Emergency pool wall project needed

Lockport — The Lockport City School District will be voting Wednesday to approve the contract to fix the exterior wall surrounding the pool at Lockport High School.



This emergency capital project will start in May and last two months, being completed in time for the summer swim programs in July.

Though the project is considered an emergency and the project needs to be completed soon, board members and district officials were not satisfied with their options.

During the April 4 meeting, Assistant Superintendent for Finance Deborah Coder announced that the district received only one bid for the project. The district’s architect originally estimated the project to cost $350,000 plus incidentals. The district received one bid, totaling the project at $572,800 plus incidentals.

Coder said that because the project is considered an emergency, the district would have to accept the bid because they do not have the time it would take to go out for re-bid. Also, because the pool is not in use during May and June, this is the only time the district has, without cancelling summer programs.

Also, she said because this is such a small project, many larger companies couldn’t fiscally afford to take employees off bigger jobs to complete smaller ones, which is why she believed they did not get the responses they hoped for.

Coder said that they had eight people pick-up information packages to bid but she believed that most must have felt it was “not worth the time and it was not for enough money.”

By declaring the pool wall an emergency capital project, the district will receive 93 cents on the dollar back in one year — in 2013-2014 — instead of over 15 years like a normal capital project that must be approved by voters.

Trustee Thomas Fiegl felt that the district was being “robbed” because they had only one bidder, who bid high. He said that they are now paying for “past sins of past constructions.”

“The reality is we don’t have a choice,” said Superintendent Michelle Bradley. “It is a safety concern and we will be receiving state aid.”

The pool is currently finished being used for the school year, but there is still no danger to the interior of the pool or to students if they were to use it. On the exterior of the wall, there have been bricks falling off, so the area has been roped off to the public.

“It’s going to be repaired correctly,” said Coder. “Within two weeks (of the vote) they will be on site remediating those walls.”

In other school news:

• As a result of the recent census, the district now has new ward lines, affecting where many residents will vote. Those questioning where they are to vote or their new ward can call the district office for more information.