Facilities report warns of multiple maintenance issues; committee seeks vendor accountability on failed fire‑extinguisher inspections

The district facilities director reported several maintenance and safety concerns at the July 21 school committee meeting and the committee asked for written vendor accountability and cost estimates.

Scott, the facilities director, described a series of issues: a sinkhole in the high‑school teacher parking lot near a storm drain that will require paving repair quotes; a freezer alarm that led to temporarily moving food; intermittent sewer pump station failures that staff plan to rewire; and a gym floor re‑urethane completed as scheduled. "The smell is atrocious," he said when describing the sewer pump problem.

A prominent safety item involved fire‑extinguisher inspections. Scott said several extinguishers across three buildings failed or were flagged because a prior technician reportedly did not perform full inspections. He said the vendor (now operating as Encore) told him the technician "was not doing his job," and that the technician no longer works for the company. Committee members demanded written confirmation from the vendor explaining the lapse and requested a count and estimated replacement cost to be presented at the August meeting. One member said, "We should probably get something from the corporation themselves in writing as to why."

The facilities director also reported readiness plans for moving students back to Millville Elementary if needed and said movers are on standby. He said some routine maintenance will be delayed until summer programs end but that teams are progressing on scheduled cleaning and repairs.

The committee asked administration to return with a written vendor statement, a tally of extinguishers needing replacement, cost estimates and an implementation plan for phased replacement to avoid large simultaneous purchases.