03/06/2002 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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v * folk s;:ngers, or story tellers, and they are all small groups. Mr. Thompson said he favors the auditorium since they are tearing out seats, and there could be a theater in the round, that could seat 100 pe:ople easily. He said it would be good to keep a good liaison with Mr. Hyland. He said it is the better of the two deals. Mr. Garland asked Mrs. Kilbane where she would have performances for her programs once the middle school has been refurbished. She indicated she has a real problem with the middle: school being refurbished. She thinks it may cost a lot more to re-do it as opposed to building sometliing new. She has been to other areas and has seen what they have to offer. She pointed out that communities use the schools as well. We need state of the art stuff for the kids. Westlake has a TV st<<tion and they go all over the state with the kids and our kids have nothing like that. They are the fur.ure of our community. Mr. Garland agreed and said our kids deserve those things. Mr. Garlan:d indicated he can see what Mr. Hyland was talking about in terms of making it into a beautii.ul area. Mrs. Kilbane can see that too but doesn't know if it's the best route. She used to work at a school in Lakewood where they tore apart the auditorium. It was very similar to the North Olmsted facility. She went back to see it and they had torn it apart, they took out the seats, and it just gave t11e school more area to throw in a study hall, to throw in a gym class, or whatever they wanted. She said we are moving away from the need to have places where we can have performances. Mrs. Beach said she can't fathom a performing art center connected to the school being supported financ:ially by the community any time in the near future. Mr. Garland said since a new senior center is being built, they should ask what kind of room, or stage can be put in there. Mr. Thompson asked him about the senior center. He thought they don't want to move. Mr. Garland indicated there is a group that does not want a move. Mr. Thompson asked if the board was still going to investigate the plans i'or the new library. Mr. Raig said he spoke with the Mayor. He informed the Mayor that the board would like to have some input or dialog before the drawings get too far along. The Mayor inforrr.:ed him there will be a community forum sometime soon, perhaps the end of March, and the Cultural Activities Commission should be there. Tliat is a place where the community will see the Cultural Activities Commission. The board should be prepared for that at the end of March. Mrs. Beach asked if they can be notified of that. Mrs. Rote, Clerk of Commissions, indicated she made a note of it and will make sure the board members get notified. Mr. Thompson asked if they will go ahead with the auditorium. Mr. Garland said he thought it is a done deal. Mr. Raig pointed out the Mayor- has a plan in mind where he has budgeted for PI improvements to be spent. He is not spending any money right now. He is looking to get quotes and bids on the, work and it is not moving forward. Mrs. Kilbane said there are needs beside those of the schools but they seem to be in conjur.ction with the schools. Their Christmas concert was the community orchestra with two players from the schools; So what a great way to pull it all together. She said they need a place to do that thougti. It was just too much at the middle school. Mrs. Beach had to leave the meeting at this point. Chairr.aan Raig asked if the board wants a coordinated effort for meeting with the library group. He asked the board members to start thinking about it so they can have an organized. plan to bring as a comm:ission. Mr. Garland said he thinks the problem is not knowing the long term prognosis for the middle; school building. He said you don't want to put in 5 million dollars if it gets torn down in 5 years. Mr. Raig_said the dialog needs to begin again on the physical plan for the schools. He said when t:hey do start talking about the master planning, to do a new middle school, would be around $3 millioii. Some people think it would be around $23 million. It is not the big numbers and they need to get that information out there. It seems people fear it will cost much more. Mrs. Kilbane asked how soon they would come back with another levy. Mr. Raig said they would come back in 3-4 years. Mr. Raig said the levy would last three years but they would still need to cut a million dollars. Mrs. k:ilbane pointed out that people seemed to lump the library levy with the school levy. Mr. Raig said the board should interact with Mrs. Martindale and then see the library plan so they can go to the meetir.g with the Mayor. Mrs. Kilbane asked if the city owns the current library building. She asked about the idea that administrative offices would go there. Mr. Garland said there was some 3