STATUS REPORT: NATHANIEL H. WIXON SCHOOL
The Select Board voted to recommend $300,000 be appropriated at Annual Town meeting for an “unoccupied’ building with minimal utilities and maintenance. At the Annual Town meeting (5-2-23) it was subsequently, unanimously voted to transfer $300,000 for the assumed cost of Wixon School. Anticipating problems regarding occupying the building due to insurance issues, Article 39 was placed upon warrant to allow for
Town meetings to be permitted to take place outside of Town.
After the vote was taken, the Select Board wanted to re-consider using the building, which was not funded. Initially the heat was turned on and the Select Board wanted to attempt using the building. Just prior to scheduling the special Town meeting (11-9-23) the Town found that the school had stopped all their maintenance required within their asbestos management plan after moving operations to Yarmouth (February of 2023) and the Town was required to have a plan in place prior to any use, per MA Department of Labor Standards, Lead & Asbestos Enforcement & Licensing division.
Two things were identified as immediate problems one being the Town was without an asbestos management plan (and no maintenance had been conducted since DY left), which is required prior to occupying a building with asbestos and the Town’s insurer considered this a vacant building which they do not insure. The definition of an “occupied” building by insurers as being occupied at 31% of persons daily, Monday through Friday, a number calculated at approximately 600 persons, for only those areas the Town was wishing to occupy, which was not feasible.
Other providers were sought regarding providing insurance for partially occupied building, but none would insure under those conditions. Our insurance provider strongly recommended turning the heat off and draining the lines and securing the building. At that point the Select Board reconsidered the situation and determined that the Town would need to self-insure and to reduce the risk of damage due to freezing pipes the heat was turned off and the lines drained.
Please note regarding the Town’s due diligence regarding the asbestos, as a stop gap measure the Town requested DY School District conduct an air sampling test to determine if asbestos was air borne, we received a summary letter from Vertex indicating that there was some minor damage to ceiling and floor tile, but lab test came back negative regarding air samples. Once we learned that DY had stopped their asbestos management plan, access to building was restricted and public use was not permitted.
11-9-23 at the fall Town meeting the Town voted to pay for the costs associated with an assessment, survey and testing for the Wixon school. Nitch Engineering kicked off survey work (2-27-24) and will be concurrently working on items including:
- Conduct survey and create an Approval Not Required (ANR) plan and as-built plan of entire property
- Septic System Inspections (three septic systems attached to School)
- Environmental Site assessment of property
- Review existing asbestos management plan and create plan for Town in the event of use
Other items identified during process:
- $1,200,000 - DY - $650,000 (operational expenses) + $550,00 (staff)
- $200,000 – Asbestos related cleaning and maintenance
- $$$$ - currently working on estimate for removal of approximately 5,000 gallons of heating oil from
- underground storage tank and subsequent scrubbing of tank and removal of tank.
- $18,000 Routine maintenance check of Generator showing need of repairs (notified 11-15-23)
- $5,000 Lighting Repair Auditorium, currently not functioning.
- $2,000 Boiler Pressure Relief valve
Future use is dictated by funding repairs, maintenance, insurance (requiring minimum occupancy), asbestos management, staffing, etc. It may be premature to entertain projected use until all the above are determined as to avoid an unreasonable expectation that usage is viable without considering cost constraints.
The Select Board appointed a short-term temporary School Building Committee to advise the Select Board on the Building. The Committee members are reviewing all documents and reports to date and will give updates to the Select Board and a recommendation on future use of the building.
Town of Dennis Wixon School Building Committee members were appointed on February 6, 2024.
- 2-21-24 - First meeting was held to establish officers. Set dates for individual members to conduct site visits.
- 3-6-24 – Discussion of existing condition assessments/evaluations and asbestos
- 3-20-24 – Building Commissioner invited to meeting to discuss questions, limitations, etc. Memo from ATA with updates on status of building evaluations conducted and current condition. Further discussion on condition, asbestos management, disposition. Discussed requests for expression of interests (received 6-2-23). Discussed possible questionnaire.
- Cleon Turner – Chair
- Alan Tuttle – Vice Chair
- Paul McCormick – Select Board Member Rep. & Secretary
- Jim Plath – Select Board Member Rep.
- Bob Prall – Finance Committee Rep.
- Chuck Deluga
- Gary Barber
- Richard Colby
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