No one likes paying rent for school offices, but finding a city-owned space for those offices has been equally vexing.
The Holyoke City Hall Annex needs costly renovations, such as improved heating and cooling systems.HOLYOKE – The School Department is likely to continue renting space for its administrative offices on Suffolk Street, a source of frustration for decades, for at least a year.
The push has been on from city councilors and others to move the school administration to a city-owned site and shed the rent that now costs $311,000 for space at 57 Suffolk St.
But where to move the School Department has been the accompanying issue, and that remains unresolved.
Superintendent David L. Dupont told the School Committee Monday the city’s request for proposals for space for the school administration drew only one bid. The bid came from O’Connell Development here, the company from which the city has been renting space at 57 Suffolk St.
The School Committee referred the matter to its finance subcommittee.
What it means is the School Department probably will enter into a lease for 57 Suffolk St. But that will be for only up to a year and then the school administration would find a long-term space, preferably one that the city owns, officials said.
“We should not even consider taking longer than a year,” said Mayor Elaine A. Pluta, chairwoman of the School Committee.
The issue has prompted criticism of the School Committee from city councilors over the years. It led to the formation of a new committee consisting of members of both boards designed to try to resolve such issues.
The city for the past year has been renting 57 Suffolk St. month to month without a written agreement, Dupont said.
Before the meeting, city Purchasing Director David A. Martins said the month-to-month rental cannot continue.
One reason the arrangement must stop is it violates state procurement laws, in which, when the city issues a request for proposals from property owners, a time limit is supposed to be specified and followed, Martins said.
Also, lack of a written agreement puts the city at risk because the property owner can eject a tenant or increase rent at will, he said.
One idea has been to move the school administration to City Hall Annex. One argument against that was where to put the departments that now occupy the annex such as the Board of Health and the Law Department.
But a further problem came to light Monday when Pluta told the School Committee it was likely the annex’ future for any city use was limited because renovating the old building would be too expensive.
Another option that has been discussed is the basement of the War Memorial, 310 Appleton St. The Council on Aging and senior now occupy that space, but a new senior center is being built at Beech and Sargeant streets.
But Councilor John J. O’Neill, a member of the City Council-School Committee Subcommittee, said the War Memorial basement is better suited for the Holyoke Public Library, which is undergoing a renovation at 335 Maple St. and will need temporary space.
Another option for the school administration is 728 Main St., which is currently used to store school supplies, officials said.