Approved November 16, 2022
MPS BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING
Oliphant Administration Building
Michael S. Pinto Conference Room
26 Oliphant Lane, Middletown, RI 02842
11/2/22 5:00pm
Members in Attendance:
| Present | Voting Member | Name | Title |
| | Yes | Edward Brady | Co-Chair, Community Member |
| | Yes | Rosemarie Kraeger | Superintendent of Schools |
| X | Yes | Tami Holden | Member of School Committee |
| X | Yes | Poe George | Director of Facilities Management, Transportation and Safety |
| X | Yes | Thomas P. Welch, III | Town Council Member |
| | Yes | Jeffrey Heath | Middletown High School Principal |
| | Yes | Michelle Fonseca | Asst Superintendent for Teaching and Learning |
| | Yes | Shawn Brown | Town Administrator, Local Budget Official |
| X | Yes | Charlie Roberts | Co-Chair, Community Member |
| X | Yes | William Nash | Community Member |
| | Yes | Vincent Lechmanick | Community Member |
| | Yes | Doug Arnold | Member of School Committee |
| | No | David Annese | Director of Technology |
| X | Alternate | Don Morin | Alternate Community Member |
| X | Alternate | Marc Thayer | Alternate Community Member |
| | Alternate | Christopher Logan | Alternate Town Council Member |
| X | Alternate | Liana Ferreira-Fenton | Alternate Member of School Committee |
| | Alternate | William O’Connell | Alternate Member of School Committee |
| | Alternate | Marc Tanguay | Town Finance Director, Alternate Local Budget Official |
| | Alternate | Bill Niemeyer | Gaudet Middle School Principal |
o The meeting was called to order at 5:02pm by Co-Chair Charlie Roberts. Eight (8) out of twelve (12) voting members were present or represented by an alternate.
o Also present: Justin Bernard, OPM, Colliers Project Leaders; Doug Brown and Ed Cifune, DBVW Architects; and Dennis Sagamang, Community Member.
o MOTION: Tom Welch moved to accept the meeting minutes from October 19, 2022, and Don Morin seconded. The motion passed unanimously (8-0).
o Charlie informed the Committee that Chris Semonelli recently set up a table at the Stop & Shop on Bellevue Avenue in Newport with information for the voters about regionalization. He plans to do so again this coming weekend and hopes to set up at a second Newport location at the Stop & Shop near the roundabout on Connell Highway.
o Charlie encouraged all Building Committee members to continue to create videos and publish articles on social media to express your support for regionalization. There’s an organized group in Newport opposing the regionalization vote and we need to counter some misinformation being shared and focus on the facts about what is being proposed.
o Liana asked if we needed a consistent message and Charlie emphasized that the kids in Newport and Middletown already participate together on sports teams and other activities and the message is that Middletown wants the kids from both communities together in the schools.
o It was suggested that should the ballot votes pass on Tuesday; the Building Committee should consider reaching out to Newport’s building committee to ask them to become involved in the process of designing the Middletown schools with a vision for the future. This can be discussed at some point in the future.
o Charlie suggested standing outside polling places on Tuesday, holding signs supporting regionalization. Bill suggested we needed to do this in Newport more so than in Middletown. Charlie agreed to get the list of polling places in Newport.
o ACTION: Obtain list of Newport polling places and share with the committee. – Charlie
o Charlie stated that he would reach out to the local radio station to see if he could get some airtime there. Bill suggested he try to appear on the ratio on Monday.
o ACTION: Try to get some airtime on the local radio station. – Charlie
o Justin informed the Committee that the architects created an informational video last week. Justin also met with Manuel Cordero of Civic and Superintendent Kraeger last week to discuss the education plans. The draft report from Manuel is posted to the Building Committee Dropbox.
o Don asked where the architect video was posted, and Charlie said he would check with Matt Sheley to find out.
o ACTION: Find out where the video from the architects is posted and share with the Committee. - Charlie
o The only open item on the action list wat the architect fee negotiation for pre-bond support and Doug Brown reported that this was all set.
o Community Member Dennis Sagamang voiced his concerns about traffic, noise, and litter along Reardon Drive, which is adjacent to the high school. He stated that these concerns have already been shared with the School Committee in the past. He asked the Building Committee to consider erecting a chain link fence along the property line between that site and the abutting neighborhood. He also shared concerns about lawn mowing equipment crossing Aquidneck Avenue to go between the high school and the middle school, and the parking of motorized scooters along Reardon Drive when school is in session. Charlie explained that we are very early in the process and that concerns like these can be addressed in the future when the schools are being designed. Input from the local public safety departments, residents, teachers, etc. will be considered along the way.
o MOTION: Don Morin moved that the Building Committee adjourn at 5:48pm and Tom Welch seconded. The motion passed unanimously (8-0).
Future Meeting Schedule – The next meeting will be held on November 16, 2022, at 5:00p.m. at the Oliphant Administration Building.
Respectfully Submitted,
Don Morin