Roof repairs among $400,000 in school maintenance articles

CONWAY — What's the best way to ensure that maintenance items are taken care of in 2012-13? That was just one of the topics the Municipal Budget Committee and school officials discussed Wednesday night. Both sides want the same end result but might have different paths to reach that final goal.

In what was billed as the night of questions for the budgeteers to address the school administration, budget committee chairman David Sordi got the ball rolling. "You've got roof repairs on the warrant. If they're not approved, what are the back-up plans," he asked.

The Conway School Board has two warrant articles related to roofs. Article No. 18 is for $105,000 to replace a portion of roof at John Fuller School while No. 19 is for $115,000 to replace a portion of roof at Kennett Middle School. Both articles are unanimously supported by the board.

Jim Hill, director of administrative services for SAU 9, explained the roof at the John Fuller School in need of replacement sits over the library, the kitchen and cafeteria.

"If it's not replaced it will continue to be patched as it has been for years," Hill said.

Hill added taking such an approach can lead to a roof shattering, which was the case at Conway Elementary School a few years ago.

"The first thing we'd do is call the insurance company," Hill said, adding that if funding was not immediately available 50-foot sheets would be placed on the roof and held down by tires.

Sordi then wondered if it might be a safety issue if voters in April do not approve the warrant articles for the roofs.

"Safety might be a little bit of a strong word," Hill replied. "It might be more of a health issue because if you have the leaking over the kitchen and cafeteria you have to worry about the food and the possibility of mold building up."

Sordi pointed out the work cannot get done if the articles are voted down and wondered if the school district might be best served by putting maintenance and such things like roof replacements directly in the budget rather than having them as warrant articles.

Fellow budget committee member Ted Sares said he "wasn't ready to say not replacing a roof is a health issue."

"I'm not saying it shouldn't be done," he added.

"I'm not going to say the roof is going to collapse if we don't fix it," Hill said.

Budget committee member Betty Loynd believes if the roofs are not replaced they pose both a health and safety issue. "The health issue is huge," she said. "I would not what my kids in a sick building."

Fellow committee member Kelly DeFeo agreed.

"It is a health and safety issue," she said. "People in that building are going to be exposed to black mold and dry rot every day. This is an important thing that needs to be addressed."

Mike DiGregorio, the selectmen's representative to the budget committee, explained a leaking roof can lead to more than water problems. "It creates rot and that leads to a lot of other problems none of us want to see," he said. "Jim, I know you like playing the odds and you've said in the past that if you put a warrant article out there and it's too big it won't pass, but I wonder if we would be better off with one maintenance article."

DiGregorio estimated there are about $400,000 in maintenance items on this year's warrant when you add the two roof replacements with Article No. 10, which seeks $100,000 for the school buildings maintenance fund (the fund will be capped at $500,000) and No. 13 asking for $55,000 to purchase and install a new heating and ventilation unit at the Kennett Middle School.

"That article could be generic and you could put the money into a fund like the town does," he said.

"Mike, you hit the nail right on the head," Hill replied. "We found out once you get requests above $100,000 to $150,000 the people tend to say no."

Dick Klement, the school board's representative to the budget committee, agreed with Hill.

"Several years ago we attempted to raise the maintenance request from $100,000 to $130,000 and the community voted it down," he said. "It was just too much money. We've since tried to put smaller, more direct warrant articles in."

"I think Mike's concept is sound but it brings up the fear of the voters," Sares said.

Should we consider putting maintenance back in the budget?" Sordi asked. "It's a concern to me if the warrant does not pass then the work will not get done."

Sares then posed a question to Hill. "Jim, what exactly, precisely is the best route for getting this done," he asked.

"That right there," Hill responded, pointing to the school warrant articles. "When the article is passed I know the money is there to get it done."

Hill added that if the projects were simply part of the operating budget if something unexpected were to happen, it might deplete funding for those jobs. "I know exactly where I stand with the warrant articles," he said. "We leave it to the will of the people."

DiGregorio conceded Hill's route is the way to go at this time.

"I'm still an advocate for having it under the operating budget but that's under ideal conditions," DiGregorio said. "I've lived here all of my life and I know what this building (the current Kennett Middle School) was like prior to Jim and Andy Grigel (director of buildings and grounds for the Conway School District) taking over he maintenance. Because of the unknowns doing it the other way, this is the best way — I do support what Jim is trying to do."