Video: Johnston High School Boiler Room

Following the town council and school committee decision on Oct. 21 to approve contracts for boiler replacement and asbestos removal at , school Facilities Director Dave Cournoyer gave a tour of the current system.

One of the two existing boilers — which were original to the school when it was built in the 1960s — had been fired up for the first cold day of the school year on Oct. 24. The other boiler was not working, and would have cost $20,000 to repair, Cournoyer said.

By 12:30 p.m., a puddle of water covered part of the floor of the boiler room, caused by a leaking valve.

In the accompanying video, Cournoyer explains the scope of the upcoming work, which is expected to be completed by February, 2012.

According to information released at the Oct. 21 joint session of the town council and school committee, the project's cost is estimated at $667,000 — with $195,000 covered by federal and state funds, and the rest paid out of a $500,000 bond item approved by the town council in June.

During the session, School Committee Chairwoman Janice Mele asked the town council and Mayor Joseph Polisena what would happen if the project were to go over budget.

"Where will the money come from, because we don't have it," Mele said.

"We will find the money," Polisena reassured her, noting that the town is eyeing potential savings in liability insurance. "We will make sure that this project is going to get over the finish line."

Following the session, Mele said she was relieved to know that the project will soon get underway.

"I can't explain how happy I am," Mele explained. "The company that services [the boiler] said we can't put any more Band-Aids on it — the state's going to come in and inspect and say 'you can't let this school open,' [and] we did not have the money.

Getting the town's help to fund the project was also reassuring, Mele said.

"That's why I asked the mayor tonight if it goes over the $500,000 — I just wanted that satisfaction, because we do not have the money," she explained. "We've been . We're in the black now, and that's where we're staying."