FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions asked by community members:

How much grant money will the town receive?  $3,169,181, which is 52.14% of the original projected cost of $6,078,215.  The current project cost needed to complete the HVAC project is approximately $8,376,245.  This figure includes contingency costs that if not needed will reduce the overall cost of the project as well as the amount to finance.

How much money has Columbia spent to date on this project?  The Town has already allocated and/or spent $1,073,600 from the General Fund.   This is not included in the amount needed to complete the project.

Why did the estimates come back much higher than the engineering firm hired anticipated?  Although we don’t know for certain, we imagine some factors include a limited number of contractors available to do this project, a tight supply of HVAC equipment due to so many school districts trying to do this project at the same time, the time frame to complete the project (December 31, 2025), and the need to do much of the work on second shift, when students are not in classes.  We will try to save some money by working with the construction company on alternatives to second shift.

Because the estimates are higher, can we go back to the state for more grant money?  No, grant money has all been encumbered by the state. The deadline has passed to apply for grant funds which must be spent by December 31, 2025, or the funds go away.

If we reduce the scope of the project, what happens to the grant?   If we reduce the scope, the District could lose a portion or the whole grant depending on the degree of change in scope.

Why are we rushing into this project?  The project is not being rushed (other than what is outlined by the grant’s requirements, which is completion or “close to” completion by December 31, 2025).  The District and town have been working on this project for almost three years.  The HVAC Building Committee was appointed by the Board of Selectmen in December 2022.  They have met regularly, reviewed plans, asked for revisions, and discussed alternatives.  The current proposed plan is what they believe will best serve Horace W. Porter School’s heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and overall air quality.

Should we get other opinions/quotes?  We received seven quotes for the project.  The HVAC Building Committee is made of town residents who have HVAC and/or civil engineering careers.  Together with the firm that was hired to design the project, Silver Petrucelli & Associates; our Project Manager, Jim Russo of J. R. Russo LLC; and SES Engineering Services, our Commissioning Agent, we have many experts from the field.

Do we currently have a mold problem?  At this time, our mold levels fall within the allowed guidelines.  We have been keeping abreast of mold concerns and eradicating them since 2015.  When we are aware that they are above allowed levels, we clean and eliminate the mold as best we can as soon as possible.  Sometimes, we need to temporarily move classes to other parts of the building.

Are students and staff getting sick because of mold?  We have quite a few individuals who have doctors’ documentation that the mold in the building is negatively affecting their health.  We have purchased a number of air conditioners and air purifiers per doctors’ recommendations.  Additionally, we will relocate classrooms to alternative spaces as much as we can do so.

When will the state of Connecticut Department of Education mandate updated air quality systems?  A hard date has not been given to superintendents.  As of July 1, 2025, annual inspection and evaluation of at least 20% of a district’s schools must examine their school buildings’ heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC).  We have recently (November 2024) had Wing F (middle school) inspected by Mystic Air Quality Consultants, Inc., and in 2021, Wing A was inspected after a mold clean-up to ensure that mold levels were acceptable.