On Tuesday, August 23, New Fairfield’s Permanent Building Committee (PBC) was apprised that the elementary campus will open with a temporary Certificate of Occupancy or with written permission from Town officials. Before those can be granted, there is a branch of sprinklers install ed that needs fire alarm connections, sprinkler heads need to be installed in the kitchen, some egress is sues need attention, and there is one door that creates fire separation requiring installation and completion. O&G’s Mr. Zach Rowley s aid, “it will be safe and clean and occupiable by the first day of school.”

The PBC also learned that to keep the schedule for the new high school, at least one key feature of the current culinary infrastructure, a hood worth approximately $40K, needs replacing. The current high school’s culinary wing was a multi-million dollar project completed in the summer and early fall of 2018, just before the idea of new buildings began. In the lead up to the Town Referendum on the projects, residents were assured that all components from the culinary renovation would be moved to the new high school, but that is not the case now. To keep the project moving forward while the current high school’s program continues to run, the hood that was supposed to move to the new high school will instead be purchased. The exhaust fan on the new roof and ductwork is already installed, but if they wait until June when school is out to move the hood, it would throw off the schedule for finishing the space. Learning that it would be hard to sell as is to another facility as they are specific to projects, PBC members encouraged at least trying to salvage the current hood for its price in metal.

At the elementary campus, furniture continues to be assembled and boxes continue to move between buildings in preparation for the school’s opening. PBC members were assured that the building is being properly aired with the ventilation systems on before staff and students arrive.

The PBC discussed a recent New Fairfield Board of Education decision to add a fourth preschool classroom and the possible need for new furniture for that room to the tune of $30K. The first-grade class that would have been in the room is being moved and the new furniture will move with them, while the fourth preschool room will be using furniture from Consolidated, at least temporarily. Minding a tight budget, PBC members agreed that the new furniture will need to wait until they have time to determine what is left as the project closes out and then be added to a list of other items that are being considered to use remaining money on. PBC Chair Mr. Don Kellogg said, “we need to take a step back before we go ahead and approve this.”

Colliers International’s Mr. Mark Schweitzer explained that he has reached out to a company that recycles furniture to schools as a destination for all Consolidated’s remaining furniture.

The new high school continues to progress with the ceiling grids following after each section is sheet-rocked. The auditorium’s staging is almost complete. O&G’s Mr. Joe Vetro relayed that the electrician is busily working, “They’re getting ready to pull the wire into the classrooms.” Vetro gave a masonry update saying that while still behind schedule, there are more masons on site.

There were a number of change ord ers that the PBC discussed, some being potential errors and omissions. The group agreed to continue limiting discussions regarding errors and omissions to a “working group” that does not meet publicly.

The next Permanent Building Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 13, 7:30 p.m.

By Sarah Opdahl