney for Alexandra Con-struction Scott DiMello, the Memorandum of Understanding was also signed by Alexandra Construction President Mike Clark, the School Building Committee, and on Thursday, the School Committee.
But School Committee Vice Chairman Marc Grimaldi said he felt the contractor "is getting off easy," when one considers the fact that the new Central School did not open on time and many parents were unhappy.
Connelly assured Grimaldi that the School Building Committee (members) "all echo your feelings."
'The big issue is if we play hardball and drag this out, costs could exceed what we'd get back. This appears to be the most expedient way to close out the contract."
"I don't necessarily think it's the greatest deal in the world, but it's a reasonable deal when you consider the alternative of a lengthy litigation," Hawkins said, explaining that the intent of the agreement is that Alexandra's lawsuit, as of Oct. 4, will be dismissed.
Committee Chairman Daniel Moynihan agreed, reminding the committee of the old adage that a sign of a good settlement is no one walks away happy.
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