This is an important meeting to voice your support or concerns for Siemens’s proposal to upgrade the school. The agenda is HERE See our discussion page HERE. The school board says they can pass this WITHOUT a vote of the townspeople.
The options are:
- Do nothing and stick with what we’ve got
- Have a certified HVAC firm inspect the boiler and heating system and make a recommendation.
- Go with one of Siemens’s options
- Option 1 – an energy modernization of the school – cost of $165,420 (after rebates) which will have guaranteed savings of $13,590/year. (Payback of 12-yrs.)
- Option 2 – all of Option 1 but also a new boiler and boiler room, pumps and accessories. Total cost of project $2,634,413 but with rebates and incentives the total cost to the town will be $2,236,713.
- Option 3 – all of Option 2 but also with two “energy recovery ventilators” and two “radiant panels”. Total cost of project $3,865,626 but with rebates and incentives the total cost to the town will be $3,455,926.
It is imperative that the school board hear from as many people as possible on this issue.
Unfortunately the old boiler has become very unreliable and due to age often un-serviceable without lots of custom work when it breaks down.
Because of this, if it fails during a school day students are dismissed.
This creates an extremely difficult situation for working parents.
As of the Dec 2023 SB meeting there is only one solution: replace the old boiler.
The SB is hoping to upgrade the entire building and have detailed plans to do so.
Although these plans are un approved, the work to replace the boiler will follow the
unapproved plans for the entire school facility upgrade. Meaning the full plan calls for a second story classroom to be created above the new boiler. This room is not necessary to to get the boiler to function, but since the unapproved plans call for a second story this boiler work will include the new second story classroom.
Likely this piecemeal “implement the entire facility upgrade using the unapproved plans strategy” will come under the scrutiny of the taxpayers as time goes on.
We learned that this work will be paid for using a lease. Evidently when SB’s use a lease the legislative body of Thornton taxpayers need not be asked to approve. SB can authorize independently.
Apparently there are some downsides to this strategy; primarily risks to supplier.