Stratford High Renovations Pass One More Hurdle

As Ordinance Committee members Thomas Malloy and Paul Hoydick continued to ask questions about potential future changes to the proposed Stratford High School renovation project being discussed Monday night at Town Hall, resident Walter Rimkunas finally muttered under his breath but audible to those sitting near him, “Quit stalling.” 

Earlier in the debate, Malloy asked if the proposed $55 million renovation of SHS, 50% reimbursable under a current state school building fund formula, had the full support of the Board of Education. Malloy followed up by asking Stratford’s Chief Administrative Officer Geen Thazhampallath if he had ever seen copies of SHS renovation project “endorsement letters” from the Board of Education and the Superintendent of Schools. 

If such assurances could be made, “We could proceed on that basis,” Malloy commented. 

Well, no he hadn’t personally seen any letters, Thazhampallath said, although knowing that the project enjoyed strong Board of Ed and education administration support. But the project will encompass “all of their needs” as it pertains to Stratford High School, he replied back to Malloy. 

Well, that was enough for Board of Education Chairman Gavin B. Forrester III, who was sitting in the back of the Council chambers with Stratford Star Editor John Kovach after attending an earlier Board of Education related meeting.

Taking apparent umbrage at Malloy’s line of questioning, Forrester launched from the microphone, looking directly at Malloy. 

“You know we discussed that … the superintendent spoke to you. 

“I don’t know what more you need from us … You are well aware of the needs of the school … You were on the Board [of Education] at the time when much of this was discussed … the labs, the heating system … 

“I can certainly get a letter to you if you need it … but let me reiterate to you that we are 100% in favor of this process  … it is far overdue …

“The same items were identified years ago that have not been addressed …

“Let me assure the council that we are 100 percent behind the project.” 

Indeed Malloy had attended the March 11 meeting of the Building Needs Committee where the project, Option A, was favorably referred from that committee to the full Council. This, after Ryszard Szczypek of Tai Soo Kim Partners, LLC, outlined both Option A, to renovate “as new,” and Option B, at a slightly less costly $53 million. Option A was referred to Council. 

Malloy then presided as chairman over the April 11 full Town Council meeting two weeks ago where members voted unanimously to refer the issue to the Ordinance Committee. To be fair, another council member, Christian Barnaby, questioned whether members were locked in with their affirmative vote to refer to Ordinance.

No they were not, he was told, as upon Ordinance Committee review, the issue would return back to the full council in May where its fate would be ultimately decided. 

Also at the April 11 Public Forum preceding the regular meeting, Rimkunas, a Second Avenue resident, vociferously argued in favor of the SHS renovation during the Public Forum session. “I am delighted after 10 years and many councils that I see this on the agenda tonight. The Building Needs Committee has forwarded to you people a recommendation for the Stratford High School renovation Plan A.

“I hope you people have looked at it and the various things you have been given earlier because time is running short. You have a month and a half to get it done in order to get 50% back from the state. 

“If you don’t, we lose it and the way things are going, the state is not going to be giving money back for building” much longer, he added. 

The mayor has stated that Stratford needs to cut back in it capital spending, Rimkunas noted, “but this time you should override it.

“Their [students’] safety is involved,” Rimkunas continued. “The building is falling apart. So let’s get with it.” Several other residents spoke at that meeting in favor of the project. 

After Forrester had stated his peace Monday to Malloy, Thazhampallath asked the committee to amend the motion to include wording that a required public hearing be scheduled in addition to referral. Matthew Catalano made such a motion. 

Thazhampallath had earlier explained the constrained timeline. 

“The ordinance language you have in front of you is from our bond counsel. The proper language has to be written through a specialized attorney …  so this is very specific language and there’s not a lot of room for you to make changes. 

“… The state reimbursement is 50% for this project and in order to utilize it we have to file paperwork that clearly states our intent by June 30 of this year … essentially, in order to meet that timeframe, we either need a special meeting or it has to pass at the next council meeting … and a public hearing will need to be scheduled. 

“If you do all those steps, then the paperwork goes up to the state, and we wait” for state approval, which could take months or longer. After state approval, “we have two years before the project needs to have a shovel in the ground.” 

However, the longer the town waits, the higher construction costs are bound to rise, he noted.

Just prior to voting on Catalano’s motion, Councilman Hoydick asked, “Can we stop this at any time?”

Councilman Catalano answered, “yes, up to the point where we sell bonds” to fund the project. 

Malloy then asked, “What happens if we want to make changes? What is the process and how much change can be made to the texture of the proposal?” – which prompted Rimkunas’s mutterance, “Quit stalling.” 

Thazhampallath answered Malloy. “The state generally frowns on this [project changes]. It’s a fairly tailored process. They don’t favor wild swings. Right now, we have a conceptualized idea” of the renovations to occur. The real fine-tuning will come, he said, during the engineering and drawing phases. 

“We substantially know what we want to do but once you get to that point, engineering and drawings, it becomes more difficult” to change. 

Attempting to clarify where Mayor John Harkins stands on the Stratford High renovation  issue, Councilman Jason Santi then asked Thazhampallath, “Does the administration support this?” 

Thazhampallath answered, “There’s a longstanding commitment in the community for education and we’re going to continue that.” That answer apparently satisfied Santi, who added, “I just wanted to get that on record.”

At that, the Ordinance Committee voted to refer the renovation issue back to the full Town Council with a favorable recommendation, with one no vote – Town Council Chairman Malloy.