Board Of Selectmen Approves Formation Of CMS Building Committee

GREENWICH, CT — Plans for a new Central Middle School are advancing step-by-step, as the Board of Selectmen unanimously approved the formation of a building committee for the project last week.

According to the town Charter, building committees are formed when a school project “involves an application for state aid or a Municipal Improvement is required."

Building committees are responsible for supervising all aspects of the project consistent with the educational specifications approved by the Board of Education.

Superintendent of Greenwich Public Schools Dr. Toni Jones told the Selectmen that the district is asking for the formation of a building committee now to stay on a "very aggressive" timeline.

"We don't want to lose the summer without being able to get the building committee together," she said.

Committee members get nominated by the Board of Selectmen, and ultimately approved by the Representative Town Meeting. The Selectmen's Nominations Advisory Committee reviews candidates, and the board interviews them.

There is a time crunch to get a building committee formed so the RTM can vote at their June meeting. The town body will take up the 2022-2023 budget during the May meeting.

"Because this is quite the condensed time period, if there's any interested candidates who want to nominate themselves for this building committee, please do so quickly," said Selectperson Janet Stone McGuigan.

Selectwoman Lauren Rabin said interested candidates can apply on the town website.

"We've already received some good resumes, and currently there's one really good one on the way," Camillo said at last week's meeting, adding that the board will delve into the process this week.

"We have our work cut out for us in the coming weeks," Camillo said.

Camillo suggested adding liaisons to the building committee — one from the neighborhood, one from the ADA community and one from the Energy Management Advisory Committee.

Camillo said the idea is to get as much input as possible as the committee does its work.

"They wouldn't be voting members, but they'd be at the table just to help along," he said. Camillo hopes the idea serves as a template for future building committees.

Plans for a new CMS have been accelerated following the building's closure for two weeks in February. Building inspectors voiced concerns over the structural safety of the building. Scaffolding was set up to fortify the exterior walls.

In March, the Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation approved $1.611 million to fund temporary repairs for CMS, which included $150,000 for education specifications and an environmental analysis to confirm that a potential site for a new school can accommodate the weight of a building, along with soil testing.

The construction is part of a five-year repair plan. A new school could be online by 2026. The temporary repairs are slated to take place over a six-week period during the upcoming summer break.

Last week, the BET approved $2.5 million in the 2022-2023 budget for architecture and engineering work on a new school.