The Board of Finance hosted local school officials and members of the Board of Education September 12 for a review of the district's five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

The district's CIP along with a similar plan that defines planned town capital projects are reviewed and approved annually, and serve as a guideline primarily for bonding, although related grant-funded and other revenue sources are also included in the CIP's metrics when applicable.

School district Business Manager Ron Bienkowski, Facilities Director Gino Faiella, school board Chairman Keith Alexander, and board members Rebekah Harriman-Stites and Debbie Leidlein were also on hand, along with First Selectman Pat Llodra.

Ms Leidlein and Mr Bienkowski handled the CIP presentation. Ms Leidlein began by explaining the additional request for future funding to supplement the Newtown High School auditorium project in the next fiscal cycle. That top-ranked project, earmarked for the 2017 fiscal cycle, is requesting an additional $850,000 - and represents the only new addition to the district's CIP since last year, according to documentation that was circulated at the meeting.

Finance Board member Kelley Johnson asked if the Phase 2 auditorium expenditure included a sound system, reminding school officials that conforming to the Americans With Disability Act standards requires the room to have a functional sound system.

Mr Faiella replied that A/V and lighting, rigging and sound infrastructure will all be completed as part of Phase 1, with the Phase 2 project planned to run concurrently and including sound equipment.

Finance board Vice Chairman John Godin asked the school officials to briefly review the history of the auditorium project. Mr Faiella responded saying years ago, the project was initially planned as a face lift.

"Then we started looking at ADA requirements," he said. "This project involves all construction features to make the building viable. But based on the budget, we don't have enough to do the Phase 2 work. That's rigging, lighting, and sound equipment."

Mr Alexander further explained that between the time the initial phase of work is completed, permitting some limited use of the space, and when appropriate theater sound equipment is installed, there will be a functional sound system available, but not one that is "optimal for the room."

"There is wiring infrastructure to add on optimal features," he added. "But a more functional system will be operative when Phase 1 is complete."

Mrs Llodra said the project's initial design was centered on safety code and ADA conformity, "then it morphed into what you see."

Roof Reimbursements Likely

Switching to the Hawley and Middle gate roof replacements - requested at $850,000 in the 2017 fiscal year for Hawley, and $1.59 million for 2018 for Middle Gate - Mr Bienkowski reminded the finance officials that both expenditures are qualified for partial (currently 36 percent) state reimbursement because the replacements will occur past the 20-year life expectancy window of the current roof materials.

Finance Chairman James Gaston asked if any savings could be achieved if both the Hawley roof, and a requested two-phase boiler replacement could be completed at the same time. Mr Bienkowski replied that the boiler expenditures - earmarked at $1,712,000 in 2018, and $4,452,000 in 2019 - represent two separate contracts that he believes are too small individually to employ a general contractor.

"You could combine both contracts, but I don't think you'll find a GC that would take on both," the business manager added.

Mr Gaston continued, asking if another planned boiler project at the middle school - requested for 2017 at $1.8 million - needed to be done regardless of what the district decides to do with the school. Currently the school board and district officials are evaluating a facilities study, and grappling with the question of whether to close and repurpose one or more school facilities because of rapidly declining enrollment.

Mr Faiella fielded that query, saying in no uncertain terms that "regardless, the boiler is on the edge." Mrs Llodra concurred, saying to keep the middle school viable, the boiler replacement needs to be done.

"The justification stands on its own," she added.

Finance board member Sandy Roussas asked how school officials came up with the cost estimates for the projects requested.

Mr Faiella said that some estimates are provided from engineers, some by architects, and some by district and town energy management companies.

"These are real numbers, not just dreamed up," he said.

Finance board member Aaron Carlson asked how school officials prioritize and sequence what projects get plugged into which year.

Mr Faiella said Hawley "is in a little worse shape than Middle Gate, but boilers keep me awake. If we don't have boilers, we don't have a school. And we have a lot of old boiler plants in these schools."

Taking A 'Boiler Tour'

Ms Leidlein mentioned that Mr Faiella took her on a "boiler tour" when she was elected to the school board.

"I call him the McGuiver of boilers," she said, referring to the crafty TV character who was known to create complex solutions to situations using common products and objects.

"He does a good job of letting us know the condition, and life expectancy," she added. "At the middle school, if we lose one boiler, we're in trouble."

Mr Faiella said the middle school boilers are vintage 1952 units, and two of the school's boiler plants are already decommissioned.

Finance board member Mark Boland wondered why the costly HVAC projects at the middle school and Hawley were not being phased over two years.

Mr Faiella said Hawley is an active ventilation system with added air conditioning. He explained that Hawley staffers cannot open windows on Church Hill Road because of noise, emissions, and other environmental factors.

"You need a ventilation system," he said. "When you do that you need electrical, duct work; you have to do it at the same time. The middle school is the same. When you're doing ventilation, it makes sense to do A/C."

That turned the discussion to the request for $1.8 million in 2017 for the middle school boiler and piping project, and its related ventilation renovations earmarked in the 2021 fiscal cycle for $4.8 million.

Mr Faiella said the six or eight rooftop air conditioning units at the middle school are 1986 vintage, "so the time is right to add on the cafeteria and auditorium. Both rooms are very uncomfortable."

Responding to a question from Ms Roussas about why the middle school project estimate was reduced between last year's and the current CIP, Mr Faiella said the middle school estimates were reduced from $2.2 million to $1.8 million with more comprehensive input from district energy consultants.

"That $1.8 million gives us gas boilers, all asbestos abatement, and all LED lighting," he said. "I believe initially we'll see between $70,000 to $80,000 in cost savings annually - [consultants'] savings estimates are much higher. I want to wait and see."

The final CIP request under scrutiny by finance officials was a $300,000 request for a high school fieldhouse in the 2020 fiscal cycle. Mr Faiella said that the new structure would be designed to replace unsightly metal containers currently serving sports teams and the marching band and color guard as storage units.

He said that with the availability of the fieldhouse, some modest budgetary savings might be achieved because custodial availability may no longer be required as it is now, any time sports teams or the band and guard need access to the temporary industrial containers. But it has yet to be determined if any real savings might result.

Once approved by the finance board, the town and school CIPs move to the Legislative Council for approval.