School board discusses hiring more security at construction site
Two recent thefts at the construction site of a new Marclay School prompted discussion among Uniontown Area School Board members Monday about hiring additional security for the planned high school construction/renovation project. During a board work session, architect Mark Altman said someone took between $10,000 and $15,000 in pipe from the site earlier this year, and nearly 500 feet of wire was taken from the building over the weekend. He said theft from construction sites is a growing problem, noting that thieves have also hit other projects on which his company is working.
He said security at the new school will improve once the building has power because a security system has been installed as part of the construction. He said that the district will need additional staff once the high school project has begun.
“There has to be more security provided,” he said. “Look at the damage at Marclay. That was significant.”
Director Ron Machesky, who chairs the board’s safety/security committee, asked what will be needed to secure the high school once the project begins next year. He inquired whether the security costs can be included in the bid proposals, slated to be advertised later this year.
Altman recommended that the board hire the security to avoid paying prevailing wage, while superintendent Dr. Charles Machesky said he will speak with the district’s investment banker to see if bond issue money can pay for the beefed-up security during the project.
Meanwhile, students at Marclay will likely start the second half of the school year in their new building, according to construction manager Sam Denney.
He said Henry Clay Township has issued the district a variance to setback requirements after construction of the school began with the architects failing to obtain a building permit and concern that the school was being built in violation of township setback requirements.
Denney said the district received a special exception for the construction, with three stipulations: that the district extend the guide rail along Route 281, install signs slowing traffic as it passes the school and construct a barrier farther off the roadway between the school and the guide rail.
With that issue resolved, he said the project is on schedule so that teachers can move in to the new school during the Christmas break and students will begin attending classes there once the break is over.
In another facilities matter, the board discussed ongoing problems with the roof at the Central School building, which houses the district’s administrative offices.
Director William Rittenhouse Jr. said he and business manager Floyd Geho recently walked through the second floor of the building, which has a leaking roof that causes water to run into office spaces below.
“It’s an abomination when you go up there, and it’s beginning to interrupt the operations on the first floor,” he said.
Rob Smalley, director of buildings and grounds, said he has been working to develop specifications so the district can solicit bids, but an investigation had to be done to determine if there was asbestos in any of the building materials.
Board President Harry “Dutch” Kaufman said the work on the roof needs to be done quickly, before winter weather causes more problems with the facility.
“You have to have those specs ready for Monday,” he said, referring to the board’s business meeting next week. “This has to be immediate, and we need a quick turnaround.”
Kaufman said money is in the 2005-06 budget for the roof replacement, which has an estimated $115,000 cost.
Among other business, the board met with representatives from Southwest Regional Tax Bureau and Central Tax Bureau to hear proposals about collecting the district’s earned income tax.
Last month, the board gave required notice to SWRTB before seeking new proposals.
If the board does not continue to contract with SWRTB, the bureau will still have an agreement with the district until Jan. 1 and will be responsible for collecting earned income taxes until April 15, 2006.