So, it's just one of those things that we need to keep our eye on um and make sure we're incorporating into our budget. Um the organizational chart that was listed in new member materials has been updated to reflect the most current version of what that org chart looks like. Um so please if you've been uh if if that is of interest to you, please go go and look at it um and see what has been updated. Uh, next Monday, the community relations subcommittee of the city council will have an item related to uh, creating internships for Greenfield public school students. They haven't actually officially contacted us about this yet, but I wanted it to be on our radar because obviously anything that happens with our kids, we want to know about um, and we want to be part of helping make sure that that experience is educationally sound um, and useful for us and for them.
So, what are we getting for the 7500? >> Yes. So um this is the each stage of the design can be done at at any point we could decide not to move forward with SLR for the preliminary design we would get all the renderings and we would get a rough um estimate of cost would be the two components we'd get with that. Um and last time SLR did the project with our original turf part of their drawings included some drainage systems that have actually been why the turf has lasted as long as it has. Um there have been other turfs installed in the area that didn't have quite the comprehensive systems um that ours have that have led to the longevity, but that's what's included in the preliminary design is the renderings um from the architects and the the engineers as well as the um the cost estimate.
>> And so when you look at WA de Peninsula as you talk about right next door is a county. So you got the you got the the gardens, you got the uh coconut island that belongs to uh the county and then you have Hilo Hawaiian and the rest of the land use com land use that is under DNR. So um that's that's a big picture when you talk about the YK Peninsula. So, with that said, knowing that we're in an urgency to get Banyan Drive up and running soon, where are you with the milliondoll and the community input? What's a schedule so that we can start to move and when are you going to do the RFPs? Once we develop once we have the issue on another bill we have taking back the the golf course from the Naniloas properties. >> Okay. Uh Senator I'll just take it one step at a time.
Um, Massachusetts Association of School Committees Day on the Hill is happening Monday, March 30th. It is something that if you want to attend the breakfast, I think you have to register for it. Um, we haven't discussed this in past years. It's happened in May and I'm just really thankful that Mask actually listened to us and bumped the timeline up. So, it's happening before the budget actually is being wheeled down the hall uh printed. Um, so this is an item where we we can choose to be there. Um, if you'll remember from last week, we did maybe it was Yeah, I think it was last week, we had a member of the public comment, how worth it is it to go to Boston versus making all the stops in Western Mass and going to people's legislative offices directly? So, that's a question that we could have.
And we can break that up into um and what we what we plan to do is break that up so that we're getting the cost for turf versus track. So if there is a discussion with the board of ed or the planning committee about how we would like to move forward with the capital plan that that is itemized per turf and trap. >> So Tim, I I mean I hear what you're saying, but I I'm I'm just wondering if if we're ahead of the game like has anyone talked to town council or the town manager about this? >> I I'm unaware of anything, but I'll be totally >> That's my that's my confusion, I guess. like it seems like some preliminary discussions before we ask them pay the 7500 apologize or whatever and I'm not saying that's wrong or right I'm saying like I'm not understanding the full picture like have we approached superintendent to the town manager the planning committee I mean it seems like there's lots of questions out there on the on the surface I'd say yeah I approve the 7500 let's figure this out because we don't want our kids slipping and sliding and getting hurt etc.
>> Okay. >> Right now um I'm focused on trying to get Banyan Drive or WA Peninsula established as a district. That's our first thing. Normally when we do a district like this, we would start to develop the district and then we would start the master planning process. But because the master planning money was appropriated, you know, couple a year and a half or so ago, we wanted to make sure we got to use that money before it lapsed. So, where we are in the master planning process is uh come this summer, maybe June or July, we're going to stand up that community advisory committee that I just spoke about that's going to have representation from cultural lineal descendants, from other people in the community that's going to help us shape the vision for the peninsula. Then later in the summer, we're going to hold um a community visioning exercise where uh we're going to uh our consultants are going to present all the data that they've learned about utilities for the district, the possible infrastructure that's needed, um other kinds of information and then have the community kind of present their vision for the district.
There's no reason that says we couldn't do both. Um, but the real question that I have for us that we might spend some time just doing some open discussion about is what are our what are our key legislative priorities? If we had to ask for three things, what are our three things um that we might ask of our legislators? All right, that got member childs. >> Reopening the study into chapter 70 in order to revamp it so that it reflects reality. >> Anybody else? Yeah, remember good one. >> Rural transportation costs pay them. child again. Yeah. >> The graduation requirements, uh, making sure that Greenfield has a seat at the table in determining what they will be. >> That reminds me, it didn't make it here, but there is, um, there is an online that the Morely's office is soliciting public comment on their proposal for the replacement for MCCAST.
up. But it seems like now with what you brought up, Tim, like there's missing pieces to this and and I don't know. >> Yeah. I I and I could give a really quick synopsis of what occurred. The board approved a capital budget pro uh plan. That plan was submitted to the town. The town reviewed that plan and uh community members came forward at that time pushing for what was in our second year of the plan to be included in year one. The town council uh took that feedback and and moved it into year one. Unfortunately, to the points made earlier there, you know, there's a window which we can, you know, advocate for these things and that window quickly closed before we were able to advocate for anything. I think there was probably ignorance among the community members uh about the need uh for such an item.
So that's where we are uh senator in a very nut in a nutshell. And I always like to talk about what is the end result. The end result is we're going to come up with a community master plan that hopefully I say hopefully reflects the vision and the voices of the community in that they have in Waka Peninsula. And the reason for the name Wakia is um it's place name for that whole area and it's not just Banyan Drive because Banning Jar is just one part of it but it's that whole peninsula including Coconut Island and which is which is integral to the area. So thank you Senator. >> It it's just a concern that that we have because several things that hopefully doesn't interfere with what's planning because we [clears throat] have several bills. Number one, take the golf course back within the Banyan Drive.
So, just so you know, if you have strong thoughts and opinions, which of course none of us do, um please go online. They're looking for for feedback. Um I could probably actually email that link out to folks tomorrow. No discussion. Just do your thing. Um anything else? U member Dykeman, I just want to acknowledge make sure that if you have something. >> Oh, I would um just concur that uh revisiting chapter 770. Um >> great. Thank you. Um yeah, mayor. um lobbying that the MSBA pay a larger share of the Franklin proposed tech school because that will have a an impact on on our schools as well and many students go there. 50% was low. >> Great. Thank you, member Goodwin. One of the things that different places are doing um is really looking at salaries >> and besides as well as healthcare >> looking at those two things um in the rural areas compared to the cities.
You know, they see a turf built across the street like not not too much uh before this and I'm sure there were questions about like what are we actually doing here uh that we didn't have the opportunity to educate the community around. Um so I understand where you're saying like this that wasn't our fault per se. Um, but it's not our students fault either. No. >> Um, or our community's fault that, you know, in terms of the the track being the condition it is. So, I think there's a certain degree of urgency that I understand. But it would have been we would have been moving it forward this year anyway, right? Like, and how things played out the way that we had intended. >> Totally get that. But I feel like it's very different after the voters already said no. >> Yeah. And and I heard it.
We're asking for $15 million to de demolish the country club on Banyan Drive. And just just a matter of where we are today and hopefully there's no stall as you already heard some some from some members of the chamber that was just recently said to move this along. But it it it's just a concern we have. But that's it for now. M madam chair and Mr. Chair. Yeah. Thank you, Senator Favlla. >> Okay. So, my my question is about the the new descendants and the cultural why would it be an issue. We have them on the board. Again, this is another reason why again a lot of our people have issues. Government want to sured the whole issue and say, "Hey, child, we're going to make you advisory board." These guys have deep roots generation of that area. Been left out for generation. And you heard the other guy said that's on the board.
>> Thank you. Um, and can I just get a sort of like informal poll sense right now of how many folks would want to go out to Boston to do some of this on the actual day of the hill. So, this is on Monday, March 30th. Uh, and trying to like make an effort to do that. In the past, uh, member Deniv has been excellent in spearheading our efforts to go out uh, with a bunch of other school committee members from across our region and sort of lobby collectively. Um, again, the other option is to do that, but here kind of do a road show up and down the Connecticut River Valley. Yeah. No, you don't have to commit one way or the other right now, but I'm just trying to get a sense of of what our effort should look like, what folks are thinking.
It was countless time. I was on the council 20 years ago. Everybody here knows that, I think, but I heard it so many times like, "Stop shoving that stuff down our throat. That's what you did with the pool." >> Um, and that's really difficult. And to be totally frank, I feel like that will be something that will come up in September, October. And I think with my suggestion of basically a miaulpa, an apology, a request for forgiveness, I think everything moves forward a lot more expeditiously with a uh with more people being willing or open-minded to supporting it. I think for me that makes a difference if someone apologizes. And this this wasn't us. It wasn't the board of ed. >> But um >> Tim, I'm just still confused. >> Yeah. And I don't even I mean the apology fine, but who's giving us this $7,500?
Oh, planning people, right? You just said about the other person that was there a long time try to plan this. Again, excluding the main people that have vested interest. I'm not talking about moneywise. I'm talking about cultural wise. Every time we put the money before culture, that's a that's an issue I have. And the whole issue about trying to cut everything up and do everything like that, putting the the cart before the horse, that that is not acceptable. So I don't know where you feel where you feel because you saying these amendments where you feel that it's okay to serpent seed the Hawaiian people >> by making them on advisory board. >> You see what I'm saying? I continue to do that especially on that island. >> So you I know you know the people that is involved. You know their lineage. You know their heritage.
>> You're going unless it snows. >> Okay. Out out to the out east or >> state house? I'd really like scheduling Zooms and doing it from the comfort of my own house rather than driving and parking in Boston and being stressed out by the traffic there. All right. Um it's kind of yeah we're it's kind of one of those things where if we're thinking that we would like to go and if we're thinking that we would like to have some more collective work um we are on a bit of a tight timeline to organize with the other school committees. Um however we have what we at least would like to communicate and I know that a lot of these are shared across the other school committees. Um, so we can we can touch base on this all again on our next meeting, March 11th. Um, because we'll still have a little bit of time.
Are we voting on it tonight to at least move that forward or is that kind of in limbo? I mean, we should be advocating for the kids, right? >> And and fixing this track is part of it, but this $7,500 doesn't fix the track. It gives us, >> you know, does it does a preliminary >> assessment, right? It's like I mean, so just to reiterate what I what I tried to convey before, which is the $7,500. So that's a motion [cough] to amend the motion to request a special appropriation from the town council. >> So So they >> point of clarification, the $7,500 is in the original motion that we approve that for tonight. Um, and then the amendment that Tim is proposing is that it doesn't come from our budget, but that the town council uh gives us that money. And in my view, that's a very small amount of money and it's going to hold us up for moving forward with uh this this project going through the planning committee.
You know the whole thing about their family being relocated and moved out of the area because of development. and all they wanted was a seat at the table and then you tell them no that's okay we're not going to do the house bill we're going to make you guys an advisory board because you know you get penny say but they don't have a vote >> senator you know I don't think this uh this the wa peninsula is all about money I think the primary focus um when >> I didn't say you just say in the overview >> okay sorry uh so I think I'm not trying to put the cart before the horse when I talk about the planning coming first. It was just because the we had the money appropriated to us and I needed to start doing that planning right away and then now the bill is coming work its way through the legislature.
Um, all right. And then the last thing that I've got in my own report, thanks Liz. Bye. Uh, in the chair report is we some of you may have received an email from Joe Cmerford um, uh, talking about a rural and declining enrollment schools week of action. This week of action is uh slated to take place March 9th through 13th. A lot of this will be um digital stuff, sending like video snippets. The theme is SOS, save our schools. They're asking for people to do like kind of like media publicity stunts and and things to draw attention um to the issue and to create more of a ground swell of support. Um and so I would love to discuss, you know, what anything we would like to do here related to that? What kinds of activities could do we think we could undertake? Um I believe that there is a deadline to get any pictures or video snippets into Joe Commerford's team by March 3 um so that they can include it in all of their big media stuff that they've got going on.
as we are doing it. That's how I feel about it. >> No, and I can completely understand where you're coming from and that was why I tried to convey before that it's less about the money and more about having the council have an honest conversation with the public. >> No, I agree with >> and that's that's really my biggest >> I agree with the council and the board of ed having >> better communication and also communicating better to the public. But I think we are on that track. I feel we are on that track with having this in the agenda right now. >> I I agree. >> Mark, did you want to say I I'd like to take the vote on uh on the amendment so that we can get back to the hopefully the original [laughter] the original motion. >> I just have a quick comment on the uh the amendment.