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Selectmen approve up to $100,000 emergency appropriation to restore Pearson School hot water
Summary
The Winchester Board of Selectmen unanimously approved an emergency appropriation, not to exceed $100,000, to replace the failing Pearson School hot water boiler after contractors reported cracked equipment and imminent loss of hot water that would disrupt summer programs and federally funded meal service.
The Winchester Board of Selectmen voted unanimously June 1 to approve an emergency appropriation of up to $100,000 to repair and replace the failing hot water system at Pearson School.
The board acted under section 912 of the town charter after the superintendent alerted officials that the school’s indirect domestic hot water system — an arrangement using boilers to heat domestic tanks — had suffered a burner failure and a cracked boiler. Dean Petrazio, the contractor on site, told the board the system has four tanks (heat exchangers), three of which remain in service; the remaining boiler has a visible crack and one tank has been isolated because of leaks. Petrazio said the system is near the end of its expected life and recommended a full renovation.
The town manager, Paul Harrington, said the building serves year‑round programs: day camps, a Park & Rec summer program and a weekly federally funded meal pickup program run by a community partner. Without immediate repairs or a temporary bypass, those services could be canceled, Harrington said. The superintendent and contractor described a short‑term workaround that would keep programs operating while a permanent replacement is planned and procured.
The motion, presented by a board member and seconded, declared the boiler failure a public emergency “threatening the health, safety, and property of the town and the continued operation of an essential public facility.” It authorized an emergency appropriation “in an amount not to exceed $100,000 for the emergency replacement of the Pearson School hot water boiler, including all associated equipment, installation, engineering, permitting, and contingency costs,” to be funded first from available FY2026 budget balances and, if necessary, from the general fund balance.
Contractor Petrazio estimated a project in the six‑figure range for a full renovation, but told the board he believed work could be completed under the $100,000 cap if the board authorized the emergency appropriation. Board members discussed prevailing wage thresholds and agreed to cap the emergency authorization at an amount intended to avoid triggering prevailing‑wage procurement rules while allowing the contractor to start immediate repairs.
Board members said they expected the town manager to manage procurement and to use available budget balances before dipping into the town’s fund balance. The board voted unanimously in favor of the appropriation.
The board directed the town manager and staff to return with firm bid/proposal numbers and implementation timing; members also discussed short‑term contingencies such as tapping existing heating boilers or running a temporary heater while the replacement proceeds. The superintendent said the school year had roughly two weeks remaining and emphasized the need to keep summer programming and food distribution on schedule.
The board’s action permits the contractor to begin temporary and replacement work immediately under the stated cap; the manager will oversee expenditures and report back to the board.
