By Tracy Ouellette
Editor
The East Troy Community Schools Board of Education had a special meeting Monday night to discuss the future of the Chester Byrnes and Doubek properties. The meeting was set in December after a private investor expressed interest in Byrnes and asked for some time to do a feasibility study on the old school and property to see if their plans were doable.
School District Administrator Chris Hibner told the board members the private investor, who wishes to remain anonymous for now, is now looking at a proposal that would include the entire 8 acres and both the Byrnes and Doubek buildings and asked for an extension until March 14 to make an official proposal to the School Board.
Hibner said the private investor is still moving forward with the financing and meeting with architects on their original plan for Byrnes, but in the interim had begun looking at the whole campus and what could possibly be done with other stakeholders.
Hibner told the board members the investor said he knew if both Byrnes and Doubek were purchased, the district would need to get enough money to house administration elsewhere.
Board member Mike Zei wanted to talk to the investor in closed session, which was what the meeting had been intended for, but Hibner said the investor was not available. Zei asked if they could get the investor on the phone to answer some of the board members’ questions in closed session.
Board member Martha Bresler said she was concerned that if the board didn’t put administration in Doubek there would be problems with the community.
“Two meetings ago 40 people demanded we put administration in Doubek like the referendum said,” Bresler said. “Are we even entertaining the idea of not doing that?”
Zei said there was so much misinformation at that meeting about the state of Byrnes that people didn’t really know what condition it was in. He cited the fact that studies have shown there is not an asbestos problem in the building, even though some people at the meeting said there was.
“There’s been a constant parade, for the last 2 to 3 months, of misinformation that has devalued the property,” Zei said.
Zei then went on to say he was in favor of the district fixing up the building, opening up the gym and keeping administration there. “That’s where I think it should go,” he said.
School Board President Ted Zess asked if Zei was willing to spend money from the general fund to do this. Zei said the district could borrow the money and District Business Manager Kathy Zwirgzdas said any money borrowed by the district would be counted under the revenue cap.
Hibner told the board the private investor was looking at how to benefit the entire community, including the School District, library and the stakeholders. He said if this new, larger idea for the combined campus didn’t pan out, he was under the impression the private investor’s original plans for the Byrnes property would still be on the table.
Zei said he was “annoyed” that the private investor wished to remain anonymous because he didn’t want to be involved with the controversy surrounding the School Board and district.
“He’s not out there taking any heat,” Zei said. “I’d like him to know what being a School Board member is like.”
Hibner said the private investor has been very respectful of the district and the situation. The board adjourned to closed session to call the investor and ask him some questions and then reconvened in open session to grant the investor an extension until March 14 by a unanimous vote.
