Questions Surround $4.8 Million Proposed Roof For Middle School

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — At its February meeting, the Gloucester Township Board of Education tabled a proposal to install a $4,769,099.20 roof on the Ann Mullen Middle School. The contract would’ve gone to Waterproof Technologies, Inc., (Tremco) and money would come out of the school district’s capital reserve, meaning there would be no tax increase related to the project.

But when asked by resident and Gloucester Township Republican Chair Ray Polidoro about the roof’s warranty during the meeting, Superintendent of Schools John Bilodeau didn’t have an answer, Polidoro said this week. A copy of the warranty later obtained by Patch indicates there is a 40-year warranty on the roof, as of 1995.

In addition to questions about the warranty, Polidoro and members of the public were concerned about the price tag. A local roofer estimated the project should check in at $2.1 million, Polidoro said. Finally, there are concerns about the solar panels that were put on the roof back in 2013, and whether or not a structural assessment was done prior to the installation of the panels.

The new roof is needed because there are leaks in the current roof, and members of the public have questioned whether there is a relation between the installation of the solar panels and the ensuing leaks. Polidoro said he understands the school needs a new roof, but feels the district isn't being smart about the way it is spending the taxpayers' money in this situation.

Bilodeau didn’t return a message seeking comment on the issue this week. The district hasn’t indicated what the next step would be after tabling the proposal. Its next regular action meeting is set for March 19 at the Ann Mullen Middle School, but it has a workshop meeting scheduled for Monday night, March 12, 7 p.m. at the board office, located at 17 Erial Road in the Blackwood section of the township.

Waterproof Technologies, based in Beachwood, Ohio, offers a comprehensive inventory of roofing and general contracting services to building owners and facility managers, according to its website. It is one of the largest roofing maintenance service providers in North America with millions of square feet of roofing under contract covering thousands of roofs with service agreements. It is a subsidiary of Tremco, which is affiliated with RPM International.

Tremco has faced legal problems in the past. In 2013, it settled a false-claims lawsuit with the federal government for $60.9 million it installed on federal facilities, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. It was alleged to have not provided discounts it offered to others, and marketed expensive materials to federal agencies without revealing that the same materials were sold for less money under other names. Under the terms of the settlement, Tremco admitted no liability.

In a separate lawsuit, Tremco paid an Ohio school district $3.78 million for defective, leaky roofs it had installed on the district’s buildings, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Patch file photo