http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120830/THISJUSTIN/708309900
Selectman offers $2 to School Board for closed schools
By Christian Avard
Staff Writer | August 30,2012
SPRINGFIELD — A town Select Board member offered the School Board $2 to purchase two school properties because he believes the board is taking too long to get rid of them.
Selectman David Yesman dropped $2 on the table at a joint School and Select Board meeting on Monday where the two entities were discussing the fate of the Park Street and East schools. Yesman said voters want the School Board to get rid of both properties and it’s time they take care of them for good.
“In March of 2010, the town authorized the School Board to dispose of, give or sell the properties and nothing has happened in last two years. I thought I’d try and make something happen,” Yesman said.
The Park Street and East schools closed for consolidation and cost-savings purposes, according to Superintendent of Schools Frank Perotti. Although the schools were no longer in use, the buildings still remained. School District offices relocated to the Park Street School while the East School remained vacant.
Perotti said the school closures reduced staffing and improved teacher instruction in the newly configured district. But he also believed the School and Select boards would be wise to discuss possible uses for both buildings and not get rid of them altogether.
“Neither the town nor the school district has any money. I think it would help if we look at the resources and find out how we can do more with what we already have,” Perotti said.
Yesman disagreed.
“I tried to explain to them there’s 1,526 people who authorized them to sell, give or dispose of those schools. They didn’t think that,” he said.
Voters at the 2010 town meeting approved two articles to authorize the School Board to take action on the schools. Many believed the schools are outdated, inefficient and a waste taxpayer dollars.
Yesman said the School Board was obligated to fulfill the voters’ wishes. Perotti on the other hand said the articles that were approved on Town Meeting Day have been misinterpreted.
“Some believe that the votes said the School Board must do it. It didn’t say we had to,” Perotti said.
The School and Select boards will set up a committee to find out how the School Board and the town can best utilize both buildings. From there, they will come up with a plan for implementation and seek public feedback.
“Some folks see that as kicking the can down the road but I see it as a progressive step,” Perotti said. “We can go out and sell them but some people would be upset if there wasn’t a plan for the future of these buildings. The town needs to be part of that conversation.”
According to Yesman, the town already spoke loud and clear.
“We don’t need more and more discussions. Let’s just do it and get it over with,” Yesman said. “I made the offer to the School Board out of my own pocket as an individual. I never got an answer to my offer.”
The next joint meeting will take place Sept. 24.
Completely immature.
ReplyDeleteHe needs to be removed from the Selectboard.
The Selectboard will be the butte of every joke at every party if they don't remove this self-minded conflict of interest.
We need competent individuals at our helm.
What is the process for ejecting a person who looses it in public from the Selectboard.
Whoa! I voted for Mr. Yesman and I would not consider him an immature joker. Nay Nay. He did not 'loose it' He placed a bid, and people are having a hissy. At least he started a conversation. Lighten up. Go out and smell the flowers.
DeleteI was there. He pee'd in the pool.
DeleteAgreed. You can't have an elected official offering to buy muncipally owned property.
DeleteYou know what someone has to take a stand. Yesman did..this constant bull poo that the dimwits in this town think they can do is ridiculous. The voters voted and he is correct the school board is and should be obligated to honor that vote.
DeleteI think personally I would like to sue the school board and district not only for failure to educate but also misuse of public funds. This business of the town and school board thinking they can do whatever they want whenever they want needs to end. Secondly, it isn't up to Frank to decide what is best. It is up to the school board AND most importantly the voters and TAXPAYERS who fund the damn school system and fund their salaries.
WE THE TAX PAYERS AND SCHOOL TAX PAYERS
DeleteARE SICK AND DISGUSTED by Yesman's Actions
He should be Held In Contempt throw him in JAIL
this is exactly what Springfield needed..
ReplyDeletepull the plug.
About time someone is actually trying to move forward on an issue decided upon by the voters two years ago. Get rid of those dinosaurs. Anyone notice how the board now needs to "study" this issue again and again and again?
ReplyDelete"The School and Select boards will set up a committee to find out how the School Board and the town can best utilize both buildings. From there, they will come up with a plan for implementation and seek public feedback."
Blah, blah, blah. Endless delays. The only way they will ever do something on this issue is if they come up with a way to line the pockets of a select few probably at the expense of the tax payers.
nice job guy.....
DeleteWhat an example..
great advertising.
way to sell the Town, School system, selectboard, school board, and everything else.
yeah, way to sell it.. "short"
Looked to me like both Knoras, MacGilvary, and most of the School Board were trying to move forward and at least discuss the committee. Looked like the constipation was mainly being caused by the Selectboard Chairman at that meeting. Is it possible that the Town Manager had not already been presented with the recommendation of the School Board's Committee, had not heard what had been said at the last School Board meeting concerning the joint meeting? Who was sitting on that information? The school? I doubt it. That leaves the Town Manager or the Chairman of the Selectboard. So why wasn't the Selectboard prepared to discuss forming a committee? Do they live in a vacuum or are they just accustomed to not taking any definitive action unless given permission to do so by their Chairman?
DeletePoorly conceived political grandstanding was all this was. Let's wait for the next board meeting so that Jean Willard can show up representing yet another school preservation society and bid $3.00!
ReplyDeleteexactly... Not Selectboard material.
DeleteSend Yesman to the grandstands. Kick him off the board.
I agree with Anonymous 10:57, that resolution was not a mandate to sell the properties, it was merely an authorization to sell or otherwise dispose of the properties which needed to be in place in the event matters developed which required a sale or transfer. It was antagonistic grandstanding at a time when the boards had finally come together to develop some collaboration and cooperation, instead Boardmember Yesman took it as an opportunity to attack the School Board. Which is somewhat amazing given the Selectboard's seeming inability to ever act on anything at a meeting.
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with placing a bid? Mr. Yesman is a realtor. If selling the schools is a viable option, why not? Other towns have ads in the papers for their schools and churches.
ReplyDeleteThey moved us out of Park St. in the late '60's because it was dangerous and we 'needed a new school' I went out of region to college. What! They had young children in the building. During the recent tour it was painful to see that building butchered. It still does not meet code? Why are we paying for heat, maintenance?
The building may pull on the emotional heartstrings of some alumni, but it's still bricks and mortar. If the Building Huggers want to 'turn it around' have fund raisers and buy it. Overbid Mr. Yesman. Do I hear $10.00?
Yesman shouldn't be even close to fraim of mind where he should speak or even think like this. It seems to be a Freudian slip where he let's out his reason for mis-guiding the voters.
DeletePull the plug.
What? Say again?
Delete$10,000,000,000,00
DeleteYesman = Grandstanding. He grandstanded on the budget advisory committee as a platform for election to the selectboard. He attended Nosag meetings with the guise that he was against Biomass, that is until he got the North Springfield vote and now how is for it. People should do some research on their selectboard before taking them at face value. Look at what Yesman has done on previous terms on the board, including ratifying town contracts with all these supposed fringe benefits he's now "grandstanding" about
DeleteThe benefit of having a quality school system goes past the value of bricks and mortar.
DeleteShowcase that you will spare no expense, and your town will be forever golden.
Why I think Mr. Yesman was quite noble. Not sure why there is all this fuss asserting that he is now conflicted out of participating in any discussions regarding Park Street School. Why without conflicts of interest our American way of doing things would simply grind to a halt. But wasn't that Selectboard Chairman magnificent? Singlehandedly made sure that no resolutions were even read at the meeting, now that's political footwork par excellente and kept that pesky Janice Garfield in her place. Course his puppet strings got a bit tangled there with MacGilvary and Knoras, they got kind of confused and thought that they were elected to the board to make decisions instead of ratifying whatever the Chairman thought was proper. But he got them under control! Expect that he will report back to the boards on the 24th that the Selectboard has taken a variety of actions...not exactly sure how he will be able to do that since it is a joint meeting. I did get a bit curious as to what was in that Garfield resolution though -- several times I thought she was going to muster up the courage to actually read the thing during the meeting. But the Selectboard Chair stopped that in its tracks, the way he runs meetings just wants to make me goosetep...I mean have goosebumps it is so masterful. And to think some people want to go back to Mayberry style police force, when our militarized approach is so effective. I bet the Chairman got that directly from his brother who is the dispatcher. It was also pleasant to watch the senior statesmen in Town lecture the school board on the cost savings the Town was thinking about implementing, don't understand why the Schoolboard had to go and point out that they had already considered and implemented them. But thought it was a great idea to have the Chief of Police come lecture the student body as a whole at the school, that is such a more efficient way of doing things than having the officers actually involved getting to know the kids...you know familiarity breeds contempt...and the police already have a sufficient supply of that for the kids. And to imagine the School suggesting that we take all of the fun out big sporting events...why what fun would that be if drunk parents didn't start a brawl now and then...its more of that Mayberry style thinking, none of that for the Selectboard Chair...didn't you salute him when you came in? Well shame on you.
DeleteThis is a titsy off-subject but WOW! Mr. Ankuda, ESQ was just alittle strong with some of those elderly people Aug. 27th at the Winstanley meeting. Sit Down. What is your question.
DeleteThat was pure political grandstanding presented in a very antagonistic way towards a board which was trying to follow the advice of its committee and meet with the Selectboard to form a committee to work out a community strategy to deal with Park Street. Their committee had already determined that the continued use of Park Street by the school's Central Office was cost neutral to shutting the building down. It had also determined that one of the large users of the building was the Town's Parks and Recreation Department. What Yesman did was totally out of line. Then the Selectboard proceeded to hedge on whether they even had the capacity to send police officers to the large school sporting events if the School paid for them. What amazing Town leadership we have here. Of course it is possible that there are some Selectboard members with some good ideas, unfortunately they are rarely heard and even more rarely presented in a motion. But I think Boss Hogg is right, we will surely see the Chairman announce that the Selectboard has taken various actions by the time the next meeting rolls around.
DeleteAnonymous 11:41, there is nothing wrong with a realtor placing a bid on the property, there is everything wrong with a select board member placing a bid on a property during a discussion about said property at a public meeting.
Delete@athelrod 2:53 What the town and the school dont realize is we are losing money having the parks and rec use it for free number one. Most importantly, even though it is a parks and rec sponsered event..the district is on the hook under ACT 91 should anything come up. Under that law because it is school property the district is liable for appropriate state training to each and every member and coach and referee who takes part in those events on the property to ensure they are upholding that particular statute and laws. That is an honest fact just as is fact that the district HAS NOT ensured nor paid for those trainings under the law.
DeleteHowever there is a great article coming out tomorrow (8/31) in the valley news about a recent, federal finding against the springfield school district. Precedent setting since this is the first school and district ever in Vermont to have a ruling against them.
Speaking as a taxpayer. It is in the taxpayers best interest to have the school rather than the town pay for things in Springfield. If the School charges the Town for the use which the Parks and Recreation makes of the building, it actually costs the local taxpayers more. The only time that is not the case is when you are a "gold town" like Ludlow where it is cheaper to have the Town pay for something than the school. Why do you think the School pays the Town to have police come to events rather than just expecting the Town to provide them -- because they can get away with it and overall it reduces our taxes. Those taxpayers who are screaming for the School to start charging the Town for various events etc. are shooting themselves in the foot because for local tax purposes it is better to have the school pay for it. Of course it makes the Selectboard look like they are real budget hawks and people get mad at the school, but the truth is if they did it the other way around the Town taxes would start heading towards the moon. That is why the Town Selectboard's treatment of the School Board at the joint meeting was borderline shameful, the Selectboard just isn't even in the same league as the School Board when it comes to trying to provide maximum service for the least amount of tax dollars.
DeleteAnonymous 3:42 you nailed it on the head. It was not the time or the place to say what he said.
DeleteI'll bid $2
ReplyDeleteI think the asking price is $5 for both. The lucky winner then gets to pay the town a hundred thousand dollars a year in property taxes. They were fools for not taking Yesman's bid and then taxing him into bankruptcy......
DeleteAlthough it is known that the school has an appraisal on it for around $300.000.00, they have always refused to say what the appraisal used as the highest and best use. My guess that the only non-public use would be a subsidized residential project. That would go over like a lead balloon politically, wonder if that was what Yesman had in mind when trying to force a sale of the property to a private person.
DeleteJust what Yeoman needs...more buildings to turn into apartments...to help solidify his reign a one of the biggest slumlords in town!
ReplyDeleteI would consider Mr. Yesman's comment to be making a point. Really now, were you waiting for the school board chair to say 'SOLD'? It's a good thing I watched it on SAPA because I was laughing + carrying on. Imagine, a little levity in S'field.
ReplyDeletethis isn't a game
DeleteIn reality the district should do us all a favor and sell the buildings at auction with a minimum bid to cover the costs of the auctions and any transfer costs. They should then purchase the Stantec buildings and move the district offices and everything else in Park Street, Gateway, and the Triple E program there. Between what we as tax payers are paying now we would reduce our costs overall.
ReplyDeleteYou don't have anything to do with Stantec do you? The selectman are not going to do anything until they first figure whose pocket they will line when they dispose of the schools. It is doubtful they will chose anything that will lower what taxpayers are paying for very long. Maybe Winstanley can put a coal burning plant in at Park Street?
DeleteNope, but if Gateway is paying $70,000 for rent, and we are paying for Park and East. We are pouring money down a hole with no bottom.
DeleteWell our Selectboard meeting and Mr. Yesman's ridiculous grand standing made the Burlington Free Press now we can look stupid to Northern VT too.
ReplyDeleteWell, we sure 'looked stupid' paying for Park and East all these years after the voters okayed a sell (or other options) in 2010. It just scares me what Burlington and the North Country think of us.
Deletegive the schools away and then buy more at full price.. Brilliant genius, you amaze me
ReplyDeleteThat way the story could get even more absurd
Wow! you might check the facts before you make yourself look like a money fool on a public blog calling yourself penny wise. It would save money all the way around to get rid of Park and East and stop paying rent. Sometimes trying to save a building is more expensive. Use your head and run the numbers. The amount Gateway is paying the church would pay the bond payments for Stantec and the building are more efficient to heat. Duh! by all means hold on to the rapidly sinking ship. The Titanic couldn't sink either.
DeleteYesman made an attempt to get the board to move forward. His offer was visionary and since he is not part of the elite club you should have no worries about the board actually taking him up on his facetious offer. He is an outsider and a maverick. Only club members need apply.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteYesman by his beligerent attitude at the meeting actually impeded the ability to move forward on getting the joint committee established.
DeleteA visionary & maverick ....are you kidding me????
ReplyDeleteLass... you must be a club wanabbe or a direct beneficiary? Amazingly a guy like Yesman can make a simple statement and the club members and wannabes have their hair on fire. Cockroaches don't like someone shining a light on them do they?
Delete@ 10:58
DeleteI am not a club wanabbe or a direct beneficiary.
I am also not a cockroache..
I am an adult, educated, and secure in my beliefs.
I want a real selectboard.
Fire Mr. Yesman.
How many more items like this need to surface before we have a serious calamity?
As if it wasn't tough enough or slow enough around here to begin with.
Damn you Yesman
Mr. Yesman really does not want to buy the schools. He mearly used that example to get the school issue from 2010 vote to the burner again.
DeleteHopefully this puts pressure on the school board to start to do SOMETHING with the buildings.... not just let them decay further.
@ 8:25 we know this.. And that is exactly what we find to be the problem.
DeleteNot looking for shock and awe from a hopefully cultured and sophisticated Selectboard forum.
Leave the shock and awe for the blogspot.
If Yesman wants to say something of color, don't do it at a Selectboard / Schoolboard meeting .
The Selectboard has pre-existing public relations problems. Yesman did not help here. In fact he did nothing more than throw the towel in. Take him out.
I didn't anything particularly visionary about Yesman's attack on the School Board. Nor is he particularly a maverick as he is fairly typical of a certain segment of Springfield which has been holding it back during this transition period. If he had been visionary, he would have helped Knoras and Garfield move forward in getting the joint committee formed, instead his bombast impeded it and allowed the Chairman to avoid having any resolutions read at the meeting. Not sure which is worse for the Town, Yesman's grandstanding or the way the Chairman keeps any of the other members from asking questions or moving motions. We need a Selectboard that is not intimidated by the Chairman and which offers individual constructive ideas.
DeleteIt appears the old saying that there's never just one cockroach is true. There appears to be many here working this blog.
DeleteWhat I think yesman did was NOT attack the school board but hold them accountable for a decision that the Springfield voters requested or were led to believe. What is TYPICAL is the play of symantics now by the school board of leading the taxpayers to believe one thing and using symantics to change it around and say the vote meant something different.
DeleteVERY VERY typical of the school board and springfield. I applaud Yesman for bringing a long idle topic to the front of the class and pushing for a decision and resolution. I have zero respect for Garfield and the incessant "talking" the board loves to do. And front page of the Valley News Today shows just how ineffective and corrupt the school board is and talk about making Springfield look stupid. Another example of not being able to get out of their own way!
Aethelred, you are correct. I suggest a new blog is started so this may be covered in a proper string that stays on topic. I subject is awful and a very sad one indeed. Please, let's get this into it's own forum.
DeleteNice attempt at diversion athelred however it has everything to do with the park st issue. It addresses that the school board and district are incompetant at the very least and it confirms to the voters and taxpayers all that is gold doesnt necessarily glitter.
DeleteThe board so far in more than one occassion (Elm Hill and this current Federal decision) has broken the law and has shown to be in this writers opinion ineffective and incompetant in the operation of the district. So that holds a VERY STRONG bearing on how they are handling the issue regarding Park St and other school properties. Let alone one must take into account the district motives at this point as well as their judgement.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteAethelred.... You are right. To be labeled a true Springfield visionary Yesman would have had to propose a solution for the Park Street School that would have lined the pockets of a select few and had it primarily funded by the tax payers.
ReplyDeleteSpringfield visionary = Tax payer boondoggle promoter
Yeah Aethelred, a true visionary would have sold that property to Yesman and washed his hands of the whole thing. You know Pontius Pilate hat the right system for that sort of thing, they should have had a bowl there for the School Board to symbolically washed its hands of the building resting in a assuredness that Yesman could figure out the situation. Look at what a wonderful job he has done selling properties over on Union Street.
DeleteKudos to Yesman for taking the initiative to force action. Clear to see who has been in the corporate world and who hasn't the stomach to make critical decisions. Beware the do-gooders volunteering for committees. Is only a smoke screen to delay action and foil responsibility for whatever decision the board chair approves.
ReplyDeleteThe vote was not a referendum, but a binding decision to vacant and dispose of Park Street School. Is the responsibility of the board to carry out that vote. And can someone keep Gibson busy in the kitchen where she belongs.
The resolution was strictly an authorizing resolution, it was not a mandate to sell like it was portrayed by Yesman, it included all of the school buildings which were not actively being used as schools, and it authorized more than just sales. It did not bind the School Board to sell the properties, and that isn't a matter of semantics, its a matter of being able to read English.
DeleteWell that was their problem. If they wanted the people in Springfield to understand the resolution they should have had it printed in Woodchuckian.
DeleteI find that insulting Boss Hogg. You don't have to be literate in English to know that a resolution that authorizes someone to sell or dispose of something means that they have to sell or dispose of something. Its very, very clear to us simpleminded people, Authorize by definition means "have to" otherwise what would authority mean?
DeleteWhat?
DeleteWas that a real request for me to report, or a feminine rhetorical. I personally do not engage in feminine rhetorical, am an old fashioned woman.
DeleteThen we should beware of Yesman since he volunteered for the committee they are going to form doesn't that make him a "do gooder" as well? Hypocrisy at its best and your neanderthal way of thinking about Gibson just shows your lack of intelligence so may be you should shuffle back into your cave I think your dinosaur stew is burning.
ReplyDeleteThe Chairman was correct in noting that Yesman had disqualified himself from serving on the Committee. I would go farther than that, Yesman by having made the offer is now conflicted out of even participating in the discussions pertaining to Park Street School.
DeleteRight. No point in having someone on the Committee of Fools that isn't part of the club. That would interfere with intentionally delaying dealing with the problem for another 3 or 4 years while the issue is "studied" again and again until the only solution is to pay someone to take it over with tax payer funds.
DeleteWell of course you want people who are trying to buy a building for $1.00 on a committee trying to decide what to do with the building. That is the American way, you have a politician who is attempting to buy the property for next to nothing decide the appropriate fate of the public building. What is wrong with these people don't they understand how we do things in America?
DeleteTo Anon 10:58 I am not in the so called "club", nor do I benefit from anything and I am definitely not a cockroach. I work, pay taxes (including school taxes and have never had kids attend school here). Yesman is finally showing his true colors. He conned the NoSag group (nope not a member) with his now you see now you don't see support, grand standed at budget time but now willing to spend. He sits there through meetings with this phoney smile on his face and you seriously think his $2 bid was designed to move things ahead especially after saying "what I do with them would be my own business". If you well.....here's your sign.
ReplyDeleteS/B ...if you do here's your sign.
DeleteSomeone should start a lottery pool to guess the date JW or some other infamous do gooder is awarded the school as a personal property buffer or arts studio.
ReplyDeleteSpringfield has turned into a haven for self-serving, idealistic fools that have never amounted to jack squat in their entire, unproductive lives. Over 60% of the population is on some form of assistance. Content to feast off benefits and entitlements they want every resource given to them regardless of the hardship it imposes on those struggling to pay their own way.
Raze Park Street School, sell the property to the highest bidder putting it onto the tax rolls. Do not allow it to become the vacant, dilapidated, rodent infested eye sore North School is becoming.
With the consolidation of Springfield Medical Care, there is ample, inexpensive commercial office space available for school administration. Heck, only 20% of the new, 100 River Street is occupied. Let's find Peroti somewhere he can hang his hat.
Am wondering if you have any idea of the costs that would be involved in razing a school building which would expose the school system to all types of environmental costs that could be avoided via renovation. Its a shame that the efforts of NOSAG are being directed at killing employment in North Springfield rather than in getting the funds together to restore the North School. Perhaps if JW had worked with WinStanley instead of playing NIMBY the could have gotten the school restored.
Deletewell if you like smog this is perfect. a nice low pressure system holding it in the valley. kinda like today. breath deep smart people.
Deletemaybe the hospital will buy it so they wont have to pay taxes on it ,just like there buying the rec center.....
ReplyDeleteI spend a lot of time with my Webster's to make sure that all my comments are accurate. I even have my grandson who attends that school for the behaviorally gifted that the school pays rent to the Catholic Church to house. That's so they can sell Park Street and East School to Mr. Yesman. But I find your wording just confusing. Do you mean "they are" or "they're" or some strange use of "their", and is "wont" the same as "won't"? Is this the Woodchuckian that someone referred to? Have to take this up with my daughter when she gets back from Dunkin.
Delete