Daily Five: Legal Briefs on Paul Kadri Termination Hearings Due Feb. 4

1.  Today is Wednesday, Jan. 23.  Bundle up!  The National Weather Service predicts partly sunny skies, a high temperature of 21 degrees and a wind chill as low as -4 degrees. Tonight will be cloudy, with a low of 8 degrees and a wind chill as low as zero. There’s a slight chance of snow after midnight.

2.  The arbitrator handling the termination proceedings for Superintendent Paul Kadri is expected to receive legal briefs from both sides on Feb. 4. A decision would be made 30 days later. Kadri has been on paid administrative leave since May 7, 2012 after an investigative report was released in which multiple employees accused him of abusive and threatening behavior. Kadri issued a response through his attorney, saying the allegations are untrue.

Under the agreement between Kadri and the Groton Board of Education, Arbitrator Timothy Bornstein’s decision will be binding on the parties.

3.  School Board members plan to retain ownership of Fitch Middle School in case they need the building during school construction or want to move the school administrative offices there, board members told the Town Council Tuesday.

Board Member Robert Peruzzotti said an earlier estimate reported the school board could save $90,000 a year by relocating the administrative offices, but board members would have to pay some to relocate them. That estimate is not yet available; the board is expected to discuss the issue next at its meeting on Jan. 28.

4.  The budget process is underway in Groton. Town department heads submitted their budgets last week for the coming fiscal year to Town Manager Mark Oefinger, and department heads also included an estimate of what they expect to spend in the remainder of the current fiscal year.

The Town Manager must submit his proposed budget to the Town Council by March 15.  The Town Council has a pre-budget public hearing scheduled at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 5 in Town Hall Annex.

5.  Groton Public Library is holding a contest on their website at www.grotonpl.org to see who can correctly guess the Academy Award winners for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress. Those who guess correctly will be entered into a drawing for free movie tickets!