Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Financials And Procurement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Elizabeth Forward board approves financials but withholds $47,000 emergency sewer bill for review
Summary
The board approved the October 2025 financial report and accepted the November/December check register with one exception: a roughly $47,000 invoice for emergency excavation/plumbing work at Central Elementary was excluded pending documentation on contractor selection and authorization.
The Elizabeth Forward School District board approved the district’s October 2025 financial reports and accepted the November/December check register on Dec. 17 while withholding payment of an emergency excavation/plumbing invoice tied to Central Elementary.
The treasurer presented the October financials showing beginning balances, receipts and disbursements. The board voted to accept the October 2025 financial reports.
During discussion of the check register, public commenters and board members questioned an invoice to Reliable Pro Plumbing & Excavation for emergency work that cleared a sewer trap at Central Elementary around Thanksgiving. Mr. Martel described the work and asked how the contractor had been selected; he also questioned whether the work’s emergency status was justified.
Facilities staff said there had been repeated odor problems at Central and that a vendor had cleaned the system twice before the contractor performed the excavation. Board members said the county inspected the site and that the work was completed, but several members asked for documentation about who authorized the contractor, whether clearances were run, and the contract amount.
Board members debated whether to withhold payment. One member noted that not paying could expose the district to late fees if the contractor is entitled to be paid for completed work; others prefaced that the work had been performed but asked to remove the single excavation/plumbing bill from the register pending follow-up.
The board ultimately approved the November/December check register with the Central Elementary excavation/plumbing bill excluded; a roll-call vote recorded the motion passing unanimously among voting members present (9–0). The excluded invoice will be investigated and returned to the board once staff provides documentation about selection, authorization and clearance checks.
Next steps: the district will gather contract documentation, vendor selection records and any inspection reports and present them to the board for review before authorizing payment on the withheld invoice.
