Advisory Committee delays vote on school AC funding
Advisory Committee · Meeting of September 30, 2026
Wellesley Advisory Committee grills dueling plans to cool four hot schools, votes on none of it. Permanent Building Committee Chair Michael Tower said an accelerated design track for Bates and Fisk would eliminate the three weeks of schedule float normally built into town projects, warning "the town will have still paid that design premium" even if the summer 2027 deadline slips. Citizen petitioners Kelly Norris, Dr.
Aaron Phillips-Syverson and Leah Zambetti-Ryan pushed a $3.67 million construction-funding plan using free cash, which stands near $37-38 million, saying it beats waiting on a debt exclusion that could fail. School Committee Chair Nikki Offenlock said the panel is bringing two separate motions because members disagree on risk tolerance. The committee also advanced a $350,000 comprehensive-plan request and a $15,570 internal Planning Board salary transfer, approving only its own September 9 and 16 meeting minutes, 13-0, before deferring every substantive town-meeting recommendation to October.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,520 words
Source: the Advisory Committee meeting of September 30, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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