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FWCS declares emergency capital projects after fueling-station overflow; cleanup firm engaged for 130-gallon spill
Summary
The board allocated $117,161 from emergency capital for repairs across multiple schools and heard that a fueling-station overflow released about 130 gallons of fuel; Pete Smith said district contractors contained the spill, engaged Willow Creek Environmental, and filed with IDEM before the board approved the emergency allocation.
The Fort Wayne Community Schools Board declared an emergency to fund seven small capital projects and approved $117,161 in emergency capital spending from the district’s Capital Projects Plan on June 22.
Pete Smith, director of Maintenance and Operations, explained the allocation and answered questions about a recent fuel overflow at the district fueling station. Smith said a stuck tank sensor and a failed pressure-vacuum breaker combined to allow an overfill; "We lost about 130 gallons of fuel," he told the board. The district engaged Willow Creek Environmental to perform cleanup and filed required notifications with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). Smith said the district captured the spilled fuel before it reached a nearby ditch and that the cleanup was more extensive than initially expected.
Board members asked technical questions about glycol and chiller systems in separate line items while discussing the emergency allocations. The emergency declaration invoked the board’s authority under state law to amend the Capital Projects Plan without the usual advertisement procedures when an emergency exists (transcript reference to Indiana Code 20-40-18-6). The motion to declare an emergency and appropriate funds passed on a voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.
District staff said they have implemented additional procedures to reduce the likelihood of a repeat incident.
