NEWFANE — Here are some questions Newfane residents might want to consider before voting for the second time on the new Town Office building bond issue that was rejected by the voters in August.
Question: Did the Selectboard ever ask the residents of Newfane if they were at all interested in a new Town Office building? Answer: No.
Question : Was the Town Office Building Committee appointed by the Selectboard representative of the residents of Newfane? Answer: No. In fact, the committee was heavily weighted with elected town officials or employees who seemingly had a predisposition for a new building from the outset.
Question: Did the town issue a request for proposals, as required for any contract over an established threshold amount, before selecting the firm that developed the proposal for a new building? Answer: No .
Question: Did the Selectboard acknowledge a written proposal submitted by another architect living in town for a different approach - renovation of the existing building? Answer: No.
Question: Did the Selectboard choose to accept a petition for a revote that it knew contained some unknown number of signatures unethically collected by a town official in the Town Office? Answer: Yes.
Question: Did the Selectboard specifically seek legal advice about opening a new period for an untainted petition to be circulated, as was recommended at the Selectboard meeting at which they chose to accept the tainted petition? Answer: Unknown. Actions were discussed in an executive session, from which the public is prohibited.
Question: Did the Selectboard consider any steps at all to support the legal decision of a majority of the voters instead of accepting a tainted petition? Answer: Unknown. Again, any discussion took place in executive session. All we know is that when the Selectboard came out of executive session, it chose to accept the petition.
Question: Does the town of Newfane really need a new office building and the debt that would be incurred to construct it? Answer: No. All previous outside studies have concluded that there is nothing that cannot be fixed in the existing building.
Question: Do we even know how much a new building would really cost? Answer: No. The Selectboard, in dealing with only one firm rather than putting proposals out for bid, has no way of knowing. The proposed $1 million might be fair - or it might be an over- or under-estimation. And, when is the last time you know of a construction project that didn't wind up exceeding its estimate?
Question: In a town where the entire village of Newfane is on the National Historic Register, did the Selectboard give any real consideration to the repeatedly stated historical and emotional ties that so many residents have to the iconic old schoolhouse that serves as the current Town Office building? Answer: Unknown.
All we can know for sure is that an unnecessary new Town Office building proposal that the majority has already defeated once before has been allowed to trump every other legitimate concern voiced by the people.
Newfane doesn't need a new Town Office building, and the town certainly doesn't need another $1 million–plus in debt.