Waterman polls open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug.10
No local tax impact: State aid and insurance cover costs of replacement Skaneateles School District residents will be asked to vote August 10 on a project that will replace the boiler that was damaged during the boiler system failure in January of 2010.
Voter approval is necessary for the project even though there is no local tax impact, said Assistant Superintendent Dale Bates.
Voting will be from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. August 10 at Waterman Elementary School.
Residents may remember the boiler smoke that filled the school after a system failure one evening in January.
Local fire crews responded promptly. School was canceled in the middle school and high school the next day while crews cleaned smoke residue from all classrooms and public areas.
One of the two boilers – the primary boiler – was damaged beyond repair. It is necessary to repair the system and replace the damaged boiler before the next heating season is underway.
In large facilities, there are primary and back-up heating systems. The back-up boiler was used to heat the building for the remainder of last winter but is not intended for long term use on a daily basis. It is imperative that there be a functioning primary boiler.
The project will be funded by building aid from the state and with a payment from the boiler insurance policy, Bates said. It is expected that state aid will cover 62.9 percent, or $327,800, of the projected total cost of $550,000, with insurance covering $222,200. If the insurance company pays more than the expected 37 percent, the state’s share will be reduced.
“There will be no impact to the local tax levy for this project,” Bates said.
The existing boiler system is nearly 60 years old, and has well exceeded the life expectancy of 25 to 30 years.
The replacement boiler will be installed within the footprint of the existing boiler to minimize modifications to the existing piping system. Provisions will be made to insure that both boilers function together and efficiently.
In addition, the current boiler room will be updated to comply with current fire/building codes.
An eye to the future
While taking care of short-term heating needs, the district is also preparing for the future.
Knowing that the existing steam boiler plant has outlived its useful life expectancy (based on estimates from the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers), the district is preparing for Phase II within the next four to five years.
The proposed new boiler and equipment were chosen to allow for the eventual and inevitable upgrade of the existing steam plant. The plan is to convert to a hybrid boiler system (hot water boilers and hydronic only distribution) that will provide significant energy and water usage savings. Industry research shows savings of up to 40 percent when converting from steam to hydronic boilers.
The currently proposed steam boiler will have the ability to be converted when the rest of the system is upgraded and changed in several years, while maintaining its installed value.
The Phase II transitioning of the boiler room to a hybrid system will be incorporated into the renovation of the 1952 portion of the high school.
