The city’s Aldermen and its tax board both voted Thursday to spend $80,000 to replace two boilers at Derby’s Irving School.
The money will be returned to the city budget by the end of the fiscal year from an approximate $220,000 school district surplus.
The Irving School, on Garden Place, has two boilers that were installed in 1996. One is not functioning and the other is described as “OK.”
This should not be the case, as boilers, with proper maintenance, should last decades.
However, the Irving School boilers were not properly maintained. The lack or proper care happened before current school district facilities manager David Nardone got the job, officials said.
Nardone has since authored protocols to ensure the boilers are properly cared for.
While the city could get away with just replacing one of the boilers, City Treasurer Keith McLiverty and the city’s capital planning committee said it made more sense to replace both boilers.
Chances are the “OK” one is going to develop problems, officials said. Replacing both boilers gives the city fresh warranties on both, McLiverty said.
