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Photographs from roof fire at New Milford High School on Tuesday afternoon, July 5, 2022, New Milford, Conn.
Photographs from roof fire at New Milford High School on Tuesday afternoon, July 5, 2022, New Milford, Conn.
NEW MILFORD — Work at New Milford High School from the July 5 roof fire has passed the remediation stage and is now in the repair and renovation stages.
Belfor, the company that is handling recovery and restoration services at the school, is now focusing on renovations to the first floor, Mayor Pete Bass said Tuesday.
“The renovations will be to the front area where you have the administrative offices,” Bass said.
"Obviously, we want to get that done as quickly as possible so that Principal (Raymond) Manka and the administrative team can start doing their work in the actual school itself," Bass added. "Sept. 6 (the new school start date) is coming up pretty quick and they have to do the internal work, which is balancing where everybody in the class is going to go, parking, and all that."
The July 5 fire caused substantial damage to the building and caused the town to terminate the contractor, United Roofing, that had been working on a $4.76 million renovation to the roof. The work the contractors were performing involved using a propane torch. The torch was responsible for a December fire at the high school, Bass said, when the same contractors were on the roof.
Belfor is installing sheet rock and ceiling tiles at the high school. Additionally, the company is “cleaning everything and the facilities team is putting in different HVAC filters,” Bass said. "It will be a very, very clean and very, very fresh high school.”
In regard to funding the roof project, Bass said the town is getting a reimbursement from the state education board of about $2 million.
The state told Bass the town will get a waiver so it can select a new contractor for the remainder of the roof work that’s needed. The roof project is 60 percent complete.
“They told us we can continue on, pick out who we need for (our) contractor and keep it going, and keep us in the loop. And they've been very, very proactive with us. I can't thank them enough," he said.
Bass said he expects to announce the new contractor for the roof in the next few days.
"We're working with the insurance companies and our Municipal Building Committee to pick the vendor,” Bass said. “Belfor will be doing the roof work while the kids are in the school. And then once that's completed, then the standing seam contractor will come in and complete the work while the kids will be in school, as well.”
He added many experts will be involved in the renovations including town employees, the manufacturer, and insurance companies "that will be there if not daily, every other day, to make sure the project is done the way it's supposed to, so there's gonna be lots and lots of eyes on this project."
When selecting a new contractor, Bass said all parties need to be fully certain the company "is somebody that we all can feel proud of putting on that roof.”