So, it the price of it, the labor is not a lot compared to having our own staff do it. So, it's just cost effective to have an outside company. Plus, we're using oilbased uh sealants. So, there's a lot of smell in the air and we would have to be concerned about getting respirators and stuff for our team to comply with the new standards and stuff. So, it's just safer and easier to send it out. We do have the elementary schools that are in need of it. So, that's something we should potentially get a quote and then determine if we can do it inside and switch over to a water base for those particular schools. But the three, they're really small gyms. They're not in horrible shape, but they do need some attention. And what it'll do is it'll just lengthen the life of them. Like this middle school one went uh 30 years plus with the original stuff.
Low, low, low. I get that. And to your point earlier, remember if this is a years out process, the later we start, the later we complete, right? And so it's not committing us to doing any one thing right now, but it is saying if this is an option, here's what it would take. Here's what it's going to be. Here's expected timelines. Like here's um laying the groundwork for potentially being able to make a choice. Um, okay. I >> I get what you're saying about the appetite of the community and I think that's one of my main things for why I'm like, hey, let's make sure we have people who don't have kids in the school who are also weighing in on the process, [clears throat] >> you know, and I'm not saying like let's go find the library dislikers, but you know, maybe they maybe we want them, you know, to be part of the pro.
Every year you keep adding to it, it'll start getting cloudy and then it'll turn a yellow color and then it starts getting unlevel. So, uh, last year we stripped it down to bare wood. We resealed it. So now every year you should put another coat over the top of it and you'll work your way back up and it's a quick refinish. It was $25,000 to strip this one down. It's going to be $3,000 to do a coat on it every year to keep it looking beautiful every year. So it's just a maintenance thing. You really need to coat it once a year and we didn't feel it was cost effective do it in in house. >> Okay. >> And then the federal street I think you may I think I don't want to speak for what but maybe insurance, >> right? So, we have we have invoices that we have paid for um the elevator and MCO and potentially one other vendor.
We want them that's who we want on the process is the people who don't always feel their voices are heard. seen in the process. >> Yeah, we want the perspective fairly represented. Um because elsewise it looks like we're just ramming through another decision without considering what people's needs and wants are. Um >> I'd also like to see a list of like I I agree with member web. I'd also like to see a list of like back to the like visionary dream of having an elementary school. what issues with the town would be solved by having an elementary school that aren't just educational. Like for example, we all know the Green River swimming area is going to be closed at some point in time. It is not sustainable. If we're building an elementary school, guess what? We can build a pool. We could build a pool.
I'm trying to think who would it be. Our mechanical ones that that we have maintenance contracts with and stuff. They won't work for outside vendors or if they do, they won't get the quick response we get. They won't come right out for a new customer. So, we we'll pay it. We're going to submit those the insurance and we'll get that money back, >> right? And that money would go like back into the maintenance budget is my guess. >> I Yeah, I would guess. But there is a $5,000 deductible. >> Yeah, we've talked about that. >> So, we just one of those calls is probably going to cover it. You know, I think one one was 3,000. Maybe the other one. So, it'll cover our deductible. So, anything else that goes in, we'll get back. >> I don't think I've seen anything from the water remediation team.
We could have that pool be the community pool on the weekends. We could charge >> for swim lessons. >> Have swim lessons. We could have summer camp with swimming. We could like make our some money back for that. Like there's all these little tiny things that we could do. Oh, the city hall is like we can't have the city hall there. You know what would make it amazing? City Hall, Federal Street. That would make an amazing city hall or Newton. >> Federal Street or the middle school even >> Newton would be amazing senior housing with all those individual doors. So, like if we're solving other city problems and we're talking to residents about it from that standpoint that like we're not just we want a shiny new building, >> but like we have things there's things coming down the pipe that are going to cost a lot of money and be a problem.
>> No. >> Okay. So, >> and won't is that >> No, that's all insurance where like the elevator will come through us and then circle. >> Yes. And and David Neans I I've just started printing it today. Today or tomorrow. I'm going to send him all the invoices that we've paid so far including stuff from WB Mason or I think it was WB Mason that we had to replace in the classrooms that the teacher needed. Um, and that is close to covering the deductible. So, we will be getting money back. >> So, this isn't the first time that Federal Street has flooded. So, um, I can think of two other times in my history in Greenfield. Same spot. So, have we gotten to solve the reason why it does that or do we know why? I mean it's it's a repeating problem >> and it's it's a common thing with those ventilators that go in the walls.
We can solve them with what we have. >> That's a sustainable act >> and they can be involved in that and they can see how it will benefit their lives in other ways. if they don't have a student in the schools, well, now you can go swim, you know, or like your uh elderly family members could have a place to live. Like there's a lot, >> right? >> I [clears throat] totally agree. And I think that when I'm going back up to the earlier agenda item for just a moment, um, when I'm thinking about the makeup of makeup of our committee, that's I want people who do housing. So either there I know that there's like housing green field as a group, but there's also people who are like on housing and planning commissions and boards that we might want to specifically strongly encourage to [laughter] nominate themselves to be part of this group.
So what happens and and a lot of this has happened since co I know we've had preips before CO but you need to take outside air in and they were upwards of 20% outside air when during CO because they had to air exchanges per hour where before you only needed 10% 8% of outside air they doubled it. So you have this register that goes along the outside of the building and it sucks direct air in from the outside and it go through the coils. So if that actuator that adjusts your outside air >> gets stuck >> faults or something happens it it'll sense it but then it will automatically open up the heat valves and just circulate heat through so it'll prevent it from freezing. But sometimes what they call a freeze stat fails like any other mechanical thing and then it doesn't protect it and we get a cold snap and you don't find it until it it's frozen.
Um or even like the Greenfield Business Association so that we can help them understand, oh, what if Newton was actually a spot for a lot of commercial interest and development cuz it's right there on Main Street. like it's a pretty accessible um to get shipments and deliveries if that's something that you need as a business. Um but to help get their interest, they might also have connections, let's just be real, to capital that [laughter] we don't currently have access to um that we would need to make any kind of like redevelopment of other buildings go. But also, I think we might be getting a little ahead of ourselves. Um that's not the decision we've reached yet. [laughter] We haven't fully explored it yet. I think there's we're clearly excited about it, but um we ultimately will be beholden to the will of the group. Um and um and are also we are not in charge of deciding anything.
So it's just one of those things when you're taking outside air and running it across a hot water coil, it's a high risk. So that's why we like rooftop units and stuff like that where you you take it's all happening on the roof. It's in a control box. >> So what's the best way to avoid this again? Because I know it's happened multiple times. Yeah, have them go through PMS. And the only struggle with that is to really test that outside air damper, you got to have somebody here from the control company, which is Seammens. So, if you're having a Seaman tech here at $190 an hour and he does every single classroom at Federal Street School, it's going to take them a day. You're going to send $1,600 per school. >> So, it's not just one. >> There's one one for every single classroom.
We are in charge of creating comprehensive understanding, getting all the parameters out on the table. And if we get to the point where at toward the end where we have like, oh, one of these options is clearly better than the others, then we can make a recommendation to the full committee. But it will be the full school committee who's ultimately responsible for choosing one or none um and stewarding the next phase of an like implementing that choice. So, just being clear of what we're responsible for, what we can do versus what we have to pass along. Um, member Webb, I saw a hand go up again. Was that >> No, I think it was the we're getting ahead of ourselves because I think Newton has been like deemed a historic building and has like some historic >> I mean I'm in it now but I think it has >> built as a as a model school um at one point like when it was constructed >> and I think you are correct on the GMS time frame because that was a junior high >> right?
And it so every unit. So you we try to check them as you're going through with the PMS and making sure that they look like they should be in the position they should be in and sometimes cycle to one or two when Seammens comes in because they come in twice a year. >> Yep. >> And and they can only do so much. So we have them try to do >> Isn't it all computer- based? >> Yes. >> So where where is the computer? Is it here or city hall? >> There's one computer in every school in the basement. A set area. Um, I can get it from my and Joe can get it from his at central maintenance. So there's six school ones and then central maintenance and that's it. And they can get into it remotely somehow with seammens. >> So So that computer program can't sense there's a problem at federal.
it might be worthwhile to just call MSBA and just find out what even beginning steps are like like if you wanted to do if you wanted to do this sometime in the future like what would you do because I'm going to guess that like we couldn't even make a recommendation that this would be possible if we didn't have a conversation with them first to find out if like because it could be that like yeah we we recommend that we do this but also like there's no there's no land or there's no you know space or you know, who knows what the thing could be. >> I went to the learning lunch on Friday. >> Oh, good. >> And then I um I did look up like our rating system and we were all like ones and twos for our building. >> What does that mean?
>> It will it does send out alarms, but typically by the time it sends out an alarm, >> it's too late. And there's also a lot of false alarms. It'll have a fault but then clear itself. So in a standard day throughout the winter, I may get 25 faults, 30 faults from >> I remember the year they put it in. I was in this building and we froze on the third floor in the middle of winter. And then finally they got Semens to show up >> and George told me that the third floor wasn't even in the computer system. So that's why we didn't get heat because it didn't exist. Um, I mean, again, you you're purchasing something fancy that's computer-based. I would think that would be something that could be asked of them if there can be a early warning system for federal. >> I mean, this has just happened multiple times and it's hard for teachers like everything gets flooded multiple times.
It it just means like we're not in like high need of repairs is kind of what I was and then I was cons curious because they do I took some notes but they do like repair grants for windows and stuff obviously >> but AEL doesn't qualify because it's a subsearate prek. So, but if we put kindergarten with a in that building, then it would qualify. >> But a standalone prek doesn't qualify. >> So, that was just some like food for thought. Um, I mean, I guess it's helpful I'm saying this to you guys, but yeah, it was neat. They were talking about, you know, the mini splits, you know, applying for that. But again, our I went on their website and it showed that there was like we were we're ones and twos. You know, they're more concerned about the threes and the fours. Correct.
I know that um the art teacher there, she's been flooded out a couple times. >> Yeah. And sometimes the actuator thinks it's at 100% closed, but it's not because it's stuck or it failed. >> Okay. >> And then there's nothing to send an alarm. It doesn't realize it has a fault. But we already spend >> $13,000 a year with Seammens and that's to get them to come in twice a year and just do health check on all the systems and go through and then us be able to call them in on service at a reduced rate of $190 an hour and to have them have a 24 to 48 hour response time. If you don't have that contract, it could be a week or two before they come in and we can't wait that long. So that's the that's the uh toughest system we have because you don't get a lot for your money other than a commitment from them and when they do come in it takes a while.
>> Yeah, that's why it would be a good idea to call them and have them like just I don't know walk us through maybe they could make a presentation at the subcommittee so that we can understand like what is even >> I might have time talking about things that aren't >> I have I think they sent me their presentation thing from the lunch and I could forward >> I think >> and even if they didn't we can reach out to them and say hey we know you made a presentation. Please give give your slides to us. >> Yeah, I've been trying to go to the lunchons just to have like some knowledge. >> Yeah, I totally appreciate you seeking out professional development. Thank you. >> That's great. >> So good. >> Good for you. >> I mean, I don't have, you know, I don't have the years of experience like you guys have, but I want to be helpful and do the best I can.
It's very expensive. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Any other for Mr. >> Gro? Thank you. Thank you. >> You solved a big mystery. That's why I'm here. Thank you. >> Well, we've I already cleared up all the questions that I had for the warrants. So, >> I have a couple You want me to? >> Yeah, I'm okay. I'm sorry. >> I'm just over here listening stuff. >> So, the bills from Frontier. I mean, so we're only paying it looked like $7,000 for phone bills. >> I can >> So, what is that about? >> I can speak to that. So, there's a a regional train. Oh, okay. >> We are the fiscal agent. Is that the right word? We are the fiscal agent. So, we do not receive all the money, but we pay it. So, we >> we hold the money in this grant, but other dish other school districts, >> mind you, right?
>> Going to professional development is the most helpful thing any member can do. I truly believe it. >> Yeah. Um, great. So, >> I did find it, so I will forward it. >> Thank you. Um, okay. So, we can we can decide on this later, but in my mind, one of the ways that we can sort of organize ourselves to accomplish all of this because we do have a bit of a deadline of May 12th, 2027, which is about a year from now to sort of have these studies done, have all of our information in order, have it all written out in a way that is like legible to other people. Um and uh if we have a recommendation at the end of that to have that [clears throat] recommendation clearly outlined. Um one of the ways I was thinking we could organize once we've gone through the process of soliciting nominations, sifting through them, getting our team in order, setting a regular schedule of meetings, then we might even be able to subdivide further and have like task forces for each option.