Pennell
strategy Special Town Meeting tentatively slated for
September
By Elizabeth Prata
Gray-The Gray Town Council met on May 24 to discuss
how to proceed with the discussions with the School
District (MSAD 15) regarding the District's wish to
dispose of Pennell Institute. The Institute is a century-old
brick building on Route 100. The building is on the
National Historic register, and any changes to its
exterior must be consistent with historical precepts.
MSAD 15 has owned the building since the District
was formed in the mid-1960s. Gray owned the building
prior to District ownership. Now, the District says
they no longer need the building, and wants to return
it to Gray. Right, Pennell Institute.
The disposal of school buildings is guided by state
law. A complicating factor, however, is that there
is an educational trust that is tied to the asset
of Pennell, which includes not only the main building
but an auxiliary building known as Anderson lab, and
5 acres of land. The trust is managed by the School
Board but the Board is ultimately responsible to the
Attorney General (AG) of the State of Maine, who must
authorize any changes to the trust. Left, below,
Anderson Lab
Not
for educational purposes any more
One decision the AG rendered is that the building
and the trust can be separated. Previously, as long
as the building was owned by the school district,
it needed to follow the trust guideline that stated
the building was to be used for educational purposes.
Now, since the trust and the asset of the building
have been separated, the building can be used for
anything as long as the money from the trust is managed
by the School District for educational purposes. For
example, if the building is sold, proceeds from the
sale must be used for education. But the new inhabitants
of the building do not have to be in education or
use the building for education.
The Council and School Board have been discussing
whether to co-habitate in Pennell as one way to solve
the Town's issue of needing bigger offices. The Town
would own Pennell, if approved by voters, and lease
some of the space to SAD 15 Administrative offices.
The School Department currently occupies a yellow
building on Shaker Road in front of Russell School.
The SAD has not stated what would become of the office
they currently inhabit if they move to Pennell. Officials
have been devising a lease and a memo of understanding
that outlines a Pennell occupancy arrangement.
Space needs problems?
Gray has its own space needs problems. Officials say
they are outgrowing Town Office. This SAD-Town of
Gray co-habitation is one option the Town of Gray
council is exploring as to solving space needs issues.
Two years ago, the town asked voters to approve purchasing
the abandoned Post office next door so Town offices
could be expanded. Voters approved this purchase at
the 2002 Town meeting. No further movement on this
issue ensued, other than to let the SAD store conference
tables in the building and now, leasing it short term
to a local business. Other options for Town offices
are whether to buy land and build new, or move to
Pennell. Pennell would take about a million and a
half dollars to renovate and make habitable. Renovating
Post Office for Town use would cost aobut $120,000.
The strategy
Manager Mitchell A. Berkowitz proposed to the Council
that they schedule a special town meeting in September
for voters to decide whether to accept the Pennell
building and land. Councilor Lynn Olson was concerned
with the two months prior to the proposed special
town meeting.
She said that summer is a busy time and that the Council
would want to present informational articles in an
educational manner regarding the issue when people
were not so busy with summer fun. She proposed a special
town meeting for late October or early November.
Berkowitz said that a better strategy was to keep
the Pennell issue away from any the Carol Palesky
1% tax cap initiative slated for a November vote.
That way, he said, the issues are not mixed and votes
would be concluded, and Pennell out to bond, before
any potential fiscal reductions caused by an affirmative
vote on the tax cap.
Councilor Matt Sturgis said that he thinks voters
would "Go ballistic if they thought we were trying
to slip in spending a million and a half dollars on
Pennell right before November elections."
Voters will be asked to prioritize a lot of
spending
The School Department has their own capital needs.
An engineering report named "Sewell Report"
indicated that there are substantive Life-Safety issues
to be fixed in many of their school buildings.
The SAD 15 Facilities Committee is preparing a November
warrant asking for approval for renovations to fix
the worst of the conditions. Facilities Chair Peter
Pinkerton was not prepared to state exactly how much
the request will be for, since the discussion for
a SAD 15 November warrant presentation is in the early
stages, he said.
The $$ list
Gray voters will be asked on Saturday to approve a
municipal budget that is a 13% increase over last
year. They will also be asked to approve a law enforcement
contract costing $110,00, and among other warrants,
to approve a final payment for the Post Office so
the town can own it free and clear.
Gray and New Gloucester voters will be asked on June
8 to approve a School Budget that is 5% increase over
last year.
Possibly in September, Gray voters will be asked at
a special town meeting to approve accepting Pennell
Institute from the SAD along with a bond for over
a million and a half dollars to repair the building.
In November, voters will be asked to authorize a School
Board request for an (at this time) an undetermined
amount to fix SAD 15 school buildings so they adhere
to life-Safety codes.
Not
for educational purposes any more