Subcommittee recommends pausing Middle School roof Phase 1 pending reimbursement and bundling with Phase 2

The Westerly Public Schools School Building Subcommittee on April 23 recommended pausing Phase 1 of the middle school roof work and instead packaging Phase 1 with Phase 2 for a later procurement and construction window.

Lede: Project staff told the committee that the existing EPDM roof is near a 20-year lifespan and that a code-compliant approach that avoids moving rooftop mechanicals (a roof recover) would meet warranty requirements while avoiding the substantial cost and risk of disconnecting 20-year-old mechanical units.

Why it matters: The decision affects when the district will bid and replace large portions of the middle school roof and whether the district will pursue reimbursement timing through the referenced school-building authority. Staff said bidding later, combining phases and aligning with reimbursement approvals reduces the near-term risk of inflated costs and mechanical failures triggered by moving aged rooftop units.

Discussion and rationale: Staff presented two options: (1) roof recover (leave the existing membrane, address wet areas, add cover board and new membrane) or (2) a full rip-and-replace that would add insulation (approximately an additional $500,000 on Phase 1) and require raising or removing mechanical units. Project representatives said lifting and re-setting mechanical units risks introducing operational failures and refrigerant procurement issues for older equipment. Garland (the roofing vendor discussed in the presentation) has said it would warranty the recover approach with standard 30-year warranty conditions. Staff estimated Phase 1 base-bid at about $1.49 million with an alternate for full replacement roughly $500,000 higher; combining Phase 1 and 2 into a larger 2026 bid would produce an estimated construction value of about $3.25 million for the larger package.

Reimbursement and timing: Staff said reimbursement (discussed as approximately 35¢ on the dollar in the meeting) and Stage 2 approval timing are driving the recommendation. Procurement timelines and subcontractor material availability also influenced the recommended pause; staff suggested re-bidding in late 2025 for construction in summer 2026 to allow for reimbursement processing and more favorable market conditions.

Committee direction and decision: The subcommittee agreed that pausing Phase 1 and combining it with Phase 2 for a later bid is the prudent course; no immediate authorization to proceed this summer was given. Members asked staff to continue refining estimates and to provide updated IR scans and contingency planning for mechanical units.

Speakers: Ashley Prester presented the technical background and cost estimates; committee members and project staff questioned warranty implications and schedule impacts. The subcommittee expects additional cost estimates and a revised procurement plan at a future meeting.