By John Schwing

WESTPORT — Requests totaling more than $8.821 million to get construction started for a new Long Lots Elementary School were on the agenda for the Board of Selectwomen’s meeting Wednesday morning.

Three contracts — totaling $8.808 million — won approval in a matter of minutes, with few questions asked by the selectwomen.

But a fourth contract — at $13,000, the smallest under consideration — prompted numerous questions, mostly focused on the process by which the Long Lots School Building Committee sought approval.

Under that proposed contract, the selectwomen were asked by the LLSBC to hire Wiss Janney Elstner Engineers of Seymour to design “interim repairs” to windows for the current building, which is seven decades old.

The school has been beset by growing maintenance issues over the last several years, including air and water intrusion, which are among the primary reasons it will be replaced — at an overall estimated cost of $100 million.

For $13,000, the Seymour engineers would provide design services only, according to LLSBC Chair Jay Keenan, with the replacement windows or repairs paid by the Board of Education.

Selectwoman Candice Savin, a former Board of Education member, asked why the school board was not being billed for the $13,000 design costs instead of the LLSBC.

She said it was odd the LLSBC, whose purview is overseeing construction of the new school, was asking for money associated with maintenance of the old school.

“We were asked by the Board of Education and Superintendent’s Office to help out with this,” Keenan responded. “This is to get ahead of any potential leaking issues” at the existing structure, he said.

Elio Longo, the school district’s chief financial officer, agreed, describing the window designs as a “carrying cost” for the new building, and also said he had discussed the financing arrangement with town Finance Director Gary Conrad.

It’s “the process”

Toni Simonetti, the lone member of the public to comment on the issue, expressed concerns similar to Savin’s.

She “absolutely” supports repairing the current school’s windows, Simonetti said, but her question about the funding request was about “the process.”

During earlier discussions of plans for a new Long Lots, she said it was understand that ongoing maintenance of the old building would be the Board of Education’s responsibility.

The $13,000 request seems “out of scope” for the committee, Simonetti said, since ongoing Long Lots maintenance is the job of school officials. “I object that the Long Lots School Building Committee is handling current maintenance issues,” she added.

Keenan and Longo, who made multiple trips to the podium to try to explain the funding request, both ultimately said they would defer to Conrad on the propriety of the LLSBC paying $13,000 for designing window repairs at the old school.

At that point, however, First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker intervened. “We don’t determine the pot [of money] …,” she said. “We’re approving a contract. Where the $13,000 comes out of is not the purview of this board.”

The protracted back-and-forth was halted and the board unanimously approved the $13,000 contract.

Three other firms hired Wednesday for the Long Lots Elementary School project were:

Newfield Construction of Hartford, $4,692,366 (estimate) to be construction manager for the project, including pre-construction, construction, performance bond and insurance.

Three firms responded to the committee’s RFQ, or “Request for Qualifications,” to be construction manager, according to Keenan. Two were interviewed for the job before Newfield was selected, he said.

Newfield Construction collaborated on the earlier feasibility project for the Long Lots project.

Svigals + Partners of New Haven, $4,097,000, to provide architectural and engineering services for the project.

Nine firms responded to the RFQ, Keenan said, and three were interviewed before Svigals was selected.

Svigals + Partners, like Newfield, worked for the committee on the feasibility study for the new school.

Lindquist Surveying of Derby, $19,500 to provide surveying services for the project.

John Schwing, the Westport Journal consulting editor, has held senior editorial and writing posts at southwestern Connecticut media outlets for four decades. Learn more about us here.