Hottest Capital Project Gets RTM Approval

With the Representative Town Meeting's vote, Holmes School students will stay warm through the 2010-11 winter with a pair of brand new, energy-efficient boilers.

The Board of Education's top priority capital project to replace the elementary school's oil-fired boilers received unanimous approval of the RTM last Monday. It's a $410,000 project that makes a significant dent in the town's fund balance, but a necessary expenditure nonetheless.

"I understand times are tough, but I don't want to be standing here next year saying that the boiler has failed," said Director of Facilities Paul Engemann in his presentation to the Board of Finance, late February.

The possibility of a failing boiler is not far fetched, said Engemann. At 75-years-old, one of the boilers has reached the end of its life; and a second 14-year-old boiler has been working overtime as a result.

The estimated $410,000 cost covers boiler removal and replacement, plus necessary asbestos abatement. Both boilers will be able to run on natural gas or oil, which could save the town quite a bit of money.

A similar boiler replacement project at Royle School received approval of the RTM last year. In that case, the two boilers were both on their last legs and had failed code inspection. Elected officials needed little convincing; replacing both was urgent.

This year's similar request came under scrutiny. The Board of Finance questioned the pressing need to appropriate the funds given the fact that one of the boilers is relatively young and the budget is particularly tight.

"Can't we wait three years? Given everything that's going on right now, is there any reason that this has to be done right this minute?" Jon Zagrodzky asked.

Engemann admitted that where he could not guarantee a boiler blow-up, he would be remiss in failing to draw attention to the possibility. Moreover, he said that replacing both at once could amount to a savings of about $80,000.

"I like to think of it as if it were my own money, and if it was my money, I'd do both," said Engemann.

The Holmes School boiler project is the last of its kind that the town will see in a long while, said RTM Education Committee Chair Lois Schneider. The other Darien schools have had new boilers installed within the past ten years.

Board of Education Chair Kim Westcott said that she hopes to see the new boilers up and running by the end of the year.

"It's a tight schedule, but we are confident the project would be completed by heating time next year," she said.

And with that, a thin RTM of 65—many of whom were without heat at the time of vote—unanimously approved the boiler project.