Message	Wed, May 28, 2003 11:01 AM
From:		Brett Tartaglino
To:		StockbridgeMA_PlainSchMin
Subject:	Plain School Committee Minutes 05/14/03

STOCKBRIDGE PLAIN SCHOOL REUSE COMMITTEE MEETING
MINUTES OF MEETING

May 14, 2003

PRESENT: Tim Geller, Larry Kurber, Les Rathbun, Clint Schneyer, Jack Spencer, Sue Tracy and George Shippey 

ABSENT: Tom Arienti, Donald Oakes, Joe Ruggio, Rosie Schneyer, and Everett L. Jassy

Next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 11th, 2003 at 4:30 p.m. at the Town Hall

Jack Spencer presided.

Topics of Discussion:

Guest Speaker:
Rich Melluzzo from the Great Barrington Reuse Committee spoke to the group about some of the experiences that the G.B. Committee has underwent so far.  Rich reported that the goal of this committee was to put together and present a Request For Information (RFI) to the board of selectmen.  The committee began this project approximately 7 months ago.  Rich reported that the first step the committee took was to solicit information from the general public.  The committee conducted tours of the three schools (Housatonic, Bryant and Searles).  The committee also distributed approximately 1,500 surveys to the public and received approximately 200 surveys back.  The committee then used the results from these surveys to compile commonalties among public opinion.  Some commonalties included: the desire for tax-generating use of the buildings, no mass destruction of the buildings (i.e. leveling the building to make room for parking lots), and maintaining the gymnasiums as are.  Rich reported that the committee then developed an informational packet including data about the community, the school buildings and floor plans.  The committee sent this packet and an invitation to tour the buildings to Central Register and various developer contacts.  The committee also advertised in the newspaper an invitation to all interested developers an opportunity to tour the school buildings.  After the tours, the committee received a couple of RFI's from interested developers.  Rich reported that the committee members compiled all information from both the general public and the developers and looked for where interests overlapped.  The committee then presented this compiled data to the selectmen.

Survey Returns:
Jack Spencer reported that the committee has received over 300 surveys back so far.  Jack said that he would compile the information and try to send it out to committee members before the next meeting.  Jack also said that he would put together a 1-page information sheet about the committee to hand out at the annual town meeting.


There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.