MARBLEHEAD — The Select Board has approved phase two of the Gerry School Playground project, a multi-phase update to the facility aimed at improving irrigation, ADA accessibility, playground equipment, and landscaping.
The Board unanimously approved granting the project’s contract to Bleko Landscaping for the amount of $433,000 and authorized Chair Dan Fox to sign the contract on behalf of the Select Board.
Funding for the project will come from the Gerry School Playground Donation Fund, which raised approximately $500,000 in donations, according to Fox.
The Gerry School Playground, known as the Park on Elm Street, is the former location of the Gerry School and is “outdated, unsafe, and in desperate need of repair,” according to The Friends of the Park on Elm Street.
Additionally, the Town has previously allocated $234,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act funding for this project.
Also at the meeting, the Board unanimously approved a new contract for printers and copiers for Marblehead Public Schools.
Michael Pfifferling, assistant superintendent of finance and operations, asked the Board to approve a four-year lease with UBEO Business Services. Pfifferling said he expects the Town to save between $21,000 and $22,000.
“It’s not going to balance our budget for next year, but as they like to say, crumbs make up the cake. So anywhere I can find a little bit of savings, it’ll be great,” he said.
He added that the new vendor will also require employees to scan ID badges to print something, which “allows us to see who the heavy users are… But also it allows us to print confidentiality. So if I print something, it’s not sitting on the printer for somebody else to see.”
Pfifferling said the new system will reduce the amount of paper wasted, as print jobs are not completed until an employee scans their ID badge.
He added that the company operates on a “pay-per-copy” model and provides toner and services up front.
