Sewer work, ventilation and Elm Street traffic top facilities updates; board discusses turf and road cost options

Facilities Director Caruso provided the board with routine maintenance and construction updates: Woodland Heights completed epoxy floors in 15 bathrooms and removed two drain clogs; Elm Street will replace exterior trim with PVC and perform fence and erosion-control work; middle and high school gym floors received annual maintenance; and high‑school ventilation units and major ductwork runs have been installed and wired. The board reviewed upcoming sewer-line work at the high school: new piping is scheduled to be installed over specified areas, with construction planned on a Friday and the following Monday. Interim administrators said the work could reduce costs where pipe runs are less than 130 feet. Board members and city officials discussed traffic and access at Elm Street as the school year begins. City Manager Biotti and school leadership brainstormed short-term mitigations: additional signage restricting standing/parking, targeted policing by the Laconia Police Department during the first weeks of school and scheduling or pickup adjustments. Project Extra, a district program, does not start until Sept. 21; officials said peak parent staging occurs in the first weeks before that program begins. The board noted these short-term measures while a longer-term roadway solution remains unfunded. On funding, the board reported discussions with city council about using impact fees to pay for sewer work at the high school; the district has identified $58,000 (amount cited in the meeting) for that work and noted about $130,000 remaining in the impact-fee account for catastrophic events. The board proposed encumbering $300,000 to a facilities reserve and $100,000 to a turf account from fund balance, but postponed a formal vote until the next meeting to allow finalization of numbers. Leadership also shared two rough road estimates from district leadership: a “bare bones” option that could cost approximately $500,000 and a more comprehensive quote around $1.5 million. The board asked that future leadership meetings include budget and facilities stakeholders for planning large capital projects and that the budget and personnel committee be kept informed of construction quotes and funding scenarios.