Safety repairs for schools top CIP priorities in Charles City
Facility repairs for safety, adequate heating pumps, and HVAC repairs are among top priorities for Charles City’s school board to address.
School board representatives received an updated Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) at its regular meeting on Jan. 27. The list, consisting of 20 items, prioritized the urgency to address needs of the 20-year old complex.
One of the top priorities concerning school board members are conditions of the athletic complex, specifically the track and field. School board member Preston Adkins has been pushing for the last three months and kept pushing for the repairs.
“I take a look at the track and I want it to be something the kids take pride of,” said Adkins. “I heard we are hosting a lot of meets this year and I want to make sure it is safe to use.”
Key concerns for the track include severely damaged long jump pits and repainting. While the total cost to repave and resurface the track is tabbed at $156,000, school board officials believe that repaving the long jump pits and painting ($14,950) can be managed in this year’s budget as a temporary fix.
“A lot of community members use that track,” added Adkins. “If they find out the urgency we need to fix that track, then maybe we can do something to raise some sort of funds.”
Another major concern board members are addressing is four water source heat pump systems. According to the CIP document, three of the systems are in question with stability issues, but a fourth, located in the elementary school cafeteria dining area, raises serious concerns. According to school maintenance director Walter Harris who works on the projects, he believes that particular unit will not last through the summer months. An estimated cost of $29,840 for two units and for installation work is tabbed for this project.
A sinkhole at the elementary school also raised immediate concerns for school board members. The sinkhole, caused by storm drain erosion, is 10-12’ feet deep and provides a serious hazard due to its proximity near the student playground. Regulations prohibit the schools from addressing the because of its depth.
“That sinkhole is enough to swallow a child,” said District 3 representative Martha Harris. “It’s definitely something that has to be taken care of.”
Other projects that top the list are the school phone system (upgrade needed), repairing concrete sidewalks, and lighting in the middle/high school auditorium.
School board members are hoping to work out a compromise with the county’s board of supervisors for the restoration of $86,150 into capital funds. That figure, an amount designated by supervisors to repair HVAC units at the school, was removed from the 2013-14 school’s fiscal budget due to the emergency need not addressed. If those funds are provided, they would be designated for emergency repairs to the track, elementary school heating/boiling, sidewalk repairs, and a new roof for the maintenance building.
“We are working to make amends with the board [of supervisors] to show that we need this money to fix repairs for safety this year,” said new finance director Rayburn Harris.
School board Steve Fuhrmann agreed, saying proper presentation of needs for schools should be documented when the request is made to supervisors.
“I want to make sure that any expenditure we need for the schools are provided to supervisors, particularly in writing,” Fuhrman said. “We need to show them that these are things we have to address and hope to take care of when we ask for the $86,150.”