Air, Water, And Space––

Finance Board Reviews Capital Projects For School

By Jan Howard

The Board of Finance took no action July 14 on three proposed capital school projects. These issues, in addition to the school system’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for the fiscal years 2004–05 through 2008–09, are to be discussed again at the Board of Finance’s August 28 meeting.

Financial impact statements would be required for the three proposed projects before being acted upon by the Board of Finance. The projects would also require approvals by the Board of Selectmen, Legislative Council, and, because they are all more than $150,000, by a town meeting.

The town’s Capital Improvement Plan is updated annually, according to Finance Director Ben Spragg. The town’s charter requires financial impact statements before the Board of Finance can approve a special appropriation, he noted. Though the money for the proposed projects is not approved, the annual cost for financing those projects has been approved.

Much discussion took place between Board of Finance members and Superintendent of Schools Dr Evan Pitkoff and Ronald Bienkowski, the school system’s business director, regarding proposals for “climate control engineering” for $245,000 at Head O’ Meadow School, an expansion renovation for $400,000 at the high school, and an extension to the town’s waterline for $500,000 for Middle Gate.

The proposed waterline extension to Middle Gate generated the most questions about the necessity for the proposed $500,000 project and the cost of an alternative, already being used, of providing bottled water during times of coliform contamination at a cost of $1,000 a month or at most $10,000 a year. The school system was asked to submit an estimate of other related costs in addition to the cost for water.

Dr Pitkoff explained that the school’s water system has to be tested regularly. If there is a positive test, it has to be shut down and chlorinated. During that period, bottled water is provided to the school. He termed it a “recurring problem.”

Mr Bienkowski said in one incident it took three months to rid the system of the coliform. “We’re trying to be proactive,” he said. “There are a lot of indirect costs with this. It’s another crisis we have to manage.”

He said there were two problems last year requiring the use of bottled water, the last of which was cleared up in March.

Testing is required year round at a cost of $800, he said.

Mr Bienkowski noted that the school system is second on a list of projects being considered by the state’s Bonding Commission, which will be meeting in September. If approved, it would provide for a two percent, low interest rate loan. Bonding of $500,000 would amount to a yearly cost of $30,000 to $40,000, he said. “It’s highly likely we will receive funding,” he said.

“We have an opportunity to move ahead with a reasonable chance of state funding,” he said.

He said the route suggested for the waterline is behind Sand Hill Plaza and would be one-quarter of the cost of running it down the state highway. If the project were to be approved in September, the earliest it would be completed would be in the 2004–05 fiscal year.

Board of Finance member Jim Gaston questioned if bottled water was a viable solution. “I’d like to know the extent of the risk,” particularly in using the water for hand washing. He requested that the town’s Health Department comment on whether this use was safe and viable.

“The biggest concern is in consumption,” Dr Pitkoff said.

Newtown District Department of Health Director Donna McCarthy this week said there is no risk in hand washing, but the water quality does effect kitchen operations. At times of coliform existence in the water system, Ms McCarthy said the kitchen staff uses plastic utensils and brings in bottled water for food preparation.

 “I have great difficulty with this,” First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said of the waterline proposal, noting it would be a $500,000 fix to save the Board of Education $10,000 for water. “I have a hard time supporting it. I haven’t seen the justification for it yet.

“In a different economic climate I would support it, but not now,” he said.

Mr Spragg said this week that the last two tests at the school had shown no signs of coliform contamination.

However, Dr Pitkoff said Wednesday he feels there is a need for long-range planning in regard to the school’s water system.

The expansion at the high school is needed because of growth in the school’s population, Dr Pitkoff said. The school had been extended to serve 1,600 students. It is expected that the school’s population would grow by 105 in the upcoming school year for a total of 1,532 and by 2011–12 to approximately 2,000. The expansion would create four to six additional classrooms, he said.

The expansion to serve 1,600 students also included space for special education offices, technology, and maintenance storage, Dr Pitkoff said Wednesday. “We need to recapture some of the space.”

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 over the summer.

The board was advised that the committee studying the climate control project at Head O’ Meadow School completed its work in May, and a draft copy is to be presented at an upcoming Board of Education meeting in August.

In regard to the overall climate control issue, Mr Bienkowski said that work at Head O’ Meadow is still on target for next year.

“The committee felt strongly about Head O’ Meadow,” Dr Pitkoff said. He noted, however, the cost would be one-third of what was originally proposed.

The system at Head O’ Meadow has exceeded its natural life, Mr Bienkowski said. “That system needs to be replaced.” No state reimbursement is expected, he said.