CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — The Town Council approved borrowing $1.75 million to fund several school department capital improvement projects.
As part of its 10-year capital improvement plan, the school board last November asked the council for bonding to fund the projects, which mostly focus on exterior maintenance and repair of school buildings.
The funding requests include three for roof repairs: $800,000 at the high school, $175,000 at the middle school and $175,000 for roof work at Pond Cove Elementary School.
According to the school department website, the existing roofs are nearly 25 years old.
In addition, the high school’s electrical system would be upgraded at a cost of $275,000. Another project for repair of heating and ventilation equipment at the middle school requires $325,000.
The electrical system is 46 years old, and the heating system is 21 years old.
Councilors Dec. 8 unanimously authorized the five projects and the financing necessary to complete them.
The five projects are considered separate items, none of which individually meet the $1 million spending threshold that requires a voter referendum under the town charter.
Town Manager Mike McGovern explained why the projects are not being lumped into a single proposal that would need voter approval.
“Doing electrical work in a school has nothing to do with doing roof work,” he said. “Doing replacement of heating, ventilation and air conditioning has nothing to do with roofs.”
If any of the projects come in under budget, he said, the board will be allowed to use the surplus for other improvements, as long as none of them exceeds $1 million in cost.
“I think somehow to say citizens should vote on this would actually be a violation of the charter,” McGovern said.
There were no questions about McGovern’s conclusion from councilors or members of the public.