Looking at the school closing from all angles

AMENIA — Many district residents have spoken out in favor of closing Amenia Elementary School, but public comments during the Town Board meeting Thursday, March 12, reminded residents to look at all sides of the story.

Wassaic resident Sharon Kroeger responded to a front-page article published in the Poughkeepsie Journal written “from the point of view of ‘what was good for the school district.’

“The suggested decision to close this school and shift the Town Hall to that building cannot be understood if viewed merely from the viewpoint of school district needs,� Kroeger stated in a letter read to the board. “One must evaluate the idea of closing the school and selling it to the town from the perspective of how it will totally affect the general public, e.g., both the citizen taxpayers and families using our schools.�

Kroeger argued that closing the school would not result in real cost savings because of the additional costs of preparing the building to be used as a town hall. She also said that the idea that extra space in the building could “be easily rented out to some business or organization� was unrealistic.

Finally, she said, “The long-term, supportive relationship which the town and the Amenia Fire Company have shared since back into the 19th century should not be severed.�

Euvrard replied he had never said that renting out extra space in the building would be easy.

The town currently pays $30,000 in rent each year to the fire company. It has been mentioned that the firehouse is looking to move as well, and while property has been purchased for a new firehouse, there is no timeline as to when the company would be able to start that move.

During closing public comments, fire company President Warren Gordon stood up to speak on the issue.

“Thirty-thousand dollars is two-thirds of our guaranteed income per year,� he said, stressing that he was not opposed to the town moving, but only wanted all the facts of the situation to be put out in the open.

“I’ve thought about this a great deal,� town Supervisor Wayne Euvrard said. “We all work together and the volunteers [on the fire department] do a great job. But we’ve been renting for all these years, and what do we have to show for it except a bunch of rent receipts?� he asked.

“What you have to show is the department that we have,� Gordon replied, saying that Euvrard’s comment seemed insensitive toward the fire company. Euvrard said it was not intended in that way.

“The worst thing would be to have the building empty,� Euvrard argued.

Gordon asked whether the town knew the cost of running the building. Euvrard said he did not.

Councilwoman Vicki Doyle read off the current building costs, as Webutuck paid them last year. Utilities and insurance cost $92,084, general maintenance was $55,000 and salary benefits and custodians cost $82,000.

“It sounds like you’re already in the door,� Gordon said. “I just hope everybody’s informed all the way. We would be happy to see a new town hall, but I felt like the firehouse was being downplayed in discussion. I was wondering how timely this information would come out before the vote is held.�

Lastly, Gordon pointed out that there hasn’t been an opportunity for another developer or entity to look at the building.

Euvrard said that the town owning its own town hall building was a matter of “civic pride.�

The town has recently applied for a $25,000 Local Government Efficiency Grant from the New York Department of State that would fund a feasibility study of the building. It should be determined within the next month as to whether the town will be awarded the grant.