Town to vote on school roof
Toolbox
By PATRICIA MINICHIELLO Staff Writer - Published: July 3, 2009
Classrooms lined with buckets tell the story of a school roof in disrepair, the fate of which will be decided by Rutland Town residents during a special vote this month.
The vote, scheduled for July 21, asks residents to approve two articles to pay for a new asphalt shingle roof at the town school, covering 81,200 square feet.
The first article seeks approval to move a budget surplus of $290,000 from the general fund into the capital improvement fund. The second seeks approval to use the expenditure in the capital improvement fund, a total of $499,000 to pay for the roof.
School officials put the total cost of replacing the roof at less than $500,000. To arrive at the figure, they used an estimate in March for a standing seam metal roof from Doran Roofing, a Bomoseen-based company.
Since that estimate, school officials have decided against standing seam metal, choosing asphalt shingles instead. Also, since the estimate, officials have decided to invite general contractors to bid on the work, instead of roofers, but are recommending they use either Doran or one of three other roofers for the job.
According to John Berryhill, a consultant on the project and architect with Nimtz Berryhill Figiel, standing seam metal was ruled out due to safety concerns.
"The one thing I was interested in was protecting the kids from snow sliding off of the metal. That's the main difference between metal and shingles, you don't get the sliding effect," Berryhill said.
Berryhill said typically asphalt shingles are less expensive and do not last as long as standing seam metal, but he said bids on the asphalt should come in well under $500,000.
"If it doesn't we'll have to determine how to make the budget fit the vote number, so we'd never have to go back and vote again," Berryhill said.
Berryhill said the specifications are drawn up and invitations to bid are ready to go out. He said the board is interested in having local people do the work, so the money stays within the community.
He said the project should be awarded to a general contractor because, aside from a new roof, there is some carpentry work that goes along with the bid, including extending the roof above some of the exterior doors and along the east part of the kindergarten.
For the work, Berryhill suggested sending invitations to bid to The Quinn Co., Russell Construction Services, Giancola Construction Corp. and Naylor and Breen Builders Inc.
Jim Levins, a member of the School Board, said, "We are mindful the unemployment rate in Rutland County is 10.5 percent and we would like to keep the work within the local community."
The roof has been leaking in the valleys and through missing shingles for the better part of a year.
Stacy Chapman, chairman of the School Board, said the vote is important for two reasons.
"Obviously the roof needs to be replaced number one and number two with the economic climate the way it is, we think we can receive some very competitive and advantageous bids as far as the town is concerned," Chapman said.
If the roof is approved by voters, Chapman said work will begin as soon as possible.
"What we'd like to do is get as much done as we can before the start of the school. We would like to have the main building nearly completed by the time school opens and then finish up with the gymnasium area," he said.
As July 21 approaches, Marie Hyjek, town clerk and treasurer, said she is concerned voter turnout in the summer will be low, estimating it could be as low as 20 percent.
Stanley Rhodes III, chairman of the Select Board, said if only 20 percent of the population votes, then 11 percent of townspeople or the majority of that 20 percent will dictate how to spend the other 89 percent's money.
"It's too bad the School Board didn't get the word out. If you get the whole community to buy into it, people are going to be affirmative with the vote," Rhodes said.
The special election is expected to cost between $1,000 and $2,000.
Absentee ballots are available at town hall prior to the vote. Polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on July 21 at town hall and Rutland Town School. An informational meeting on the vote is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 20 at Rutland Town School.
patricia.minichiello@rutlandherald.com
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