The Board of Selectmen (BOS) voted unanimously July 13 to hire the construction firm New Britain Roofing Company to put a new roof on (HHES) this summer at a cost of $837,400, $129,141 less than the originally projected cost of $966,541.
After a winter that brought feet of heavy snow two years ago, the existing 47-year-old roof began to leak, forcing the school administration to temporarily close some classrooms this year and request special funding in order to replace the roof this summer. and .
The project includes the full replacement of 53,000 square feet of the 60,000 square-foot roof (a 17,000 square-foot section is newer and still under warranty), as well as the gutters, downspouts and drains. Construction will begin this summer and is planned for completion before the beginning of the new school year.
According to the school district’s Director of Business and Technology Art Colley, the new, flat roof will also be an “excellent candidate” for solar power panels, something the town might consider in the near future.
Along with the cost savings from the low bid, the town will also be able to apply to the state to recoup 31 percent of “reimbursable expenses,” according to Colley. If the entire project is eligible for reimbursement, the town will only pay $577,806.
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During the same July 13 meeting, the BOS also officially appointed , as well as the Retirement Benefits Advisory Committee, Facilities Planning Committee and Safety Committee.
The board also held an executive session concerning payments on a claim with Legion Insurance Company in which they took no action.
