News

Greenport unveils $8.4 million bond proposal

Greenport School District residents will be asked to approve an $8.4 million bond on Dec. 7 to cover the cost of significant repairs to school infrastructure.
The 20-year bond will cost the average taxpayer about $190 per year over the life of the bond or an average of 52 cents a day, Superintendent Michael Comanda said at a hearing Wednesday night. He said the district has no other indebtedness.
The money will pay for installation of a new roof, two new boilers, installation of rooftop heating and cooling systems, new windows and replacement of metal exterior doors. It will also enable refurbishment of the school auditorium, including repairs to tiles. It will include a 50,000 kilowatt solar program over a small section of the roof and a three-blade wind turbine that will generate 250,000 kilowatts of power.
The rotted drainage system will be replaced and new telephone and fire alarm systems will be installed. All water fountains will be replaced and refurbishing in some bathrooms will be included.
The school was built in 1932 and the current roof, planned to last 22 years, is at the end of its usefulness, Mr. Comanda said. Boilers that were installed in 1972 have undergone costly repairs, but parts for them are no longer available, forcing school custodians to fabricate pieces for repairs in the past year.
Mr. Comanda showed dramatic slides of the damage to the school building, including rain pouring through the roof and ceiling tiles and hitting an electrical  junction box and light fixture outside the cafeteria.
“This is what keeps me up at night,” he said.
He will be making another presentation on the proposed bond prior to the district’s Oct. 20 board meeting and also at an October Village Board meeting. He also plans to show his slides and discuss the bond issue at Peconic Landing later this fall and said he’s willing to make the presentation to any community group.
“There’s no fluff in this,” he said about the plans for repairs.
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