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Belle Vernon board lists capital and operations needs: doors, vehicles, elevator, stadium repairs
Summary
Beyond the consolidation concept, board members reviewed a slate of capital and operational needs including new floor scrubbers, a shop truck, additional Ventrac equipment, exterior door replacements, elevator work, stadium concrete repairs and a possible video scoreboard; transportation staff noted 31 buses and 6–12 month lead times for replacements.
During the same meeting that reviewed the consolidation concept, district staff and board members reviewed a number of separate capital and operational requests that would either accompany or precede larger construction work.
Chair recapped a list of near‑term capital items the district is evaluating: floor scrubbers (roughly $100,000 in total, per staff discussion), a used shop truck retrofitted with a plow and salt spreader, an additional Ventrac (the district bought 1 last year for about $58,000 and looked at another with attachments), and replacement of exterior doors across multiple buildings (figure discussed around $150,000). The meeting also noted a needed elevator replacement or upgrade (the figure cited was about $155,000) and repairs to stadium concrete near concession areas that have begun settling.
Transportation and food service: The district's bus inventory was reported at 31 buses, with the oldest unit from 2014 and typical lead times for new buses around 6–12 months. Food‑service commodity contracts were discussed; the district recently contracted with Turner Dairy for milk with a one‑year term and a one‑year renewal option.
Other items: Staff mentioned potential purchase of a video scoreboard (estimated $80,000–$90,000), additional storage solutions for auditorium props and event chairs, and steamer/large kitchen equipment to be repurposed if schools are closed. Facilities staff urged the board to consider storage and staging during construction and to plan logistics for moving equipment and staging deliveries.
Next steps: The board asked staff to prioritize immediate safety and operational items and to include these capital needs in summer work planning where feasible, while the larger consolidation schematic design proceeds and public outreach is conducted.
