Newbury Trustee Creates Task Force to Discuss School Building Options
Newbury Township Trustee Chairman Bill Skomrock announced July 29 he appointed a five-member task force to advise trustees during the negotiation process with West Geauga Schools for control of the former Newbury Schools campus.
Newbury Township Trustee Chairman Bill Skomrock announced July 29 he appointed a five-member task force to advise trustees during the negotiation process with West Geauga Schools for control of the former Newbury Schools campus.
Following the transfer of Newbury Schools to West Geauga Schools July 1, trustees expressed interest in taking over the former school complex and using some facilities for possible community, cultural and recreational purposes.
During the regular trustees meeting last Wednesday, Skomrock named the five township residents who will gather information on potential tenants, determine income and maintenance costs and discuss possible revenue sources from within the community.
They are former Newbury Schools Board of Education members Maggie Zock, Kimya Matthews, David Lair and David Gifford; and longtime local volunteer Carole Drabek, who chaired the township’s bicentennial committee a few years ago.
“I chose them based on their being active, knowledgeable and having a positive outlook in our community,” the trustee said last Thursday during a phone interview. “All these people blow me away with their vast trove of knowledge.”
Skomrock said the advisory committee will begin holding public meetings soon and will also hold executive sessions, when necessary, to discuss the potential sale or lease of the public property.
“They will investigate all options and determine how we can financially support this if the negotiation with West Geauga goes through,” Skomrock said.
Several potential tenants have already informally approached trustees to express interest in using some of the facilities, including the auditorium, fields and gymnasium, but he would not give specifics because all the discussions have been preliminary, he said.
“The task force will be discussing possible uses, potential tenants to support the buildings financially and how to make the property available for use by the community,” Skomrock said. “We’re looking at the whole enchilada and it’s a learning curve because not a lot of people have had to deal with this type of situation in the past.”
In addition, Skomrock is representing Newbury trustees on a similar committee appointed by West Geauga Schools officials.
He said he expects negotiations to begin soon because school officials want the former Newbury School buildings issue resolved as soon as possible.
“I’m excited about it and what this will mean to the community going forward,” Skomrock said.
