Article 8 – voting no, as a renovation project

I posted the following on the listserv today regarding the re-vote on the Tracy Hall geothermal project. Thought I would share it here. Following the listserv post, I add below an additional, out-of-box thought about the Tracy Hall cupola.

Listserv post

Public officials tout the Tracy Hall geothermal project as a renovation project, primarily because approximately $1 million of the cost is dedicated to improving the ventilation system at Tracy Hall. However, viewed in that light, the project proposal strikes me as shortsighted.

The contractor will be ripping apart ceilings and walls to install the ventilation system. Yet, nothing is being done to upgrade the electrical or technology systems within those same walls. Upgrading, the technology systems is an item on the Town Manager’s wish list.

At the November 20, 2019 Selectboard meeting, Mike Davey of EEI addressed briefly the question of other renovations. His suggestion was that the Town hire an architectural firm to examine reconfiguring the office and meeting space. Estimated cost: $10,000.  The Selectboard did not follow-up on his suggestion. I don’t know why. It struck me as a lost opportunity to improve Tracy Hall, at time when significant interior construction work was being done.  Penny wise and pound foolish?

Proponents of Article 8 say the Town needs to act now because the two oil-fired boilers that heat the building are nearing the end of their useful life. As I explained in a March blog post, the emergency is overstated. One example: neither boiler has broken down during Town Manager Durfee’s tenure here. I invite you to read the full post: http://norwichobserver.com/index.php/2020/03/01/condition-of-tracy-hall-boilers-do-not-justify-rush-to-geothermal/

I have other concerns about the project. My overarching concern is that the project was rushed to the ballot in March. Since that time, public officials decided to stay with the original plan. Spending $3 million of taxpayer money is a big deal. Yes, climate change is real. But, we need a more thoughtful and broad-based approach before spending that kind of money.

Out-of-box on the Tracy Hall cupola

While stuffing the Tracy Hall attic with insulation, perhaps the Town could place a WiFi antenna in the cupola. Free public WiFi on the Green! Better cell phone reception at Marion Cross School. And, in the age of Covid-19, a hot spot for K-12 students without broadband at home. Remember the micro cell antenna Verizon Wireless wanted to put on the Green? Offer the cupola as a site to carriers.

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