Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor Community School District Trustees got up to date Aug. 7 about this summer’s work on Boothbay Region Elementary School and work planned for next year. Concrete and flashing repair work have been the latest task for firm Lewis and Malm which reviewed project bids and scopes with the board.

From up to $1 million for improvements, the Trustees have $89,000 budgeted toward concrete work at BRES. L&M President Charlie Earley presented three alternate bid items he published and said two firms have responded: Knowles Industrial and Hascall and Hall. Alternative Bid 1 would replace flashing and caulking on concrete above the roofline and sealing it, Alternative Bid 2 would repair the concrete coating above the soffit line and Alternative Bid 3 would install new metal flashing.

“If you ask for a recommendation from us, I would think 1 and 3 as long as you are comfortable affording it,” said Earley. “If you spend more than $89,000 it's got to come from somewhere and it's too soon to know if the other parts of the project will generate savings.”

Bids on the three items varied with Knowles bidding under Haskell and Hall overall, but the board opted to engage only bid items 1 and 3; that makes Haskell and Hall the low bidder at $110,571.

L&M is redesigning the entryway for BRHS with security and aesthetics in mind. Earley showed three concepts and broke down costs for the first two. Alternative A featured a new storefront style, airlock entrance with the existing ramp and rail layout, new concrete steps with metal nosings and new painted cedar clapboards under the outside roof. Alternative B featured a curtain wall style entrance with a switchback ramp, handicap entrance, new rails, stairs with metal nosings, cedar clapboarding, and planters topping partitions alongside stairs. Alternative C erects a platform level with the entrance out to the pavement; it features a curtain wall, planters, benches, and the platform surrounded by rails but for the ramp access facing the north.

Trustees were split between Alternative B and a version of Alternative C which adds a staircase toward the south; however, Alternative A would cost just over $200,000, Alternative B, nearly $419,000 and Alternative C was not estimated, Earley said, because it is clearly more expensive. The budget for the project is $177,593.

Earley also said the removal and moving of the school’s 30-year-old oil tank will cost just over $40,000. The trustees decided if work was to be done to the entrance, the tank should be replaced and moved.

“I'm just seeing the dollar signs just flashing,” said Chair Richard Hallinan. “If we only have $177,000 for it and the cheapest option is $200,000 already, then I don't see going for the $400,000 one.”

Trustees asked L&M to price removing and replacing the tank; replacing all door hardware; and basic beautification of the entrance. Earley and the trustees agreed the new scope of work would likely hover around the budget.