Special Town Meeting 1.12.11

For those of you who care about such things... TM will be asked to vote on

#1 transfer handicap parking fine receipts o the disability commission for projects that benefit the disabled... this is a no brainer.

#2 Replacement of windows and doors at Stapleton School. The total cost is 1,020,000 with a grant paying 588,000 and the Town paying 431,000. A worthy project for sure,but three line item explanations that need more intell. One is that there's a designer costs of 85,000, OPM costs 42,000 (whatever OPM stands for) and a 5% contingency cost of 42,000. Why is this figure so high? Are there that many unknowns in replacing windows and doors in an old building that had this same thing done in 1974?

#3 Approve preliminary design for new McAuliffe library building located near the Nobscot shopping center.

#4 Authorize the BOS to acquire land for new library. The facts as we know them now, the purchase of the land will be bonded over 20 years. A grant will cover 50% of the total land and building expense with dept expenses starting in 2013 and 2014. It is unclear what the already filthy rich land owner AJ Rousseau wants for the land, but it's cheaper than the land at Pinefield.

On the surface it's seems like a no brainer.... but when the Town is talking about laying off 200 employee's, the unions refusing to allow the Town to rein in health care costs, school closings, and the simple fact that no project has come in at or under budget and the millions in unfunded mandates, I'd need a whole lot more convincing to vote in favor of this project at this time.

I'd welcome any and all comments about this.

The warrant is 27 pages long if you want to print it out.

http://www.framinghamma.gov/Weblink8/
ElectronicFile.aspx?docid=17155&&&dbid=0