OXFORD — A public hearing will be held Monday, June 6, to inform voters about the Oxford Hills School District’s request to fund a $1-million-plus renovation project.
Voters will be asked in two referendum questions on June 14 to approve a plan to bond a $1.2 million project to remove moisture and mold from the inside of exteriors walls at the Otisfield Community School and an additional $105,680 to ensure compliance with handicap accessibility laws in the Harrison, Waterford and Rowe elementary schools.
The public hearing for the revolving renovation bond will occur prior to the regularly scheduled Oxford Hills School District Board of Directors meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the presentation room at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School. The hearing is simply for informational purposes and will not require a vote, Superintendent Rick Colpitts said.
“The ballot consists of two questions,” Colpitts said. “Both questions requires a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. The first is asking if the voters will authorize and fund $1,012,695 through RRF (renovation revolving funds) market rate bonds and district capital reserve for the Otisfield School air quality project. The second (question) asks for bond approval up to $100,178 for the Waterford, Rowe and Harrison ADA projects.”
Officials believe the Otisfield Elementary School moisture problem was caused by several factors including moisture from the roof coming through the walls, the floor and the blockage of exterior foundation weep holes by dirt caused in part by poor grading. Moisture is also suspected to have gotten into the walls through some leaking windows. The building opened in 1991.
Three other revolving projects will be funded if voters approve the request. They include $35,000 at the Harrison Elementary School to build a ramp and add automatic doors. The Waterford Elementary School has a $19,000 project to install a ramp and automatic doors. The Rowe Elementary School has a $51,686 project to replace doorknobs throughout the building with levers and install automatic doors for handicap accessibility.
The hearing is part of the overall budget-approval process that includes voter approval of the $34.6 million budget at a public hearing on June 9. The budget hearing will be held at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School Forum beginning at 7 p.m. That meeting establishes the budget that goes to a referendum on June 14 as part of the town-wide election ballot in each of the eight communities served by the Oxford Hills School District along with the referendum on the renovation fund request.
The budget and renovation referendum questions will be a yes or no vote on the June 14 annual town ballot.
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