Akron company donating stone worth $113,500 to wall project
Published: November 21, 2009, 12:30 am
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An Akron company is donating an estimated $113,500 in stone to rebuild the retaining wall surrounding the Akron Central High School gymnasium.
The donation of 10 to 15 loads of stone was accepted Wednesday by the School Board from County Line Stone Co. and will be used in an effort to replicate the look of the existing retaining wall.
Many residents have told school officials they would like the reconstructed wall to resemble the old wall, which has deteriorated in several sections.
The wall reconstruction is part of a $25 million capital improvement project, overseen by LP Ciminelli, project managers. The cost of ripping out the old wall and replacing it with the donated stone is estimated at $199,712. That contract, along with several others, is expected to be put out for bid early next year.
School Business Administrator Cynthia Tretter told the board that, starting in December, it will begin receiving monthly reports from Ciminelli on capital project spending.
“It will provide a nice snapshot of where we are on the project,” she said.
The board also learned that the erection of steel for various additions is progressing rapidly from the elementary school to the high school in the school complex on Bloomingdale Avenue. Once the steel is in place, the front of the high school will be encased in plastic and heated, which should alleviate the cold felt in hallways because of the construction work. A temporary heater is also being placed in the gym.
Contractors will be working on site the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.
During her monthly financial report to the board, Tretter said that while Gov. David A. Paterson talks about school districts’ “excess reserves,” he doesn’t acknowledge that the state “doesn’t pay us on time.”
She and district treasurer Susan Brewer said the state often takes as long as a year to submit payments after districts have submitted requests.
Paterson and legislative leaders are trying to negotiate budget cuts to erase an anticipated $3.2 billion deficit in the current fiscal year. More than a month ago, the governor unveiled a plan that included midyear reductions in school aid and Medicaid. But that proposal hasn’t received much support in Albany.
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