12 May, 2015
A New Roof, But At What Cost?
The High School gymnasium needs a new roof, but at what cost? Faulty installation of solar panels and inadequate repair of leaks by the installer have precipitated this need at a cost of over $500,000.
According to the Metrowest Daily News, when the town was in negotiations with the installer, Borrego Solar, school officials calculated that it would take 20 years for the town to save $500,000 ($25,000 annually).
http://m.metrowestdailynews.com/article/20080729/News/307299897
After only 5 years we, the taxpayers, are being asked to cover more than that because of the faulty installation and lack of due diligence by the current school administration.
The School Committee's approach to obtaining taxpayer approval is to group the High School roof project with the Hopkins School roof project and ask for only one override. Why? Apparently because it's easier to ask for one override than two. My problem is that these are two separate issues.
The Hopkins School roof needs to be replaced due to aging, while the situation with the High School roof has come about due to a lack of effort in finding out how the town can recover some or all of the replacement costs. Don't we, as parents, teach our children not to take the easy way out, and to give it their best effort? Shouldn't we expect our School Committee to put forth its best effort when representing us, the taxpayers?
According to Town Counsel Ray Miyares who was involved in drafting the contract with Borrego Solar, nobody from the School Administration or School Committee has contacted him about any possible recovery from the installer. Who would know better than someone who drafted the contract what kind of protection the town would have in this situation?
Isn't it time to put an end to unnecessary spending?
Please vote for me, Brian Karp, for School Committee on Monday, May 18th and let me get to work for you.
