Westfield engineer Mark Cressotti shows plans for the new pump station at Westfield High School to the School Committee on Monday.
WESTFIELD – At Monday’s School Committee meeting, city engineer Mark Cressotti said the City of Westfield plans to install a new pump station closer to the road to replace the one currently located at the southeast corner of Westfield High School near the turn to the teachers parking lot. He said the new pump station will serve both city residents on Montgomery Road and the school, and will replace the old one. He said the plan required the district to transfer the property where the new one will be installed to the Department of Public Works.
Mayor Brian P. Sullivan said it was important to move on this project, before the old pump station has more problems.
Vice-chair Cynthia Sullivan said her only concern is down time for the high school. Cressotti said he would work with the school principal, to ensure that doesn’t happen. The School Committee unanimously approved the transfer of property.
Following the meeting, Cressotti said the existing pump station needs rehabilitation, so instead the city will build a new one that would serve the community. He said the funds for the project were in the $4 million bond for sanitary sewer extensions approved by the City Council in May.
Cressotti said the new pump station will be closer to the road than the old one, which is off of the teacher’s entrance. He said that one will be removed, and a separate drive to the pump station will be put in. “It will relieve them of the responsibility, and save the school money in maintenance,” he said.
Westfield Public Schools business manager Ron Rix said the existing pump station is the original one from 1972, and has had numerous failures which the school has had to pay for out of its maintenance budget.
Rix said the district had $200,000 in its capital improvement plan to replace it for the last two years, but now that the city is taking it over, they can remove that item. “It’s a very good thing,” Rix said.
Gift donations acknowledged at School Committee meeting
The School Committee also approved over $36,000 in cash and material donations to the schools at Monday’s meeting. Among the bigger items was $9,300 from the Southampton Road PTO to purchase and install fans in the Southampton Road Elementary School gym.
Baystate Noble Hospital donated $5,000 to the Westfield Technical Academy’s Allied Health gift account, which the committee voted to set up earlier in the meeting. Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski said the gift was the first of its size to Allied Health at the school.
WTA’s Aviation Maintenance Technology program received a Pitts Special S-1C aircraft, with an approximate value of $10,000 from John Chester of Wilbraham. The AMT shop also received a kit-built Moneria glider, with an approx. value of $3,000 from Robert Dill Burchard and the estate of George Bunnell.
Secure Energy Solutions donated a Nikon microscope, valued at $4,000 to WTA. Mobiusworks of Westfield donated $1,500 to purchase jackets for the SkillsUSA Club, and South Agawam Shops & Storage Facility donated silk screens to Graphic Arts, with an approximate value of $1,100.
Auto Collision also received two cars for students to work on; a 2007 Toyota Corolla valued at $1,800 from Trudy Weaver of Westfield, and a 2004 Jeep GCK, valued at $500 from Michael Steples of Westfield. Also, the Home Depot donated tile, self-watering pots, and a Baker’s rack, valued at approximately $5,203.96 to various shops.
Czaporowski acknowledged all of the donations during his remarks at the meeting.
