Town Gains Control of Chalk Hill Earlier

The Board of Education voted unanimously to turn Chalk Hill over to the town this month at its Tuesday night meeting and First Selectman Steve Vavrek signed an agreement on Wednesday.

The school district, which is not going to use Chalk Hill as a school next fall, was originally going to turn the building over to the town on Oct. 1.

Vavrek said the earlier turn over will give the Public Works Department access to the building to determine what things need to be done to it.

Among conditions of the agreement, the town now has fiscal responsibility for maintaining the building, the Board of Education has full access to the building and will maintain control of the fields behind it as part of the Jockey Hollow Middle School campus.

Supt. of Schools Dr. Colleen Palmer estimates it will cost $15,000 to keep the electricity on and to heat the building in the non-heating season.

The Capital Infrastructure Facility Asset Planning Sub-Committee (CIFAP), a subcommittee of the Planning & Zoning Commission, is assessing the building to determine different uses, which will ultimately be decided upon by the Town Council and the first selectman.

Dr. Craig Tunks, director of technology for Monroe Public Schools, is in charge of moving equipment out of Chalk Hill.