The Public Building and Site Commission (PBSC) learned March 1 that the Newtown High School auditorium project's current remaining budget will only cover about half of the total work that staff and district officials hoped to achieve with the major renovation.The Newtown Bee following the meeting that the design team for the project presented plans that fulfilled "the entire wish list" district officials proposed.Sand Hook School Moving AlongETH Boiler Project

Robert Mitchell, PBSC chairman, told

"The original number that came in was $6.2 million, but we only have $3 million [remaining] to spend," he said. "So the charge to our architectural team was to come back and tell us what we could do for the $3 million. Right now, for $3 million, we couldn't get anything done on stage - which is obviously not acceptable."

Now, he said, the challenge will be for designers and local officials to sit down and begin crafting an alternate plan that completes all required work, leaving the facility with expandable functionality so things like stage lighting systems or other backstage features can be phased in later.

"We want to complete as much of the project as possible, while ensuring that any add-ons that will come later won't cause a situation where we're taking apart or ripping up work that was already completed," Mr Mitchell said. "So we're going to have a workshop session with [Director of Music] Michelle Hiscavich and [school Facilities Director] Gino Faiella, to rework the minimum required work we can do under the budget - and then figure out what add-ons can be done later using other funding."

Mr Mitchell anticipates that it will take about two weeks to complete that task. Then he can approach the first selectman and school superintendent about moving forward with a scaled-back project, or requesting more money.

At the other end of the high school, it appears a troublesome roof leak plaguing the area above the new cafetorium will finally be repaired. Mr Mitchell said the PBSC received a "forensic" report that has finally identified exactly how and why rainwater is occasionally seeping into the new wing of the facility, causing interior and structural damage.

"The flashing in the window wall was not installed, causing the leaks," Mr Mitchell said. "The town doesn't have to wait to hire a contractor because it's an emergency situation. The leak got under the roof into insulation. And the only way to replace that insulation is to take the roof off. The water is coming in at the north end and tracking along the metal decking and finding its way in near the south end."

He said the Sandy Hook building project is moving along on schedule - with officials expecting to begin relocating equipment and furnishings from the temporary Chalk Hill complex by the end of May. Mr Mitchell said in recent weeks the design team was able to enhance the artwork program featuring various pieces of art that will reside in the new school building.

"That can be done at no increase to the cost of the project," the PBSC chairman said. "These pieces will serve as part of the educational environment. For example, there's a mobile sculpture that is part of the lobby construction."

To date, he said, the SHES project is 70 percent complete - and the light winter weather has been a "huge help," permitting crews to work both inside and out during the weeks when anticipated winter weather would have restricted outside work.

In other news, Mr Mitchell said a bid has been awarded for a boiler replacement at Edmond Town Hall. However, that project was also budgeted at less money that the lowest qualified bid to complete the work.

"We need to go before the Board of Finance to request some monies be shifted within the CIP [Capital Improvement Plan]," he said. "It's more a matter of shifting some funding from pocket A to pocket B."

The PBSC members were told that there was some funding available in the current CIP that could be shifted to cover the entire cost of the boiler project based on the low bid bottom line cost.

"We were allocated $300,000 but the project came in closer to $500,000 - so we have to move that additional $200,000 in the CIP to cover the balance," he said. "It won't increase the CIP."

The winning bid was filed by West State Mechanical of Torrington. Mr Mitchell said the bids were qualified and that West State was the recommended vendor for the project.