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School committee presses facilities director over delayed window work and disputed slab at Riverside
Summary
Committee members pressed the facilities director for start/end dates, a contractor punch list and documentation after delays on window projects and an allegedly defective slab; the director said permits exist and promised follow-up and photos.
Committee members dug into multiple construction items in the facilities report, seeking clearer timelines and documentation for projects across the district.
Director of Facilities reported progress on several projects, including new boilers at Myron Francis (inspector approved), completed science classrooms at Riverside Middle School and phase-one work finished at Waddington. He said the district is studying morning drop-off traffic patterns with the East Providence Police Department and city planning to improve student safety.
Several members pressed the director for explicit start and end dates. One member recalled an earlier estimate of roughly $90,000 to $93,000 for the Silver Spring/Orlo window project and asked whether that figure still applied given work shifting into extended hours; the director said he would check and provide a written update.
A separate and more contentious exchange involved a walk-in cooler slab and a small concrete pad a member said was improperly installed. "They gave us an estimate...and they bamboozled us," a committee member said, describing photographs and an engineer's review that, the member claimed, showed missing rebar and other defects. The facilities director said a building permit exists, that the district is reviewing options and promised a summary and photos for the committee.
The committee requested the contractor punch lists, copies of photos and written follow-ups on any outstanding change orders or cost differences. Members also asked that the facilities team circulate dates, remaining balances (one member cited an outstanding $16,000 payment on a Phase 1 project) and a clear timeline for the windows and boiler installs.
Background and next steps: The director said the Myron Francis boilers should be operational early in October and that steel erection at Martin Mills is on track for a topping-off ceremony the week of Sept. 19. Committee members asked the superintendent and facilities director to provide the requested documentation and to circulate it to the full committee ahead of the next meeting.
