DPW Director appointed
BELCHERTOWN – The Selectboard ratified the appointment of Linda Leduc as the next Director of Public Works on Monday, following a three-month-long search to fill the vacancy left by Town Administrator Steve Williams.
Leduc has been part of the Conservation Commission and the Community Preservation Committee. She worked for the town of Palmer as the Town Planner.
“I’m thrilled to be here. Steve and I have a long working history,” she said in the meeting. “I worked with a number of you on CPC. I’m excited to work in my own community.”
She said she looks forward to meeting the staff.
Selectboard discusses State Street capital planning
The Selectboard received quotes on renovations to the building that housed the Belchertown Family Center on 51 State Street.
“With regards to the rather onerous list we were provided, I don’t think it makes sense for us to make a decision one way or the other,” said Selectboard member Ron Aponte.
Williams provided information on the estimated $485,000 in building repairs, which included the following:
$150,000 for roof replacement
$50,000 for a boiler replacement
$90,000 for bathroom renovations
$45,000 for HVAC repairs
$100,000 for window and door replacement
$35,000 for exterior siding
$15,000 for flooring repairs
Williams said there are bids at the moment. The quotes came from architects used on many town projects, in-house estimates, and previous quotes.
He said his concern is that all the projects must be done once the work begins on the building.
“It would make sense to fix the roof and the boiler. Once you fix that, you need to consider summer occupancy. Once we do that, we have four bathrooms that need to be renovated,” he said. “Three of them are designed specifically for daycare facilities.”
He said once the bathrooms are torn, the space will need to be ADA accessible, and the windows will need to be replaced. The windows are over 30 years old.
“Is the building worth $485,000? I’m not sure it is,” Williams said.
He said it may be better to look at reconstruction, which will cost about $45,000 to $50,000.
“We have a tough choice to make. If we start down the path, we’re committed,” he said.
Aponte said he agreed with Williams.
Selectboard member Peg Louraine said she believed services offered by the family center are necessary and critical.
“If we can get grant fund some of this, but most don’t allow for maintenance or custodial work, so we’re looking at a minimum of one new position or one additional custodial position,” she said. “It’s more complicated than just these numbers.”
She said it would be wonderful if the center could be in the area, and she would be inclined to demo the building and start over.
Selectboard member Jen Turner asked where the program would be housed if the building were demoed.
Williams said some space could be used in a “medium term, “ such as the freedom center at the Belchertown Senior Center, the library, the old town hall, and the recreation center.
Williams said he could get a ballpark estimate on rebuilding a 3,000-square-foot building to compare.
Aponte said he would like a pros and cons list with reuse and rebuilding.
Turner said in a couple of months, they will know about the status of some of the grants they applied for, and that information will be useful to determine the next steps.
The Family Center has taken the summer off and will meet this week to determine what the fall programming may look like.
