Sutton sworn in to Macomb school board
MACOMB — Emily Sutton was sworn in to the Macomb school board Monday evening at the start of the meeting.
Sutton took the oath in front of the microphone in front of about 40 onlookers who had attended.
During public comment, resident Bill Knox raised concerns about parking on the street near Edison Elementary School obstructing traffic on nearby streets. He said he rides a scooter so he takes extra care to watch out for school buses, open car doors and other hazards.
He said he recently found it almost impossible to turn left when he got to East Franklin Street because he encountered cars parked on both sides of the street, many with their car doors open blocking traffic, and people socializing in the street.
"For a few moments this week, (the street) was effectively blocked," he said.
He said the situation had caused another problem. "There was someone parked on my street in front of a neighbor's house and loading the kids - I think there were four that day - into a car. They trampled over some of the decorative plantings in my neighbor's yard."
He said he had contacted the school previously about the situation. He asked the school board if there was a way to "encourage some greater understanding" among parents who pick up and drop off their children.
Superintendent Mark P. Twomey said that the school had no authority over the streets, but also said he had contacted the mayor about the situation. He said that police were sending officers to drive Pearl and Franklin streets to assess what's happening and make a determination whether the parking situation would impede an emergency vehicle. If emergency vehicles could be impeded, possible actions could include limiting parking to one side of the street, or limiting parking during the busiest hours of the day.
Twomey said traffic congestion has been an issue there for years. "If you go back several years ago, we only had one lane of buses, and even the buses were pushed out on to Pearl Street waiting to get in," he said. IDOT came in to assess the situation. "They're the ones who helped us figure out we can actually do two lanes of buses."
Construction update
Twomey said that precast panels for the seventh and eighth grade wing would start being delivered in the third week of June. They will be placed by crane during the fourth week of June.
"You'll see the west side of that building go up very quickly," he said.
Floor tile for the restrooms and kitchen have been delayed because the contractor hasn't been able to get the materials. "They had a different type of floor they could put in if I would approve that, but I would not because, you know, right now, this precast and the roof put us behind far enough that, in my opinion, we should not start accepting less quality at this point."
As of Monday, construction crews were setting the grade on the south block in preparation for concrete floors. "Significant progress is going on on the inside," Twomey said. HVAC and metal stud walls are up and drywall was being hung, and some spaces inside were being finished and painted.
Board member Jim LaPrad expressed concern that the building wouldn't be ready for occupancy for the following school year. "I know we're aiming hard to get in in January... Which would be great, but yet at the same time, it's also disruptive during the school year, but we'll make the best of that, but yeah, really, so again, that's my big concern."
"I am absolutely confident we will be in the following year," Twomey said. He said that he meets with the contractors every other week. "They give a complete timeline of where's they're at, and, and what the project's like, so they're still pushing the envelope for this December transfer.... Like you said, if we don't get in there at Christmas break, we won't even try to go, because like you said, it'll be too disruptive at that point. So, we're in good shape, We're in good shape there."
This article originally appeared on The McDonough County Voice: Sutton sworn in to Macomb school board
