Greenwich Post
Greenwich High School
Supporters of auditorium renovation focus on town’s ranking
Sep 6, 2007

With an architect for the project now named, advocates for a complete renovation of Greenwich High School’s auditorium and music classroom space are eager for progress.

Architect Rusty Malik, of the firm Perking and Will, gave the first glimpse of his plans to the Board of Education at last Thursday’s meeting and is expected to address the board again at its Sept. 27 work session. The board has continued to list the auditorium renovation as a priority, right behind completing the rebuilding of Hamilton Avenue School and the renovation of Glenville School, both of which have already been funded. But members of the Friends of High School Performing Arts (FHSPA) have their sights set on the bigger picture, and that’s making sure the town lists the project as a priority.

For any capital project to move forward it realistically needs a high ranking in the development of the town’s 15-year capital improvement plan (CIP), and work is already underway on revising that plan for the 2008-09 municipal budget. Money was set aside in this year’s budget for a $100,000 feasibility study for the three-year project. But supporters of the project claim if the money for the other two phases, for architecture and engineering and then the actual construction, isn’t in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 budgets, the costs of the project will increase and momentum will be lost.

FHSPA co-chairman Genny Krob, a former Board of Education chairman, told the board at its Aug. 30 meeting that the progress was “exciting” and thanked the board members for their continued support. She also urged them to keep a close eye on the town’s CIP process to make sure it got the high rank necessary for the project to garner money from the town in the upcoming budgets. Last year, the project received a score of 13 in the process, forcing it to be ranked very low in the list of town capital improvement project priorities. In the CIP process, the higher score a project receives, the better its chances of being funded.

“Using the CIP’s own stated criteria, Friends of High School Performing Arts calculates the score for this project, excluding any private funding, should have been closer to 31, which would have placed it in the top tier of capital projects,” Ms. Krob said.

Work has already begun on the CIP process. A preliminary meeting took place over the summer and proposals for capital projects are expected to be submitted by town departments by the end of September. While some claim the CIP process is moving quicker this year, First Selectman James Lash said on Tuesday that isn’t the case. In fact, he said it is moving at the same pace as it had in years past.

The process is unique this year, however, since Mr. Lash is not seeking another term. That means the budget process will be started by him and completed by his successor in office.

“We always have to have the budget ready to go by Dec. 1,” Mr. Lash said. “Between December and February we make the final changes and that will be the next guy’s job. Any change to the budget will be done by that person but my job is to have a complete budget in place by Dec. 1. That’s always been the schedule.”

The municipal budget, including the CIP, will be submitted to the Board of Estimate and Taxation’s Budget Committee on Feb. 1. Changes and evaluations may be made as well after that. The final vote on the town’s budget by the Representative Town Meeting isn’t until May.

Mr. Lash said it isn’t accurate to think there will not be enough time for the school board to get projects submitted before the end of the month. Since the board is in the middle of the RISE Task Force process, its plate is very occupied.

“There is enough time,” Mr. Lash said. “We had a meeting in August and the Board of Education’s representatives attended. They know the timetable.”

Assistant Superintendent of Schools Susan Wallerstein also said there would be time. She attended the meeting with Superintendent of Schools Betty Sternberg. She said the message was clear the auditorium renovation was the Board of Education’s “No.1 priority.” Ms. Wallerstein said she would be ready to present that by the end of the month.

Mr. Lash said there would be more meetings this fall on the CIP as necessary.

None are currently scheduled for this month, but there will likely be a meeting and a public hearing in October.

Mr. Lash said priorities have already been discussed as part of last year’s budget process because it’s following a multiple-year long term plan. He said the meetings now are to see which of the estimated 5% to 10% of projects had to be changed or what had to be added because of new priorities.

The project has widespread community support and Greenwich’s delegation to the state legislature has pledged to help with potential state funding for the renovation. There also seems to be support for the project from whomever succeeds Mr. Lash as first selectman. Both Republican Peter Tesei and Democrat Frank Farricker said they strongly support the project and support a high ranking for it in the CIP.

As for the project itself, Mr. Malik is developing options to be considered by the board. He did not have the opportunity to outline those options to the board at its Aug. 30 meeting due to insufficient time, but more information is expected at the Sept. 20 work session. Mr. Malik was also expected to address a FHSPA meeting yesterday afternoon. That meeting took place after press time.

During her comments to the board, Ms. Krob stressed FHSPA remained committed to working in close partnership with the district on the project to “do what it needed to see it through to a successful conclusion.”

Board member Nancy Weissler has been named to serve as the board’s liaison to the project’s committee. She will be providing regular reports to the board about progress. Ms. Weissler was one of the participants in the preliminary CIP meeting this past summer.

“She will be another set of eyes and ears and another person in getting the best facility for our performing arts program,” Board Chairman Colleen Giambo said.