Lynn eyes state cash for repairs to schools

LYNN – Leaky roofs, drafty windows and boiler failures can disrupt learning, conditions which have prompted Lynn school officials to explore a new state program offering low-interest bonds to fix such problems.The City Council on Tuesday, acting on a request from School Superintendent Catherine Latham, unanimously supported the submission of a Statement of Interest to the Green Program under the auspices of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).The program limits repairs to roofs, windows, boilers and systems related to heating, ventilation and air conditioning. The school building must be otherwise structurally and functionally sound.According to Latham, the repairs would be done at Breed Middle School at 90 O’Callaghan Way and Lynn Vocational Technical Institute at 80 Neptune Boulevard.The School Committee on Sept. 9 voted in favor of a Statement of Interest, but the City Council vote was also necessary before it could be submitted.Michael Donovan, director of the Inspectional Services Department (ISD), determined Breed Middle and Lynn Tech would benefit most under the program.”The value of some of these repairs are in the millions of dollars,” he said. “The program pays for a percentage. If the schools get a grant, the city would have to come up with the rest, so there could be possible debt. Three years ago, putting a new roof on Lynn Tech cost $1.1 million.”Donovan’s report notes that Lynn Tech was built in 1971 as a vocational school and has since seen no additions or renovations with the exception of boilers, re-pointing of the pool house walls, replacement of the dust collection system in the carpentry shop, removal of underground storage tanks and upgrades to the swimming pool.The 253,119-square foot building has a 30-year-old roof with inadequate insulation and is past its intended lifespan. The windows are not energy efficient. The emergency generators are original equipment and require replacement. The forced hot-water boilers were new in 1999 and are in excellent condition. Ventilation systems are in poor condition and have been neglected for years.Donovan said capital repairs for school buildings are limited to a $500,000 line item in the ISD annual budget.”The department’s priority has been to upgrade all boilers and burners and to install energy management systems to better control fuel use,” Donovan said.In 2006, the city bonded $10 million, of which $6 million went to school capital projects. Lynn Tech’s swimming pool was rehabilitated and upgraded and an exterior wall repaired. Roofs on eight school buildings were replaced. Boilers were replaced in five schools within the past four years. Thirteen buildings had their boilers converted from oil fuel to natural gas in the same time span.If the Green Repairs Program funding is obtained through low-interest bonds, single-pane windows would be replaced at Lynn Tech and the roof replaced with adequate layers of insulation. Light fixtures would be changed to decrease energy usage.At Breed Middle School, built in 1977, the roof was replaced in 2006, the same year carpeting was removed and replaced from all classrooms.The 208,000-square foot building has single-pane Lexan windows in steel frames that should be replaced. The forced hot-water boilers are in poor condition.Under the Green Repair Program, costs are shared with the local school district. Reimbursement rates range from 31 to 80 percent. Currently, the program has approximately $300 million in available funds.A check Monday of the city appointments list updated in March by the City Clerk’s office indicated:u Eight out of 10 Municipal Finance Corporation members hold expired terms.u Two out of five Planning Board members need reappointment or replacement.u Five out of six Public Health Commission members hold expired terms.u Three out of five Off-Street Parking Commission members are due for reappointment or replacement.u Terms expired for every member of the Grand Army of the Republic board of