Finance Board Narrowly Approves Bonding For School Roof Replacement

It took a split Board of Finance two tries, and some heated debate, before one member agreed to flip his vote – only if his concerns were addressed – and authorize bonding for the replacement of the roof at Newtown Middle School.

At issue during the finance board meeting at the Municipal Center on Thursday was the middle school roof, which during the winter frequently leaks water despite annual repairs and poses a hazard to students.

"It potentially might cause structural damage," school district facilities director Gino Faiella said of the roof damage. "We know we have a leaking condition. We are putting children at risk. There is water infiltrating that system. I think it's paramount that we get that done."

Some finance board members disputed how to proceed with fix, and whether for now, more money should be spent trying to better patch the roof rather than allow for the issuance of up to $4.3 million in bonds for a replacement. Others said patching was an inadequate fix.

"There is water leaking into the cafeteria area," said board member James Gaston, who has a child at the middle school and supported the roof replacement. "If this was a restaurant, I'm pretty confident the Board of Health would close it."

Michael Portnoy, who believes enrollment trends may warrant the closing of the middle school, said given the building's uncertain future, he would prefer patching the roof for thousands of dollars rather than millions.

"I developed this scenario where we actually could close the middle school this September," he said. "There are scenarios that I've come up with that could close the school in September, if not September, then 16 months from now."

Although finance board members have been pushing school officials for a facilities review, the Board of Education has no plans in place to close any school buildings, including the middle school.

"The reality is, if I may suggest we spend a couple of hundred (thousand) making a really good repair this winter, that we would force the Board of Education to deal with the facility issue within the next 16 months," board member Martin Gersten said.

But other board members argued that even if not as a school, the building would have use in the future, and so a roof replacement was warranted.

"Regardless of what happens, it's going to be a town asset," board chairman John Kortze said.

Joseph Kearney, the swing voter who ultimately switched his vote and allowed for the motion to pass, said his concern was that the estimate, $4.3 million had not been fully vetted, and as a result, the town might be seeking to bond more than needed for the project. He cited the Newtown High School expansion project where the original estimate was high and when the project was sent out for a second bid, the one that was ultimately accepted was significantly less.

"I would feel better if there was another set of eyes on this – another professional set of eyes – I hate to say study, but another group taking a look at it with the charge of what can be done to address the problem at the absolute lowest cost," Kearney said.

But time was running out, particularly because summer was the best time for the work to be done, and the motion needed to pass for the town to apply for state funding for the project and defray overall costs, First Selectman Pat Llodra said. She also said the finance board had already authorized a $45,000 study, which was completed, and the report distributed to the board.

"We have these serious timing constraints," Llodra said. "It's a health and safety issue, and I think your choices are limited."

Finance board members said it was frustrating no members of the Board of Education appeared at the meeting to address their concerns.

Still Harrison Waterbury, who supported the motion, said he believed the roof replacement was completely different from the high school expansion.

"The Board of Education designed the thing," he said of the high school addition. "This is Gino sitting here telling us what's wrong – altogether a different credibility. I believe him when he says the building needs to be repaired…It's a completely different situation. It's an existing repair. It's not open space that's going to be something else. I'm disappointed (the Board of Education's) not here to defend it but Gino is here to defend it, and that's good enough for me."

At one point earlier in the meeting, Waterbury questioned Kearney's motives.

"I hope you're not sacrificing the roof to prove a point," he said.

"I never said that," Kearney replied.

Later, as a way to address Kearney's concerns, Gaston recommended passing an additional motion that said prior to the town accepting a bid, officials, including from the boards of Education and Finance, would meet to review and discuss the bids and options.

A similar meeting took place with the high school project.

"Enough questions were raised in that meeting and enough doubt put out in that meeting that allowed us to go out and re-bid," Kearney said. "I'm happy with the opportunity to have another chance of examining the question, and maybe there will be some additional information -- like last time, commodity costs plummeted. I can assure you Harry that I'm not trying to prove any point."

The motion to provide appropriation and authorize bonding was eventually approved by Gaston, Kearney, Kortze and Waterbury, and opposed by Gersten and Portnoy. The subsequent motion to provide for a bid meeting was approved by all members except Portnoy.