WHITMAN – As the town turns attention to the planning process for a proposed new South Shore Technical High School, the Whitman Building Committee’s last meeting on Tuesday, June 11, discussed current vacancies on their own committee.
The committee had authorized its submission of plan documents to the MSBA at it’s previous meeting, a special session held remotely via Zoom, on June 5. Hard copies are at the district office, according to Assistant Superintendent of Schools George Ferro.
Among those leaving the building committee is former W-H School Committee Vice Chair Christopher Scriven, who also submitted his resignation from the WMS Building Committee.
Scriven opted against re-election to the School Committee in the Saturday, June 18 annual Town Election.
“We also are required to have someone from facilities as part of the committee,” said Chair Fred Small, who also serves on the School Committee. “This was a little bit of an omission. … But, as we get moving, we do need a facilities person.”
Assistant Superintendent George Ferro had been assuming that role on a temporary basis.
“That would be Mr. Driscoll,” Small said.
New WHRSD Business Manger Steven Marshall, it turns out is also a Mass. Certified Procurement Official, (NCPPO), which Whitman is required to have on its WMS Building Committee project, so the panel voted to add Marshall and remove former Business Manager John Stanbrook, who had resigned during the spring, effective June 30, as the start of the new fiscal year began July 1.
The committee voted to remove Scriven from the member roster and added Driscoll.
“Mr. Marshall is starting already,” Small said. “I’d like to welcome him to not only the committee, but the district itself.”
Ferro also suggested the committee welcome Marshall as the new NCPPO, which Small said he thought had been done.
“I know you said he had been an NCPPO, maybe he can be NCPPO for this project,” Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak said.
Although Marshall has been attending meetings regularly of late, but Small requested that he be brought up to speed on “many meetings,’” of business.
Michael Carroll of Colliers, the firm serving as owner’s project manager, also made a report to the committee.
“When we’re talking about new members, we might just try to continue that trend,” Carroll said, noting that the Colliers’ contract had been extended in November or December, when they presented a work plan that had included a project manager. “We took a little time to find out who we thought is the right person for that job, and she’s sitting right here next to me,” he said, introducing Shirley Ng.
She said she has more than 10 years’ OPM experience, holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in architecture from Wentworth University. The committee unanimously voted to bring her on the team and then introduced themselves.
Techincally, the committee is not required to take a vote, Carroll explained.
“We’ve been doing it through this process,” he said. “We want to support the committee and the committee support Jeff and we thought it was proper to bring it to the committee.”
Carroll also provided a financial updates, but said there was new little to report.
“We’re pretty much just under budget here, we’re still on target,” he said.
Small suggested 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 23 as the date for the next meeting at which time there will be a cost estimate update.
Ferro suggested a virtual or combined virtual-in person meeting through Google’s platform, to accommodate any travel plans committee members might have.
The committee voted to hold that meeting virtually.
There were no schedule updates, other than to note the project is 60 percent through construction documents. Adjustments to the site plan were also discussed, including the location of the sports fields’ concession stand, and interior design concepts were reviewed.