Lisbon Board authorizes advertising for lead maintainer position

The Lisbon Board of Education on May 4 voted to authorize advertising for a lead maintainer position while the board continues negotiating pay with the districts custodial union.

Board Chair Judy Jenks said the district needs to move quickly to fill a vacancy left by Brian McGrew and that the board has authority to post the position while the union rate is negotiated. After a motion to advertise was made and seconded, the board approved the measure by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

The action followed a presentation by interim maintainer Wes Greenleaf, who told the board that inventory and filing systems for mechanical equipment and spare parts are disorganized and hamper maintenance response. "Inventory of all mechanical systems should be developed," Greenleaf said, urging the district to record rooftop units, boilers, serial numbers and parts so repairs can proceed faster.

Greenleaf also flagged roof leaks and indoor air-quality concerns tied to damp ceiling tiles, and recommended the district consider a building management system to monitor boilers, CO2 and pumps remotely. "They're not cheap, but they are worth every penny of it," Greenleaf said of BMS systems.

Board members agreed the lead maintainer should be a full-time role; Jenks said the district is "struggling" and needs dedicated maintenance capacity. The board discussed timing: administrators may advertise and conduct initial interviews before finalizing the pay rate, but any offer would require board approval of a rate after union discussions.

The board recorded that members Jenny, Ian and Dave were absent. The transcript shows the motion was seconded (noted as "Joe seconds") and approved by voice vote; the minutes did not contain a roll-call vote tally.

Next steps include finalizing a job description, conferring with union leadership on pay and bringing a recommended pay rate back to the board for approval before any hiring is completed.