Select Board asks school district to inspect Tinmouth School, cites rot and missing clapboards

The Tinmouth Select Board agreed on Oct. 9 to send a letter to the school district asking officials to "observe firsthand the condition and repairs needed due to lack of regular maintenance," read Judy, a Select Board member, during the meeting.

In the letter Judy read, the board listed specific problems at Tinmouth School, including "rotting siding, peeling paint, missing clapboards, unsightly and dangerous covers over the heat pumps, [and] one even dumps water into a window," and raised concerns about renovations and abatement work (heat pumps, HVACs, radon detection, lead and asbestos abatement) that had occurred "with no prior consultant consultation or advance notice to the town / select board." The draft also notes that "maintenance and repairs by the supervisory district are required by the 2016 agreement between the town and the school district."

Cheryl (Speaker 2) told the board she had contact with the contractor; she said the contractor emailed Sept. 22 saying they planned to be on site "in 3 to 4 weeks," but that as of the meeting no firm date had been scheduled. Board members asked that printed copies of the letter be delivered to the district office and agreed to invite the school board to a walkaround at Tinmouth School on Wednesday, Oct. 15, arriving about 6:20 p.m. so the visit could occur before the select board’s 7 p.m. meeting.

The board also asked staff to bring a copy of the town–school 2016 agreement to the walkaround. Members said they would raise the building concerns with the buildings-and-grounds committee first if appropriate and follow up with the district about scheduling and contractor timelines.