Trustees approve emergency contract after Montgomery Middle pool pump fails

The Cajon Valley Union School District board on Oct. 7 voted unanimously to approve an emergency contract for replacement and repair of pool equipment at Montgomery Middle School after a catastrophic failure of a primary circulation motor.

Mr. Heredia, described in the meeting as the district director of facilities, told the board the main motor failure occurred the previous Sunday and that the motor is embedded in a complex piping and sand-filter system. "It's not just a matter of replacing the motor — all the backflush valves and filters will need to be taken apart and redone," he said, urging immediate work to limit chemical and labor impacts.

Because the failure occurred after the meeting agenda was posted, staff requested — and the board voted to add — an emergency item under the Brown Act (Gov. Code §54954.2). Trustees then considered and approved a resolution authorizing an emergency contract with Modern Pool Concepts, Inc. to complete the work. Board President called for a roll-call vote and the motion passed 5-0.

Superintendent Moriro and facilities staff said the pool is jointly facilitated but maintained by the district and that temporary measures had kept circulation running only briefly. Staff emphasized that delays would increase chemical and labor needs and complicate restart.

The emergency contract approval authorizes staff to begin replacement work without competitive bidding under the statutory emergency exception; the board directed staff to report back on contract cost and timeline at a future meeting.