Griswold — School building officials are nearing the end of their preparations to meet with state officials on May 6 to present the proposed $34 million renovation and addition to the middle school.

Building committee members will meet with the Board of Education on April 28 to discuss the final plans for the middle school. At that meeting, school board members must approve the proposal in order for it to be submitted to state officials in May.

After a meeting Wednesday night, School Building Committee Chairman Frank Everett said things seem to finally be back on schedule, particularly involving the hiring of a construction manager.

The committee voted Wednesday night to approve a contract with FIP Construction of Cheshire, pending the endorsement of the Board of Selectmen and the town attorney.

Over the past few months, the contract has been the subject of many disagreements between building committee members, FIP and town officials. In an effort to settle the issues, the first selectman agreed to hire an independent attorney to negotiate with FIP to draft a contract that is acceptable to the town and the firm.

Everett said, in his opinion, those goals have been met. He said the revised contract does not change the maximum amount as specified in the bid package when the committee accepted FIP's proposal. Everett said the primary changes involved deleting repetitive sections and clarifying others.

While the process part of the project is moving along, the focus on how to make the renovated middle school and $35.9 million new elementary school more energy-efficient might have hit a snag.

The committee had hoped to include special panels on the roofs of both schools that would generate electricity using solar energy. The intention was that any of the excess energy would be sold to Jewett City Electric Light, the municipally owned company that provides power to the school campus.

Everett and committee member Stuart Norman Jr. said it may take special legislation to allow the Jewett City electric company to purchase the excess energy.

The committee will discuss how to incorporate this initiative and several others, including geothermal heating and cooling system at the elementary school, at future meetings.

m.bard@theday.com

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