Committee refers proposed naming of Putnam gym for Representative Bud Williams to buildings and maintenance

The Springfield School Committee on March 27 referred a proposal to name the Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy gym after state Representative Bud ("Top Cat") Williams to the buildings and maintenance subcommittee for further research.

The referral was moved by Mister Collins and seconded by Miss Gresham; the roll-call vote carried. Mayor Sarno and other committee members described Representative Williams as "humbled" by the proposed honor and noted his community contributions dating to his days as a Putnam student.

What the referral does: the subcommittee will research details — including any policy, signage, budget or procedural implications — and return a recommendation to the full committee. Mister Collins asked that budget and finance review the item to identify any costs associated with renaming or dedicating facilities.

Context: members praised Williams’s local ties to the school (the gym is at Putnam, formerly Trade School) and his community service. The committee did not adopt the name at the meeting; it formally directed staff and the buildings and maintenance subcommittee to prepare findings and bring the item back for a future vote.