WESTFIELD – The project manager for energy improvements to schools and municipal buildings reported to the School Committee last night that work was in the final stages, as contractors complete major system upgrades during the summer.
Dan Pallotta of P3, the city’s project manager, said that boiler and environmental control system replacement work at Southampton Road, Highland, and Franklin Avenue, and Paper Mill elementary schools, Westfield High School and Westfield Vocational Technical High School are on line for completion by the state mandated deadline of Oct. 15.
The city was awarded a $12 million Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) green energy grant to replace boilers, windows and roofs at five school buildings. The city has also initiated a $17 million energy program which complements the MSBA work at school buildings and also includes improvements to other municipal buildings.
The MSBA grant, which reimburses the city at a 62-percent rate, includes the installation of 13 boilers in five school buildings, as well as replacement of windows and two sections of the roof of Westfield Vocational-Technical High School.
The city hired P3 to serve as its project manager, a MSBA requirement; Siemens, was hired to conduct an energy audit and proposed options to increase energy efficiency and reduce the municipal energy footprint; and Tighe & Bond was hired to serve as the city’s engineering consultant for the MSBA Green Energy grant program, linking the $12 million Green Energy project with the work to be completed through the proposed $17 million bond.
The work began even before the close of school in June, to give contractors a jump on the massive project, with the goal of having schools ready for students this fall.
“We’ve done a tremendous amount of work in the schools as part of the green repair project,” Pallotta said. “All of the boilers have been removed, except at Westfield High School, where they are in the process of being removed.”
The energy conservation modifications are “about 95 percent complete” at the Southampton School, where the final pipe and control installation work is being completed, Pallotta said.
“Highland is tracking about a week behind Southampton Road,” he said. “All of the piping is in the building, the boilers are in and the old boilers out. Paper Mill is the furthest along, we’re just waiting for the gas company to do the first testing.”
Pallotta said that Westfield High School is the “furthest behind and will be the last boilers we turn on” prior to the state’s Oct. 15 deadline.
The most significant work is being done at Westfield Vocational Technical High School, where the lower campus roof is being replaced, and windows in both the lower and upper campus are being replaced, as well as the installation of new boilers and environmental controls.
The only hiccup in that effort was that the replacement windows for the lower Smith Avenue campus failed performance testing at the factory and temporary windows will have to be installed for the start of school.
“Other than that, we’re on schedule with the rest of this project,” Pallotta said.
The Franklin Avenue School roof replacement project was not originally scheduled for this summer, but was added to the project because of chronic problem with leaks. Pallotta said the removal of the damaged roof and installation of a new roof will be completed by the start of the school year on Wednesday, Aug. 29, but that the finish work may extend two to three weeks into September.
Pallotta said the new boilers, replacing steam systems in some of the buildings, are 86 to 87 percent efficient. Higher rated natural gas systems are available on the market, but the city required dual-fuel systems that can operate with either natural gas or oil. The systems being removed and replaced are only 60 percent efficient.
The School Committee members also discussed the Westfield Vocational Technical High School classroom environment where many students sit on benches or folding chairs.
School Superintendent Suzanne Scallion said she has requested the school administrations to present a plan and budget for replacing students furniture in six classrooms a year until all of the existing furniture is replaced.
