BCS Bond Impasse Continues

by Thaddeus Flint
In what is becoming a tradition at Berlin Central School District Board meetings, the Capital Project bond authorization vote was taken once again Monday night, and, in keeping with the tradition, it once again failed to pass by the two-thirds super majority needed. In this instance only Board Member John Nash voted against the bond flotation. Even with Board Members Alan Webster Jr. and Bev Stewart absent, it was all that was needed to keep a $5 million upgrade to the District’s schools from proceeding. The project as a whole is not, though, completely stalled.
[private]Resident  Jennifer  Goodermote raised that point when she asked how long does the District have “to get the right vote” before the State takes away the funding? The District’s Business Manager, William Burke, said that there really was no time limit.
“This could go on for five years, then?” asked Goodermote. “That’s ridiculous!”
Everyone seemed to agree with that statement. Board Member Gina Goodermote offered the only plausible solution of the night. If residents are tired of the way things are proceeding, vote out a Board member or two come next election season, she suggested. “The best thing you can hope for is a Board turn over,” Gina Goodermote stated.
District Superintendant of Schools, Dr. Stephen Young, added that in the meantime “everything is moving forward.” Perhaps not exactly “everything” though, as there is only $1.8 million in the Capital Project fund. The architects are currently planning around the missing $5 million of the $6.8 million project. What remains, in the end, of “everything” is yet unknown.
Divesting Property
As that project stumbles along, the District is also struggling to rid itself of its abandoned elementary schools in Grafton and Stephentown. Neither the Town of Stephentown nor the Town of Grafton has yet taken over the properties offered to them for a dollar. Stephentown is still looking over the contract. Grafton residents, according to Young, “are still in conflict with themselves over what they want to do.”
This was news to Grafton Deputy Town Supervisor Cathy Goyer, who was sitting in the audience. It was her position that Grafton was actively studying the project but did not want to be rushed into something that could so largely impact the finances of both the Town and its residents. “It should be put to the people,” said Goyer. “We want everyone in the Town to decide.” Goyer also said that the Town’s  attorney had studied the contract and “sent it back to your lawyer with changes.”
Nobody on the Board had heard anything about that. “This was probably in June,” added Goyer.
The District’s lawyer apparently has not made a point of letting anyone in the District know that Grafton had asked for some changes to the contract. “Have you not had any communication with your lawyer?” Goyer asked.
Nobody remembered hearing anything from the lawyer “Can you talk to your lawyer?” Goyer asked.
Board President Jim Willis said he would follow up with the District’s lawyer as soon as possible.
Nash seemed to be tiring of Goyer. “You are not an elected official,” he pointed out. “We should be speaking to [Grafton Town Supervisor] Ray Darling.” Darling has only recently returned to work after several months of illness.
Mowing On Vacation?
Goyer also wondered why the District had stopped mowing the grounds at Grafton Elementary. It was, after all, still the property of the District. “It’s getting pretty shabby up there,” she said. Apparently the responsibility for mowing was left rather vague at previous Board meetings and so the District’s Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, Cyril Grant, had discontinued mowing in the belief that the towns would be taking over. Stephentown currently pays for the mowing at Stephentown Elementary. As it would take a month or more to sort the matter out with the Town of Grafton, it was decided that mowing at Grafton would continue at the expense of the District. “The District still owns the property,” agreed Board member Frank Zwack. “Let’s get it mowed and settle up later.”
Nash advocated putting both properties back on the market. The towns “are dragging their feet,” said Nash. “We are in another budget year providing funds for these buildings.”
Goodermote asked Willis to draft a letter to the two towns giving them a deadline once and for all. Willis agreed.
Willis also made a statement that might put a fire under the feet of the people of Grafton. The Board was recently contacted by someone who expressed an interest in possibly purchasing the Grafton Elementary property, someone probably expecting to pay more than a dollar as well. “They have taken a tour,” said Willis, without naming the individual or entity. “They are studying it.”
Goyer asked what use they were studying the property for. “I’m guessing a banquet hall, possibly,” Willis replied, enigmatically.
The removal of the playground equipment at Stephentown was also briefly discussed. “We could have liability issues,” pointed out Goodermote. It appeared more to be an issue with Stephentown taking too long to claim their property. As Nash pointed out, “These buildings have been vacant for three years,” and now there is the an urgent need to tear down the basketball hoops?
Time Capsules
As time winds down for those buildings, Willis wants to make sure that time capsules located on both properties are protected.
The original time capsule located in Stephentown Elementary’s cornerstone, was opened at a ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the facility on December 16, 1998. The Rensselaer County Executive at that time, Henry Zwack, said the school “represents the best of everything that is small town and home town life.” The Times-Union described Stephentown Elementary then as “a happy, warm place with shining floors, colorful wall hangings and sensitive, involved staff.” A second capsule was then buried by the students to be opened in 2048. Few, then, could have imagined that the building would be empty a little more than a decade later.
Grant said he would look into determining the locations of the capsules and make sure they are properly cared for in the future. He stated that a while back the Stephentown Historical Society had indicated they would be interested in having a capsule re-buried at their Heritage Center on Staples Road.
The next scheduled meeting of the School Board will be September 18 at 7:15 pm. At the suggestion of Willis, the meeting will take place at the Berlin Elementary School, the building which is suffering the most from the diminishment of “everything.”[/private]