TM voters approve $1.36M transfer for senior center

By Mike Berger

Town meeting voters at Monday’s opening session overwhelmingly approved a transfer of $1.36 million from Canton’s free cash reserves to quicken the renovation of the previously purchased Knights of Columbus building on Pleasant Street into a fully operational senior center, perhaps as soon as next spring.

The transfer augments last year’s town meeting appropriation along with previous contributions from the Council on Aging to approach the project’s total cost of $1,759,925.

The town can now put the project out for bid once the money is available at the start of the fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Bob McCarthy, chairman of the Building Renovations Committee, which is supervising the construction project, gave voters a rough timetable for the renovations. He said that once the bids are awarded, construction could begin by October of this year, with an estimated completion date of April 2014.

Reacting to a comment that the project may still need additional appropriations, McCarthy said that to his knowledge, the BRC, which has supervised many town construction project, has “delivered on budget and on time every time.”

Resident Bruce Rohr asked McCarthy whether the BRC had tested the building for asbestos, structural damage, water damage, and contamination of the grounds surrounding the building. McCarthy responded that the only evidence of asbestos was found in the floor tiles, which he said will be removed in the next few weeks. He said further tests were done on the structural integrity of the building and on the surrounding property and they all came out in the town’s favor. A previous water break had caused the building to be stripped to the “bare bones” and no further damage was found, according to McCarthy.

Kevin Feeney, leader of the town’s ADA Committee (Americans with Disabilities Act), said there are 5,000 seniors in the town and the project makes sense. “This is long overdue,” he said. “I think it says something that a consensus of the board in this town supports it. It is not the perfect plan, but a good plan.”

Finance Committee Chairman Mark Porter said the town can afford the project this year due to its healthy reserve levels; however, additional spending beyond this year is questionable, he said. In their report to voters, FinCom members had expressed concerns with a “moving target budget” and noted that the project’s costs had risen from under $1 million to its current estimate of nearly $1.76 million. The FinCom unanimously supported the $1.36 million transfer but stressed that “anything higher will not be viewed as fiscally prudent for the town and its taxpayers.”

The FinCom concluded that the renovation of the K of C building would be a “significant step forward for the seniors of Canton” while noting that the building could be “added to in the future and will be designed to provide an eye to that future.”

Selectman John Connolly, who led the effort at last year’s town meeting to purchase the Pleasant Street property, said it was “about time” that Canton’s seniors finally had a proper meeting space. He added that they have patiently watched as renovations were completed at other town buildings, including the police and fire stations, DPW garage, and Canton High School.

“This not a luxury,” he said. “It is a necessity.”

According to plans released Monday night, the senior center renovations will include the purchase of new fixtures, furniture and equipment, a commercial stove, three heating ovens, a fireplace, dishwasher, a refrigerator, a 20-by-16-foot canopy, and fully equipped cable, phone and data services. There is also a contingency fund of more than $29,000 to cover cost overruns.

Although the facility, at 6,108 square feet, is not as large as some had hoped, town officials and COA members are happy with the location and the large number of parking spaces. The building will be upgraded to meet all acceptable building codes for energy conservation, accessibility and safety.

“No doubt it is an old building and there is a lot of work to be done,” said McCarthy, “but it is the appropriate time, building and place. It will be a step forward for the seniors.”

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