I simply cannot understand why the residents and the voting public of the town of St. Germain have no real interest in how their tax dollars are being spent by your present board of supervisors.  Since I have been in regular attendance of Town Board meetings, and Special Town board meetings, I am amazed that there is very little interest displayed by the voting public. Don't they realize that if this project comes to fruition their taxes will increase due to the funding of the proposed four million dollar project?

Sometime ago the Town of St. Germain entered into a contract with a company called Funktion Design.  The town has spent thousands of dollars to this company to come up with a plan for the future of the Red Brick School House and the current Community Center.  This candidate thinks that no matter what Funktion Design came up with, there was already a favorite conclusion of tearing down both buildings and starting anew. 

 Initially Funktion Design presented to the board four options. The Town Board felt that it would be too confusing to the residents to give them four options to chose from in a vote, so they initially approved Option Three and Option Four. Option #3 where the Red Brick Schoolhouse would be incorporated into the new building is about $500,000 less than what they are planning now, which is a complete tear down of the current buildings and a rebuild of a new single building.

I listened in amazement the other night as Funktion explained that they would propose two separate buildings connected with a common firewall. One side would be the community center and the other side would be the town offices.  The reason for this design is to avoid installation of a sprinkler system, which is required per code depending on the size of the building. When I question this I was informed that there are very little combustible construction materials and there is no need. What was demonstrated by the answers to me, was the lack of understanding of why a sprinkler system is required. People in a fire situation die mostly due to smoke inhalation, not burning to death. It is not about saving the building, it is about saving lives. 

The other thing that was interesting was an area of about 800 square feet for a kitchen. Now that's a pretty big kitchen.  The size of a one bedroom apartment for comparison. I asked if the reason for so much square footage was to allow for a walk in cooler and a walk in freezer, and the answer was no, if that was a requirement they would be outside as an addition to the building. If you want to see a walk in cooler inside of a kitchen, go over to the Subway. It is right behind the register. Tom Christiansen, the Town Chairman, told me in that public meeting that this size was to possibly have the kitchen large enough to provide a full commercial kitchen, should the community center be made into a convention center in the future. 

It appeared to me that Funktion Design has no idea of how a restaurant kitchen is constructed because these types of kitchens are designed for food preparation and work flow. As a former restaurant owner who built his restaurant from the ground up, I fully know all of the requirements and design requirements. I am sure that Funktion Design and the current board does not have a clue as to what NSF requirements are, and how they dictate what equipment goes into a kitchen. This is currently evident because of all of the NON NSF equipment there is in the present kitchen. 

There are unseen costs that are not being addresses that are on going. Costs such as a service to clean the filters in the overhead hood. They talked about make up air when installing a hood into a kitchen, but did not seem to know that the right hood has a make up air system already in it. Another ongoing cost is the by annual inspection and certification of the ANSUL system contained within the hood. This is also a fire suppression system, where if there is a grease fire, the operator can push a button and the entire surface area under the hood will be covered with a fire retardant foam. 

There was talk of possible fryers under that hood, but no talk of who was going to change the grease in it. Would you like to eat food from a fryer that had the grease sitting in it for months from a previous user. 

There was NO talk of the continued janitorial maintenance that would be required. With the proposal of movable room dividers, if a club, or temporary renter or user, needed a smaller room WHO was going to go to the center and do the room set up? Doesn't our current public works department have enough already on their plate?  There are many, many still unanswered questions that need to be addressed, but the expertise seems to be lacking in the current board members wheelhouse. They are completely relying on whatever Funktion Design tells them. 

Every time there is any mention of the saving of the Red Brick School House there are detractors on the board who want it gone completely.  Now this might sound like I am in favor of saving the Red Brick School House.  Actually if does not matter, for me. What matters is that the residents of the town get what they want and need, rather than some small group simply saying "Here, take this and like it, and smile when you write your check to pay for it."

I want what the town actually needs. What I will say next might cost me votes, but it needs to be said. I cannot understand why I, and other tax payers, should pay additional square footage for a  space in a new building for a club.  In other words why do we need to have a room solely for the use of one club or another.  Why do we need to provide a club private storage space for their things. I also do not believe that "clubs" should be allowed to bring in things like refrigerators or freezers to the kitchen for their own use, and again non NSF equipment.  No one asked me if I was willing to pay with my taxes for square footage for the sole use of a club.  My personal opinion is that if there is a common room, people should come in and use it, and take their stuff out of it when they're done.  The town, nor its taxpayers,  have any obligation to provide a private club storage space at the cost of the taxpayers. 

Here is a history that was given to me on the history of the Red Brick School House by one of the towns prominent historians.

     "On December 20th, Ted Ritter’s only objection  to option #3 was that “there might be problems” with the foundation of the school.  Last night, the board was told that a private group would pay for an exploratory dig to determine whether or not the foundation was good or bad.  I have a feeling that there is a much better than 50-50 chance that there is nothing wrong with it.  Over the years, the school boards and town boards, in their infinite wisdom, have sloped the ground towards the building rather than away from it. 

     So, when Tom Christensen said to you that the board is “beyond that”, it sounds to me that the members of the town board hate the Red Brick Schoolhouse so much that they would rather have the taxpayers pay a half million dollars more for a new building than taking a chance on the fact that there is nothing wrong with the school.

     Back in 2004, when he was on the town board, Ted Ritter drafted and the town board approved, a resolution to preserve and maintain the 1941 portion of the Red Brick Schoolhouse as long as it didn’t cost the taxpayers any money.  At the time, and now, I think that is a pretty ridiculous resolution since the building is town property and why shouldn’t the town spend money to preserve and maintain it.  On December 20, 2017 when Ted Ritter made the motion to demolish both buildings, he finally got his wish.

   Back around 2005, there was a referendum.  The question with the most “yes” votes was the one that would have spent money to remodel the Red Brick Schoolhouse.  But, that isn’t what the town board wanted to hear, so they said that they couldn’t make a decision from the referendum.  Then, at an annual elector meeting there was a motion to repair the roof at a cost of around $35,000.  But, again, that isn’t what the town board wanted to hear, so the roof never got repaired.  Then in 2017, the town board hired Funktion Design Studio to give the town board some direction.  Funktion actually recommended option #3, which was to preserve the Red Brick Schoolhouse and to incorporate it into the new building.  But, once again, that isn’t what the town board wanted to hear, so Ted Ritter made the motion to demolish both buildings and to cost the taxpayers a half million dollars more than what was recommended by Funktion. 

     Then to top it all off, Tom Christensen found out that the town board does not have to hold a referendum election to get approval for the new building.  It can be done at an elector meeting.  So, if ten people show up, those ten people can decide if the building project is going to through or not.  If you have any connections in town, that annual elector meeting is going to be held on the third Tuesday in April at 7:00 P.M. at the Community Center.  If you don’t want the taxpayers to have to spend a half million dollars that they wouldn’t have to be spending, pack the room with your friends!"

When speaking of the Red Brick School House another constituent wrote to me the following as to why they do not come to the town board meetings. Is this the typical attitude of the voters. I certainly hope not. Apathy should not be the rule of the people. They are simply worn out and tired of fighting? But you are fighting, because you have not put the people who feel the same way as you do, into public office. 

 "The problem is that so many people put so much effort and time to try and save it, and the board at that time just ignored and ridiculed us. Lets face it, the town board does not care what the people that voted them in have to say. They took away the citizens concerns part of the meetings for a reason. They follow their own agenda. We voted to save the Red Brick, and our organization paid to have the boiler repaired and working. They turned around and had the boiler lines literally cut, causing more damage. Not mentioning names but that previous board member that ordered it was a bully to one of the seniors that was the head of our committee. I personally do not have the time nor money it takes to fight anymore. The board has no respect for their constituents. Never has. Time to vote them out." (edited for grammar and punctuation)

Well folks this is your opportunity to let the town board know what you the tax payers want from the town to enact. I can assure you that if elected I will listen to the people. I have no hidden agenda here. I am running for office because I am not happy about the way things are being done now. I know I have the qualifications to fill the gaps and bring knowledge and expertise to the current board. I am a Certified Project Manager, Certified Telecommunications Engineer, possess a Master's Degree in Management, a Degree in Labor Law, a Degree in Applied Behavioral Science and a Degree in Computer Science. I have also taken advanced classes at both Harvard and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  I am also the President of a non profit known as Soldiers on Sleds. So come on out on April 3rd and cast you vote for Jack Bourgeois and help decide the future of this town.  Put some expertise back on the board: Vote for Jack.