By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
While the Burlington Area School District Board of Education chose last week not to take part in a shared government facility, the other entities are moving forward.
M.T. Boyle, Chief of Staff for Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave, said the county is pleased with how the joint facilities study went, which included the school district, the City of Burlington and Racine County.
“It showed all the possibilities where we could be combined,” said Boyle. “We now know we’re going to be waiting on the city.”
Racine County is still on pace to tear down its current facility at 209 N. Main St., Burlington, in early 2018.
Boyle said the county is “committed to that spot,” located along the Fox River but just on the edge of downtown Burlington. She added the new county building would go forward regardless of what the City of Burlington decides.
“If the city wants to join us, that’s great,” she said. “But we have to move ahead.”
What the City of Burlington will decide to do remains to be seen. Mayor Jeannie Hefty said earlier this week there isn’t a time frame yet to make a decision, though there is realization that something will have to be done because of the Burlington Senior Center that is housed in the current county building.
“The senior center is the one that is most crucial right now,” Hefty said.
Boyle said the county remains committed to having a senior center in Burlington, and is evaluating all of its county buildings.
“The senior center is a joint county/city facility,” she explained. “We’re committed to continue to have a senior center in Burlington, and we’ll make sure it’s a satisfying solution.”
Almost all of the discussions regarding a potential joint facility have taken place in closed session, including at the city level. The reason is the discussion of potential sites, which could eventually involve prices and negotiations.
“There’s no time frame yet,” Hefty said. “We’re still going through all the steps on this.”
The city has two needs among its capital projects – a new city hall and a new or expanded public library. Both are currently in places where expansion would be difficult if not impossible, and both facilities are old.
The city’s financial plan could allow for borrowing in the next few years as various tax incremental finance districts close, but the discussions of a joint facility with the county has been on the city’s mind since Delagrave committed to a new facility for the west end of the county.
In the meantime, with the school district backing out, BASD Superintendent Peter Smet said Tuesday there are no plans on relocating the current administrative offices from historic Lincoln School.
“There are no plans at this time to make any administrative office changes for the BASD,” Smet said.
-
-
-
-
-