MIDDLETOWN
STANDARD VOLUME 1 / NO. 2 September 2002
BUILDING A LEARNING COMMUNITY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
From the Director of Facilities Management. . .Beth Perrin
I want to thank all those involved in the hiring process and for choosing me to be Middletown Public Schools Facilities Director. I have worked and consulted in many schools, both public and private, but have never encountered a more congenial, warm group of people that seem to genuinely have an interest in exploring ‘new and/or different ways’ of bettering our school facilities. I look forward to working with my maintenance team, the administration, the School Committee, the Town of Middletown, our teachers and all the other committees and people involved in helping to make the Middletown Public Schools a safe, inviting place to learn and teach.
The following are some of the lesser known yet very important items currently being worked on by the Facilities Team:
Lead Encasement at the High School: The exterior “overhang” at the High School had an abundance of peeling lead paint, which was considered a safety issue, as well as being very unattractive. Four members of the Maintenance Team, David Rodrigues, Tim Carr, Mike Burke, and Pat Cleary, covered this area with a spray-on nontoxic seamless encapsulating system that is warranted for 20-years. This encapsulating product is a safe, effective and affordable way to solve the risks associated with hazardous building materials.
Locker Rust in the High School Boys Locker Room: Many lockers showed signs of corrosion, rust, and mildew. In an effort to extend the life of these old lockers they were power washed and disinfected by Mike Burke and his Custodial Team. After a thorough cleaning, a non-toxic, water based and fire resistant coating was applied to all effected areas.
Landscape/Grounds Upkeep: In an effort to control the costs related to the continual labor associated with the upkeep of the landscaping in the District, a new Grounds Planting Plan has been implemented. Many shrubs that require constant trimming to be maintained properly will be moved from their current locations and replaced with less labor intensive plantings and trees. This program will be slowly implemented over a period of time in order to control “out of pocket” expenditures. The first school to receive such a treatment is the John F. Kennedy School. Members of the Grounds Team, Bob Kilmer and Frank Trudell, will plant trees where the once overgrown hedges flanked the entrance to the school and slow growing flowering bushes will replaced the 8 “rounded” shrubs that ran along the stonewall in the front of the building.
Internet Computerized Maintenance System: www.SchoolDude.com is an Internet based maintenance management system designed specifically for schools. This tool will enable Middletown Public Schools to automatically process work requests, work assignments and do status reports. It is designed to increase communication between the requestor and the Facilities Team. In addition, this system will help us manage all scheduled maintenance, therefore starting us on a much-needed Preventive Maintenance program.
Other Programs/Procedures in the works:
Energy Performance Contract: An innovative method for purchasing energy-saving improvements in buildings through the energy savings produced by the project.
Road/Parking Lot Repair Program: Implementation of a repair program by the fall. Minor problems can be kept from becoming major problems if taken care of in a timely manner.
Interior/Exterior Paint Renewal Plan: Planned scheduling for all areas of the school buildings by category (e.g.: common areas, bathrooms, classrooms, offices, etc.)