School and town officials reach a truce over price
By Caitlyn Kelleher

Ashburnham Selectmen and School Committee members hope they have come to an agreement about how to settle the disagreement over the temporary relocation of the town offices to the high school.

Selectman Mark Carlisle, Town Administrator Kevin Paicos, Superintendent of Schools Michael Zapantis and School Committee members David Christianson and Keith Glenny met publicly on Friday afternoon to announce that they had reconciled.

"This has been something that has come up and taken on a life of its own," Carlisle said.

"This has been something that has come up and taken

on a life of its own."

- MARK CARLISLE

SELECTMAN

The speed at which the transition took place is blamed by all the parties to have caused the disagreements over the terms of the lease and the expected costs of the relocation. Town officials expressed their dislike of the more than $74,000 it cost to relocate the town offices into two classrooms in the rear of the high school.

The cost included moving costs; the installation of a security door, cameras and a buzzer lock; rent; as well as costs to install the phone and computer systems.

"The comments I made at (the selectmen's Monday, June 4) meeting were motivated by a deep and abiding sense of loyalty to my oath of office, which requires me, in part, to uphold the Charter of Ashburnham and to protect the interest of its taxpayers," said Paicos reading from a prepared statement. "It has been brought to my attention my comments deeply offended the superintendent and the regional School Committee."

Christianson and Paicos both read from prepared statements.

Paicos statement expressed support for the School Committee and the superintendent as well as the - at that time - pending override.

"There may be persons who will try to suggest that my recent comments reflect a lack of support for the school override vote next week," he said. "Please allow me this opportunity to make unequivocally clear, again, my complete and total support for the regional school and for the override."

Paicos acknowledged the compromise that was reached by the selectmen and representatives of the school committee by saying it would "provide financial recognition for the taxpayers of Ashburnham."

The agreement was discussed in an executive session meeting held by the Board of Selectmen on Thursday night.

Christianson and Glenny, who along with School Committee member Leonard Beaton comprise the executive committee of the School Committee, met with the Selectmen in that meeting. Beaton did not attend the meeting because he was out of state.

Christianson said he didn't want to release what the pending agreement was but stated the School Committee would review it in open session during Wednesday meeting. The meeting was held after press time.

Christianson said he could not violate the Selectmen's executive session discussion and Carlisle did not offer a comment on the subject.

In his prepared statement Christianson addressed the security concerns raised during the last week as well as the reasons for the establishment of rent.

"The lease agreement details all terms including the monthly rent amount and the stipulation that an exterior door be installed and necessary changes to the school's security system be made," he said. "There was no discussion of the rental or moving costs with the district after the lease was signed on May 11. The costs associated with the Town Hall move are not the responsibility of the school district. The establishment of a rental payment was the only way to treat Westminster fairly and equitably as a related third party."

All of the parties believe issues got complicated by the fact that discussions on the property started in February and were accelerated for a May move-in date so renovations could start on the Town Hall as quickly as possible.

"Despite what has happened, the school district remains committed to helping Ashburnham," Zapantis said. "It was never about the money."

Carlisle said the town officials will look back and try to see where the confusion started over the costs issues as well as other issues involved with the relocation.

"We will have to go back and look at exactly what happened here," Carlisle said.

But he said that this was a major undertaking for both the school and town that overall went fairly smoothly. He added that this disagreement, in the long run, strengthen the communication process between the parties.

Westminster town officials have started informal conversations with school officials about the possibility of relocating the children's library and activities to either Meetinghouse or Westminster Elementary during the renovations of the library.

Christianson said.

The goal is to keep the schools safe for the students and to cause no disruption in the activities of the school.

Carlisle said this move and these agreements became a learning experience for all of the officials involved. "I think we learned we

have to have extended

conversations."

- DAVID CHRISTIANSON SCHOOL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN