The Alternative Press

ANDOVER TOWNSHIP, NJ – After hearing the possibility of losing the warranty on the new roof, the board of education members discussed new options for roof improvements at Long Pond School on Tuesday evening.

Interim superintendent Peter Merluzzi gave the update on the roof project.

“Because of all the moisture over the past few days, the glue the roofers are using is not adhering, and the warranty will not be valid if we continue with this method,” Merluzzi said.

Since the project needed to be completed in the evening after school, dew was accumulating on the roof and causing the problem.

The contractor and warranty company suggested two methods. The first option would be to continue with the same product, andt to have the roofers working over the weekend. They would be able to work during the day and would not encounter the same dew problem. Because of the overtime this option requires, an additional fee not to exceed $9,450 would be added onto the existing contract.

The second option would be to use a different product that did not use the glue. Unfortunately, this product has known issues that eliminate it as an option.

Merluzzi recommended the first option, despite the additional costs. The roofers also suggested that they could work during the day over the school’s upcoming four-day weekend.

Many board members asked why this problem was not accounted for in he original quote, and Merluzzi said that the amount of recent rain is unusual for this time of year.

The decision to spend the money on this project passed, while some members commented that they agreed begrudgingly. The board said it hopes that the money saved by switching to natural gas will cover the project.

Merluzzi also provided an update on the natural gas line installation. The gas line will be installed before winter, at no cost to the school board, but will result in thousands of dollars saved.

In other business:

-       The planning for the solar panels has been completed, and now the school is waiting for the contractors to begin installation. Because this project is less invasive to the school, contractors will be able to work during the day and finish quickly. The board requested a presentation to discuss any of the problems that may arise during installation, so they are prepared to deal with anything that happens.

-       The superintendent search is almost finished. After the second round of interviews and the executive session following Tuesday evening’s board meeting, the board will have narrowed down the candidates to one or two.  One town resident suggested a public forum to meet the candidates, but the board stated that the process does not need a public forum in this situation. “The board has spent hours asking questions that woudn’t have been asked in a public forum,” Merluzzi said. “Sometimes [forums] turn into a personality issue, rather than a discussion of who is the most qualified.”

-       Work on the Florence M. Burd School access road is postponed until all suggestions are evaluated. Some parents expressed through their own research the cost for hiring a crossing guard would be less than discussed in the meeting. However, board president Linda Gianni pointed out that the special officer would be required to work a minimum of four hours per day, increasing the cost to the original amount stated.