Some of you have contacted me to discuss the CHS Boys Locker room situation on the blog and to allow folks to comment/openly discuss the matter. So I started this post to allow folks to have a discussion around what has become a circus of a project. As always please keep the comments civil.
I'll post my thoughts on the matter over the next few days.
27 comments:
Looks like an adult trying to cause trouble and then strong arm the town into funding a new locker room. Slocum was obviously just making a point and not putting down the soccer or baseball players. I would question why Daly had to buy a full page ad instead of writing a lettter to the editor. a little over the top....it is just high school football....give up your gridiron aspirations.
who is funding 100 kids to be on the football team? That is ridiculous. Obviously the adults involved in this team need to realize that playing ball in high school isnt like being at U of Michigan. Slocum could have used some better wording but I think everyone got his point....some of the damage in the locker room was caused by vandalism. Put the expense to a referendum and see if it passes.
Good for Tim....enough is enough with the football team requests. How much does it cost to bus 100 kids to a game and put them in uniforms...I agree that the adultsinvolved should grow up and realize that there is more to life than high school football...the Rams must look really tuff rolling into an opponents field with 100 kids on their squad - LOL....
Tim Slocum hit the nail on the head with some of his comments. When my kids played football, one way to get the kids prepared for a game was to get them to create a rucus in the locker room. The more excited the kids got the better they'd play was apparently the thought behind it. So it's entirely true that damage to the locker room was a result. Who are they trying to kid.
just another example of why George W schurmm and his puppet slocum need to resign. They got caught with their emails then wanted to blame others for nasty comments. Sorry you just can't be trusted with the towns funds/decisions/
You may serve but you don't have the respect or the mandate
If this was any other project it would have been done already-this coucil of Republican clowns has got to find a hobby-let those who want to get something done do the job and schrumm and the gang get out of the way
this has got to go down as the worst majority in the history of Cheshire councils
Nov 13 can't come soon enough
Bye Bye Schrumm and your puppet Slocum
Maybe the football folks should have thought about the locker room before they did the field...but I guess that makes too much sense. Is it hard to believe that the majority of people in town would vote against this? We are cutting school expenses but building turf fields and now you want a field house? I applaud the current board for watching our tax money....maybe you can tell everyone why it has to be the worst majority ever? Is it because they don't bend over for the football crowd? I noticed Mr Daley has failed to comment on this blog...guess he used up his speech on the FULL PAGE AD.
The locker room project, unfortunately, is not as simple as say the turf field. The major issues that have been stumbling blocks for the locker room project are ADA compliance, civil rights assessment remediation items and money.
If you attended/watched the meeting last Thursday you know there are risks associated with renovating the locker room without addressing ADA issues. The risk being that the building inspector may not sign off on certificate of occupancy due to the outstanding ramp/elevator issue.
It's unfortunate so much attention (whether one agrees with it or not) has been focused on emails. The truth is the locker room is a mess and must be gutted if we're going to continue utilizing it.
To complicate the situation, PBC chairman Bill Purtill suggested that a seperate facility be studied, studied using a zero-based cost. I agree with him. Certainly, a seperate facility will add on to the cost of the project. But, as was done with the pool enclosure attempt, I think taxpayers in town want to know what such a facility costs, what issues it addresses and what the long-term operatins costs would be for it. Whether or not taxpayers will have an appetite for such a solution is unknown but I think it would be prudent to have a valid, factual study done on it.
I hope that the focus works its' way back to the locker room and working together to resolve it once and for all.
thanks Dave..i guess you are part of the worst majority ever...you voted for the pool and all its problems..you saved us no money...you need to step down...
yes I may have voted for some of those Repub last time but not again
We won't get fooled again
This is a excellent contact for new lockers are on the way for the boy’s main locker room. Such a excellent knowledge which you share above.
The town council had an opportunity to solve this locker room issue but it chose to do nothing.
The town attorney clearly addressed several areas at the last meeting. Perhaps one of the more profound answers/clarity was around the town councils' ability to allocate more money to any project if the project ran into unforeseen circumstances. In doing so, the additional funds would not need a referendum.
However, the town council chose to do nothing.
A proposal was given to the town council to utilize the existing space, work within the allocated funding and not build a separate structure.
However, even though the town council got their wish, they chose to do nothing. This is the "Do Nothing" town council and when something is done, it backfires. Cases In Point:
- Bubble (doesn't pass code, temporary permit, more money is needed for the humidification system). BTW the pool still represents a double tax on taxpayers.
- Police Chief Retirement Benefits Fiasco.
To name a few....now this town council can add the locker room to its' list of 'wins' for the town.
I believe the town council purposely and knowingly stalled the project so that no bids or work could begin during the summer. They stalled it so it would go to referendum hoping voters will turn down any additional money to fix it.
There's no harm in obtaining bids for the work so that a solid budget could be established. After all, isn't this what Shrumm and his cohorts swear by?
There's no other explanation for the town councils' inaction other than delay tactics.
Delay for what purpose? To increase the cost of the project down the road? To have the town sued for non-compliance with ADA and civil rights?
The entire town council is to blame for the inaction. Not a single democrat put forth a motion to move the project forward, alter it or offer other alternatives.
Mr. Ecke saw it fit to focus on emails rather than solving the problem. At least he wasn't on his iphone during the last meeting. I guess that's a plus.
Democrats and Republicans alike have failed the town on this effort. It appears that stupidity knows no specific party affiliation.
I have to agree with the town council. Put this out to referendum and let the voters decide. It's obvious that whatever money was approved in 2009 is not going to cover the actual cost of renovating the locker room. Additional ADA compliance issues have popped up since then further adding to the cost.
At the end of the day, taxpayers are paying for this renovation and it's only fair they get to vote on the matter.
Get some bids, nail down the costs be it a structure or existing facility and let the voters have a say.
HOT OF THE PRESS!!
Coach Ecke just got fired for cause. Verbally abused a female coach, blew off meetings, refused to apologize, and then was escorted off the lacrosse field/stands by police when he verbally attacked a ref over his son's treatment!
Rumor is he was given a chance to resign, but so far is refusing to.
Greg Ferry will be named new head coach in coming days.
Ecke and his ego had it coming. Couldnt have happened to a nicer guy.
Ditto on "couldn't have happened to a nicer guy." Hopefully all his past inappropriate behavior will be considered too.
What I want to know is why did it take so long.
Got to love how Ecke is spinning the situation in the newspapers. I feel sorry for his son and hope that his son recovers from his injury quickly. But it seems that Ecke is trying to justify what happened by focusing on the officiating. He's reached out to the newspapers to tell his story. But he's not telling what he actually did to land him into the situation he's in right now.
Diversion isn't working here Ecke. As your brother stated at a town council meeting, recently, we hold our officials to a higher code of conduct. Irony, love it!!!!
What do you want to bet he rallys all the players and their parents and has them show up at Thursday's board meeting. Wouldn't surprise me.
at least he got to play a game on the turf, right?
I remember when Tony questioned the student behavior policy and parents that might be considered "enablers." I'd hate to think that, considering all the circumstances past and present, the board is the "enabler" in the Ecke saga. Hope they do the right thing.
Check out the www.nhregister.com and all the comments on the ecke suspension story.
I have no comment on the suspension situation. It's a personnel matter and I cannot/will not comment on these matters.
Regarding the locker room...interesting comments. The issue for me is what does the Town of Cheshire want to spend on the solution vs. What the Best Solution is for the town of Cheshire.
I believed that the proposal given to the town council involving the renovation of the existing locker room was a sound one. It utilized the existing space without the need for a seperate structure and could've* fit within the existing $500K appropriation.
* Depending on a ramp vs. elevator the cost increase could've been between $25K and $300K. No bidding was approved so we'll never know.
In and of itself, the solution seemed to be the correct one. Until, that is, one looks at the outstanding Civil Rights Assessment issues and other issues surrounding the athletic complex.
I will detail the above in a seperate topic and also post the multi-page CRA violations and action items.
Some believe that investing in the existing locker room is money thrown down the drain (no pun intended). Better cost savings can be achieved if all of the issues surrounding the complex can be tackled at once, around a seperate structure.
Perhaps but right now it's merely speculation. The PBC is studying this option but more importantly also determining if a seperate structure TRULY can be more cost-effective in totality vs. a locker room.
For example, the CRA states that access to the press box is required for ADA compliance. Agreed. An elevator would be a $475K option. Building a free-standing buildng behind the stands doesn't automatically solve the ADA issue. The building will need to be designed with either a platform that is accessible for ADA and can be used for pressbox activities or an elevator or some other solution.
The point is that simply erecting a free-standing building doesn't negate or save the town $475K. It may still cost $475K or perhaps $200K for a solution. The point being that a structure is not a panacea for what ails all things CRA at CHS.
Check back on the blog in couple of days and I'll have more details on the CRA issues and locker room situation.
Just curious, how does the School Board decide hat the cost of a Field House is $2 million? Are they guessing?
What happens if it is $3 million?
I get it that something needs to be done about the locker rooms, but shouldn't there be a little more research? A freestanding fieldhouse may be the answer, but we need to get a beter idea of costs. Will the fieldhouse they are projecting behind the home fiel bleachers have an elevator to make the pressbox ADA compliant? Will this fix all the past electrical issues the field has?
Perhaps the $9,000 that was turned back to the turf committee could have gone to answering some of these questions.
Too many people just don't get it. They want to blame the TC when all the TC is doing is following the procedures. You can't just build a $2 million fieldhouse without going through the steps. Give them a break!
12:22. No, the $2M is not a guess but based on estimates received by the architect. I don't suggest that the TC simply approve this request without some level of due dillegence, a thorough one.
The PBC is currently researching a structure including the validation of costs, size, etc. I'm certain the town council will certainly review the PBC's findings and have a thorough discussion on this during the capital budget process this summer.
I want to make one thing clear: I've heard it stated at meetings that building a structure (like a Butler structure) will save money by not having to install an elevator in the stands. Some folks seem to believe, or want to believe, that the field house is the panacea for all things ADA and CRA remediation items. The field house is NOT a panacea.
Something will need to be done with the field house for ADA compliance and press box access. Whether that entails building an accessible near-ground level press box OR even an elevator remains to be seen. Simply having a field house doesn't address the issue. If $475K is the estimate for an elevator in the current stands than perhaps another solution involving the field house may cut that cost down to say $175K. Something will need to spent to solve this particular problem.
Building a field house does not solve the problem with ADA compliance around access to/from the fields. Sidewalks still have to built to remediate this. A bldg, in and of itself, doesn't solve this. It does, however, solve some related issues around the public restrooms, concession stand issues, etc at the field. There's potential savings that may be achieved around these items with a field house.
Including in the capital budget request is the total cost for ALL CRA/ADA remediation items including those associated with the field.
It's possible that money can be saved by addressing several related CRA/ADA items in tandem vs. having to sequentially solve them over a few years. This too, is being studied by the PBC.
So I would wait to read the PBCs' findings as well as the town councils' findings before anything is approved on this.
The Town Council has done nothing wrong on this matter. I don't fault them for being thorough and not rushing into something that could become costly down the road. I know many folks want the locker room resolved now, and I sympathize with them, but I don't want to throw more money down the drain (no pun intended) than is absolutely neccessary.
In the end, the taxpayers should be armed with the facts for all options being considered and have a final say in the solution. I expect/hope that whatever the final proposal is, makes it to voters via referendum this fall.
3:00pm. If what you posted is true then you yourself are no better than the department heads, that you allege, especially for posting rumors during school hours. I've notifed the administration of your post.
Does George W Schumm actually have a job/ I want to know if he actually works because he can tellus about all the "real world experience that is necessary"
Oh he doesn't? Oh that is a shame
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