High School Board OKs Pressbox Plan

After a lengthy, and at times heated discussion on the method used for soliciting bids on a new pressbox at Tozier Stadium, the Watchung Hills Regional Board of Education approved a $134,500 contract for the project at Monday's meeting.

Landsite Construction, of Roselle Park, provided the winning bid, beating out Dant-Clayton and Partyka Construction for the project. The bid includes erecting a steel tube structure to hold a prefabricated pressbox measuring 8-by-24 feet, with a  covered roof area.

Before the vote to approve the project, architect Don Fiore, of Short Hills-base Heinz and Fiore LLC, praised Landsite as a "phenomenal contractor" and said the company had already undertaken some of the paperwork and drafting needed to proceed with the job.

The new pressbox will replace a dilapidated and condemned structure at the stadium, and is being funded by community donations, about $43,000 in surplus transportation funds from the 2010-2011 school year, and funds that had been set aside for HVAC projects but the for which the school received a grant. The donations include $2,100 from the Band Parents Association, $2,900 from the Touchdown Club, which has also pledged an additional $5,000 for the project, along with a $2,500 donation from Atlantic Orthopaedic Associates, and a $7,500 donation from the Watchung Hills Soccer Association.

But the project passed over the objections of board member Peter Falzarano, who questioned why the board issued detailed specifications for the bids, rather than solicit offers from area contractors. Falzarano said he had spoken to some area contractors with experience in similar projects and got estimates much lower than the bids received.

"As I look at these numbers tonight, we're going to approve spending $30,000 ...$40,000...$50,000 or more unnecessarily," he said.

But board member Louis Pepe pointed out only companies registered with the Department of Education can undertake school projects, and that the board would have no way to know if the estimates Falzarano provided were for fully code-compliant work.

Business Administrator Timothy Stys held up an inch-thick book of specifications for the project and said he intentionally compiled a very detailed set of specs for the pressbox.

"If your specs are complete and thorough, you eliminate a lot of problems on the back end," Stys said. "Every contractor and so-called 'undesirable' out there will take advantage of your specs aren't clear."

Earlier in the discussion, Falzarano said he was "a little concerned" that the business office had not followed his recommendation. When board President Robert Horowitz stopped Falzarano, saying he didn't think it was appropriate for board members to seek bids independently and tried to stop him from speaking, Falzarano shot back, "You talk all the time."

"To say, in terms of casual conversation, I could have done it for $30,000 less, I think .. it's, to me, entirely inappropriate and irresponsible for board members to be taking on the role of business administrator seeking bids for projects," Horowitz responded.

Falzarano said he did not do anything unethical or illegal.

But he did cast the lone vote against the contract, which was approved by the remaining board members.