Finance Board Reviews

School Climate Control Projects

By Jan Howard

The Board of Finance heard a presentation August 28 by members of the school district’s Climate Control Committee regarding heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for Newtown public schools that are proposed for the town’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) over the next five years.

Superintendent of Schools Dr Evan Pitkoff said members of the committee visited all the schools and “looked at the guts of the buildings.”

The total cost of the program is $14.5 million, which, in addition to HVAC replacement in the Head O’ Meadow, Hawley, Middle, Sandy Hook, and Middle Gate schools, includes architectural, contingency, project fees, and moving and temporary accommodations (modular classrooms). 

The “most pressing” need is at Head O’ Meadow Elementary School, Dr Pitkoff said.

The Board of Education is currently requesting an appropriation of $245,000 for climate control engineering costs for Head O’ Meadow. Approval would be required from the Board of Finance, Legislative Council, Board of Selectmen, and a town meeting.

The project costs of HVAC replacement at Head O’ Meadow, estimated at $3.2 million with an estimated additional cost of $480,000 for modular classrooms for temporary accommodations for students, are included in the Board of Education Capital Improvement Plan for 2004–05. Approvals would be required from the Board of Finance, Legislative Council, Board of Selectmen, and town meeting. If approved, the project would be completed in fiscal year 2005–06.

Climate Control Committee Co-Chairman William Lavery explained that Head O’ Meadow was constructed with open classrooms, a philosophy prevalent at the time that later fell out of favor. According to the committee report, since then walls and other partitions have been erected to create classrooms in those open areas, in addition to other additions and modifications that have made it impossible to properly distribute heating, cooling, and ventilation to maintain uniformity in temperature throughout the building.

Forty percent of the school is currently without adequate heat or ventilation, Mr Lavery said. “It is very uncomfortable for the students and staff.”

According to the committee report, school officials receive daily complaints from occupants of Head O’ Meadow School that there is either too much or not enough heat or air conditioning.

“There is a pressing need for the comfort and health of the children and staff,” Mr Lavery said.

Brian Wetzel, an engineer with Consulting Engineering Services of Middletown, said the replacement would bring the school up to new standards and codes and in conformance with a new state statute, HB 6426. The legislation makes several changes to board of education statutes to improve and protect indoor air quality in schools.

The school is not in violation of the statute. Dr Pitkoff said, “We’re doing this because of the comfort factor.”

Mr Lavery said most of the equipment has a lifespan of 25 years and is now 30 years old. Dominick Posca, director of buildings and grounds for the schools, noted that “most of the equipment is due to be replaced.”

Jim Gaston, a member of the Board of Finance and the Climate Control Committee, termed the Head O’ Meadow project “a no-brainer” because the equipment is old. “The system is not set up for the school as it is today.”

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal noted that while there are climate control issues in the schools, it should not be confused with the air quality statute recently passed by the state governing air quality in schools.

However, Dr Pitkoff said, “If the law didn’t come out, we would still be sitting here.”

Mr Lavery said the HVAC program is not inconsistent with the state statute. “It would keep air quality so we do not violate it,” he noted.

Mr Wetzel said the boiler at Head O’ Meadow is good but there is an antiquated pumping system.

The Board of Finance was advised that there would be no school grants from the state for the Head O’ Meadow HVAC system. The project would take approximately nine months.

Finance Director Ben Spragg is to prepare a resolution regarding the Head O’ Meadow funding request for action by the Board of Finance at its next meeting.

Other Capital Improvement Projects

In addition to the HVAC replacement at Head O’ Meadow School in 2004–05, the Board of Education CIP includes the following for fiscal years 2004–2009:

2004–05, auditorium ceiling lighting and painting at Newtown High School, $208,000.

2005–06, auditorium flooring and seating, Newtown High School, $260,000; HVAC renovations at Hawley School, 1921 building, $1.51 million; HVAC renovations, 1948 building and 1921 boiler at Hawley School, $2.1 million.

2006–07, Newtown High School Academy, construction or renovation of a facility for 400 to 500 high school students at Fairfield Hills, cost to be determined.

2007–08, field house and restrooms, Newtown High School, $520,000; window replacement, Middle Gate School, $208,000; telephone system replacements at all schools, $208,000.

2008–09, athletic field improvements at Newtown Middle School, $1,344,000; HVAC renovations at Newtown Middle School, $3.73 million.

The Board of Finance also heard a presentation from First Selectman Herb Rosenthal regarding department requests for the five-year Capital Improvement Plan. For the 2004–5 fiscal year, town requests include capital road projects as a top priority at $2 million; revaluation, $225,000; Sandy Hook Center Streetscape Project, $200,000 from an outside grant; pumper truck (Botsford), $385,000; grader replacement, $250,000; Parks and Recreation maintenance facility design/renovations, $200,000; and Commerce Technology Park, $1 million.

A proposed design plan to renovate the police station (Town Hall South) has been moved to a later completion date in the CIP schedule and will not be spent until fiscal year 2005–06. The total cost of the renovation is estimated at $4.95 million.

Mr Rosenthal explained that the costs for the Parks and Recreation maintenance facility, which may be located at Fairfield Hills in the former laundry building, would be spread over two years. He noted that the Commerce Technology Park would be located on a 37-acre tract of undeveloped land that is to be conveyed to the town when the Fairfield Hills purchase is finalized. It would eventually cost the town $5.4 million by fiscal year 2008–09.

Further discussion on the combined school and town CIP is expected at the next Board of Finance meeting.

In other business, the Board of Finance heard a presentation regarding the Board of Education’s request for $500,000 for extension of the town water system to Middle Gate School.

The water system at the school has experienced several instances of coliform bacteria contamination and has had treatment for uranium and radon, according to Mr Posca. Systems for uranium and radon removal have been installed.

Mr Posca explained that the school is served by two wells, one that yields 18 gallons per minute and another that yields approximately one gallon per minute. Because of the low yield of the one well, “The state wants another well drilled, but there is no place for another well,” he said.

Ron Bienkowski, the school system’s director of business, said that the state’s Bonding Commission has given the water line extension project high priority with the likelihood that it could be funded at a two percent interest rate. Bonding of the $500,000 cost would be about $25,000 a year, he noted.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said in July that he would support the project in a different economic climate, but not now. “I haven’t seen the justification for it yet,” he said at the time.

Tuesday night, he reiterated that the timing is wrong for connection of the school to the water line. “There are other ways to do this,” he said, adding that bottled water is less costly.

Chairman John Kortz asked that the Board of Education submit a comparison of the cost of the current system versus the cost of connection to the town water system.

The Board of Finance also requested that the Board of Education submit a description of the work required for renovations at the high school to create additional classrooms. The expansion/renovations, which would cost $400,000, would create four to six additional classrooms.

Plans include moving the maintenance storage area to the former laundry building at Fairfield Hills opposite the Reed School and moving the special education offices to Canaan House.

The finance board voted unanimously to have Finance Director Ben Spragg prepare a resolution regarding the high school renovations for action at its next meeting.

The Board of Finance also appointed member Michael Portney as an observer for the Board of Education labor negotiations.