East Hampton High School Renovation Topic of Tri-Board Meeting

Three town agencies met Tuesday night to talk about issues related to the proposed $52 million high school building project, including who has the authority to dictate the scope of the porject. 

The meeting included the boards of finance and education, as well as the Town Council. Members of the high school building committee also attended the gathering. 

One of the questions officials are trying to determine is whether the Board of Finance acted within its discretion when it rejected the proposal and then suggested it would take another vote, and possibly approve the plan, if the building committee removed it a nearly $900,000 proposal to move the Board of Education offices out of a building downtown and into the renovated high school. 

Some building committee members have suggested the finance board can not specify such changes. 

Town Manager Michael Maniscalco requested a legal opinion from the town's attorney, who in a letter back on Monday appears to suggest the finance board has the authority to make such recommendations. 

"It would be the duty of the Board of Finance, pursuant to the Town Charter and Code, to review and make recommendations regarding all requests for appropriations on that project," the town's attorney said in the letter. 

No vote is expected at tonight's meeting. The high school building committee, however, is hoping the finance board votes again on the project soon. The committee has spent about $200,000 so far on preliminary work for the high school renovation and committee members believe the project should got to the voters.