Phase one of the Harrison Township School roof improvements has been completed, phase two will begin in the summer of 2018
Harrison Township School District administrators presented the committee and community an update on the Harrison Township School roofing project at the Oct. 16 committee meeting. According to Superintendent Missy Peretti and Business Administrator and Board Secretary Bob Scharle, phase one of the improvements has been completed, with phase two to begin next summer.
According to Scharle, the administration approached the township committee last year to explain the referendum, which called for approximately $5.3 million for the roofing upgrades. At the time, he said, the project was expected to have an interest rate of 3.5 percent over 15 years. Since then, lower bids were received and the district will be going out for bonds next month in the amount of approximately $4.7 million, a decrease of about $600,000. Additionally, Scharle said, the district’s financial analyst is predicting a 2.6 to 2.7 percent interest rate, resulting in a possible savings of up to $600,000 in interest over that same period of time.
“We’re looking at one referendum coming off at the end of June 2018 and another going on, which should remain flat, so you’re probably not going to see a tax increase for this 50-year roof we’re putting on this school,” Scharle said.
The committeemen and meeting attendees were shown a presentation, created by Patriot Roofing representative David Reilly, featuring photographs and drone videos of the process from beginning to end of the Harrison Township School project.
“I can say from my perspective as a representative of the staff and students, it could not have gone any smoother for the first phase in the summer,” Peretti said. “The work that has been done has not interrupted our instruction of the township students, which was our main goal.”
According to Ryebread Architects Founding Principal Regan Young, the infrastructure not only “vastly reduces the number of leaks,” it also provides an opportunity for an attic, allocating space for insulation, and also gives room to house future HVAC units. Also, the roof was designed to hold solar power panels, however Scharle said the district is still working with the township as far as using solar power in the future.
“Initially it’s an expensive roof, but over the life of a building, for an entity like a school board that owns a building for a long time, it ends up being the least expensive roof you can put on,” Young said.
According to Scharle, the district will move forward with phase two in the summer of 2018, which will be over the kindergarten, second grade and the third grade gymnasium wings.
In other news:
- According to Deputy Administrator Dennis Chambers, Atlantic City Electric has agreed to remove the old lighting on the Lights on Main tree on Main Street, as well as have its arborist crew prune the limbs at no cost. Chambers said the new lighting would have arrived last week, and the township has received multiple quotes from companies offering to hang them for the Nov. 25 event.
- Committee approved two resolutions that authorized compensation payment for temporary construction and permanent sidewalk easements for properties located at 20 and 26 Woodstown Road.
- Committee appointed Maria Berkett as acting tax collector for Harrison Township.
