Gill voters OK $50K for school roof project, opioid fund

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

Staff Writer

Published: 12-18-2024 10:15 AM

GILL — Voters unanimously approved spending $50,000 to fund a feasibility study and schematic design for a new Gill Elementary School roof and at a special Town Meeting on Monday night along with rescinding a 2023 Town Meeting vote to create an Opioid Settlement Stabilization Fund, and approving the creation of an Opioid Settlement Special Revenue Fund.

Elementary school roof

In October, Gill was invited into the MSBA’s Accelerated Repair Program from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for the school roof that has fallen into disrepair. The town has worked since 2017 to be accepted into the program.

MSBA is offering a 77.47% reimbursement rate. Gill must still appropriate 100% of the funds ahead of time, but will only be responsible for 22.53% of the total cost. Voters approved the transfer of $50,000 from the General Stabilization Fund to for a feasibility study and schematic design that will be created by a hired owner project manager (OPM) and a designer.

The cost of the schematic design and feasibility study is estimated to be between $94,000 to $97,000, based on similar projects that were funded by the Accelerated Repair Program in recent years. The town had previously put $48,439 toward that part of the project. As noted in the warrant, the total cost to replace the roof is unknown at this time, but the design will determine the total project cost.

Before the discussion began, Finance Committee Chair Claire Chang told voters that the committee voted to recommend this article in a 6-0 vote, and she urged the voters to consider supporting the roof replacement with state assistance presented to them.

“I really urge the town to pass this as the first step in being able to finally afford replacing that roof and doing justice for that building and for our community,” Chang said.

Chang explained the new roof will provide a chance for insulation to be installed to help control the building temperature. The current roof has no attic where insulation could be installed.

Voter Jason Asbel asked questions of the costs and procedures of the project which both Town Administrator Ray Purrington and Gill-Montague Regional School District (GMRSD) Superintendent Brian Beck addressed.

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“We’re adding to the fund of the money we use for paying for the OPM and the designer. The Building Committee is the one being authorized to spend the funds,” Purington explained.

The building committee is a committee of current GMRSD School Committee members and town volunteers who will help guide the project. In a follow-up phone call with Purington, he said people have already expressed interest in volunteering for the committee, but no formal vote to appoint members has taken place.

Voter Amy Gordon asked if the elementary school would still be in use within the coming years, justifying the expense on the town given some of the unknown costs as the project begins.

Selectboard member Randy Crochier answered, saying that the MSBA loan requires that the town guarantee the building still be in use as a school for the next 20 years. Moderator Isaac Bingham chimed in briefly to mention that the town has no concern over a declining population of students at the school, and that more students are being enrolled at Gill Elementary. The topic of the Six Town Regionalization plan for creating a regional school district for several towns including Gill was brought up, and Selectboard Chair Greg Snedeker clarified there would be no intention of closing Gill Elementary within the regionalization plan.

“So we’re OK there,” Snedeker said.

Opioid settlement funds

Two articles related to opioid settlement funds were approved unanimously by voters.

Article 2 asked voters to rescind the vote from a June 2023 Town Meeting that created the Opioid Settlement Stabilization Fund to keep money that was awarded to Gill as part of the nationwide opioid settlement. Announced in July 2021, the settlement set Massachusetts up to receive more than $500 million of the $26 billion settlement that resolved investigations and litigation over pharmaceutical companies’ roles in fueling the opioid epidemic, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

To use money in the Opioid Settlement Stabilization Fund, the town would have needed to hold a Town Meeting to approve a transfer. In December 2023, the state Department of Revenue advised the funds meet the criteria to be recorded as general fund revenue, meaning that a special revenue fund in lieu of a stabilization fund could be created. Using money from an Opioid Settlement Special Revenue Fund would not require a Town Meeting vote. However, the money still must be used for the designated purposes that were outlined in the settlement agreements.

With the approval of Article 2, the Opioid Settlement Stabilization Fund is voided, and future funds will be placed into the created Opioid Settlement Special Revenue Fund that would allow the town greater leeway to use the money compared to the previously established account. Article 3, which was also approved, moved the $3,455 remaining in the previous account into the Opioid Settlement Special Revenue Fund.

Voter Dorothy Storrow asked about excluding Town Meeting from being part of the authorization process for using opioid settlement funds. Purington said without downplaying the role of Town Meeting or the money that is available through the settlements, the town only expects around $12,000 of settlement money over the next 18 years to be given to the town.

Crochier, who is also the health district program manager at the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) said that the money isn’t going to be used on projects exclusive to the town of Gill, but rather for regional efforts to utilize the money for opioid prevention resources.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.