New Westport School Bus Parking Task Force Announced

An announcement made Thursday, Nov. 13 by the Westport Board of Education and the First Selectman’s Office:

Board of Education Chair Elaine Whitney and First Selectman Jim Marpe have announced the creation of a joint Board of Education (BOE) and Town of Westport School Bus Parking Task Force.

The charge of the Task Force is to review alternative potential school bus parking arrangements and/or locations at both public and privately owned sites and to determine if it is possible to bring down the cost of parking in either the short or long term. A number of options and sites are being considered.

The group will include members of the BOE, Selectman’s Office, Board of Selectmen (BOS), Board of Finance (BOF) and Representative Town Meeting (RTM). The Task Force will be operating as a Board of Education committee; however, BOE member, Karen Kleine and Town Operations Director, Dewey Loselle will jointly lead the review and search effort.

Marpe and Whitney Comment

Selectman Marpe said:

“This is a topic that has been much discussed and explored over the years by many parties and individuals, however we are still in the same situation.

“The Task Force that has been assembled consists of individuals who have grappled with the issue over the years and are well versed in the various complicating factors. My hope is that with this team of Town and Board of Education members working together, that jointly we can come up with a better solution which works for the Board, the town and our taxpayers.”

Chairwoman Whitney stated:

“This year the BOE has made it a clear goal to resolve this matter by achieving an improved solution that both meets the Board’s operational needs and reduces costs. I believe that working collaboratively with the Town in a focused manner to tackle this issue will result in a win-win for the schools, the town, and our taxpayers.”

Members and First Meeting

The members of the Task Force are as follows: Karen Kleine (BOE), Mark Mathias (BOE), Dewey Loselle (Selectman’s Office), Avi Kaner (BOS), Michael Rea (BOF), and Allen Bomes (RTM).

The Task Force will have its first meeting on Thursday Nov. 13 at 8:30 a.m. in Town Hall, Room 309. The initial portion of the meeting will be held in public to discuss the history of this issue and proposed next steps. Following that, it is expected that the meeting will go into executive session to discuss specific potential sites and negotiation matters.