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Region 4 committee backs design work for JWMS oil tank, school wells and VRHS water heater
Summary
At its Oct. 28 meeting the Region 4 Grounds & Buildings Maintenance & Oversight Committee agreed to recommend design services to the full Board for a JWMS oil tank replacement, well investigations at JWMS and VRHS, and a VRHS domestic hot water boiler replacement, citing safety and long-term cost concerns.
The Region 4 Grounds & Buildings Maintenance & Oversight Committee on Oct. 28 agreed to recommend that the Region 4 Board of Education authorize design services for three infrastructure projects: replacement of the underground oil tank at JWMS, investigation and upgrades to the wells at JWMS and Valley Regional High School (VRHS), and replacement of a leaking domestic hot water boiler at VRHS.
Fred Gerber, Facilities Director, presented engineering findings and options for each project and asked for the committee’s support to request design funding at the Board meeting on Nov. 6. On the oil tank, Gerber said a contracted analysis found repair-and-permit-extension costs would be similar to the cost of a full replacement and above-ground relocation, so he recommended pursuing design services for a complete replacement and relocation. The presentation also noted the JWMS tank is 22 years old and could be eligible for a 15-year extension that would require a new concrete top, piping, and a day tank for the generator.
Gerber described the wells as “in fair condition” but said there have been multiple recent malfunctions that caused schools to operate without water during the school day. Precision Engineering LLC has quoted $8,400 for a full assessment to identify upgrades such as electronic monitoring, pump and control upgrades, and other scope-dependent improvements.
On the VRHS domestic hot water system, Gerber said one of the two boilers is leaking; the system continues to operate on the remaining unit. He requested design services for a replacement system, with RZ Associates already contracted to prepare a cost analysis for other projects. The committee agreed to recommend the three items to the Board for action on Nov. 6.
Committee members highlighted safety and reliability as the primary drivers for advancing design work now. The committee did not approve construction funding at the Oct. 28 meeting; the recommendation is limited to design services and preliminary engineering so that the Board will have cost estimates and options to consider at a subsequent meeting.
Next steps: the committee will ask the Board on Nov. 6 to authorize design services for the three projects, and a follow-up meeting was requested for December to monitor progress and review additional information.
