Community Corner

Letter to the Editor: Town Council Member Urges Voters to Approve Wickford El. Bond

Town Council member Chuck Brennan is urging voters to approve a bond to convert Wickford Elementary School.

I am in favor of the bond referendum to . The main reason for being in favor of the project is that the two groups that spend all the tax money (the town government and school department), work in two different locations and have very little interaction.

I believe that both groups would have better working relations if they worked in the same building. We may actually find ways to consolidate some services. I envision perhaps one office responsible for human relations handling employee benefits and other issues. In other words, there is the potential for more efficient operations and cost savings.

The is 123 years old and past it's serviceable life and is not a modern workspace. The was supposed to be replaced 10 years ago, but a decision was made to hold off at that time. This year the town council asked an architect to look at Wickford Elementary to see if the building was viable and give us a cost estimate. He said the building was in good shape and was viable. He came up with a . We asked the Facilities Management and Planning Subcommittee to look at the project. This committee works on the school side to review projects and make recommendations. The committee is made up of all local people with different expertise in the construction industry. They were able to cut almost .

This project would also preserve Wickford Elementary as a town building with continued good use for many years to come. Please come out on September 13 to support this bond.

Chuck Brennan,

North Kingstown Town Council

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