Newtown in Search of New Buyer for Portables
Eight portable classrooms are up for sale by Newtown after a planned sale to East Haven falls through.
Newtown is shopping around for a new buyer after newly elected East Haven officials pulled the plug on the purchase of eight portable classrooms left over from the Newtown High School expansion project, officials said.
Power to the portables was discontinued Monday and workers have taken all of the steps needed to winterize the units so that they can remain in good condition for a new buyer, according to Gino Faiella, the school district's facilities director.
"As long as you keep them air tight, weather-tight, they are fine," he said.
In the meantime, officials also are fielding inquiries from potential buyers, such as from M Space Holdings, the company that originally sold the portables to the town for $900,000 in 2009 when temporary classrooms were needed at the high school.
The company originally had passed on the portables last year, citing a glut of similar inventory, but now storm damage in other parts of the country has created a possible demand for the modular units for use as storage, Faiella said, adding that he is in touch with M Space.
Last year, Newtown officials brokered an agreement with leaders in East Haven who were looking to purchase the modulars for use at their Overbrook Elementary School. A contract to sell the portables for $200,000 was inked but was contingent on the sale receiving all of the necessary local East Haven approvals, First Selectman Pat Llodra said.
Then, in November a new mayor, Joe Maturo, was elected in East Haven, and he quashed the sale, according to Newtown officials. That left Newtown without $200,000 – although Llodra said the money had been slated to pay down debt service and not budgeted as revenue.
One of the reasons Newtown was looking to sell the modulars was that as part of the agreement, East Haven had agreed to pay to disassemble and move the modular units, which town officials had estimated would cost $90,000.
Officials also have said that while portables may be needed in Newtown in the future, it would likely make more financial sense to sell the units now – recoup some of the money originally spent to purchase them as well as avoid the cost of disassembling and caring for them. If the need for portables arose again, the town could lease new units, officials have said.
For now, Newtown is still shopping around for buyers.
"We're back in the game again," Llodra said.
Correction: Newtown had brokered an agreement with East Haven for the portables. An earlier version of this article identified the wrong city in some sections of the text.
Sam Mihailoff
10:28 am on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
another "Lofty Goal" in quest of completion...how about including Robinson with the sale of the portables
Alex Tytler
11:09 am on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
I'll guarantee you that the have somebody worse than Janet already picked out and waiting in the wings, and the whole cycle begins again. It's the next step in getting the school spending to 80 million then 90 million, then 100 million.
Sam Mihailoff
11:20 am on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
someone worse does not exist on this entire planet
Sully
4:46 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Dueling banjos....................
Hawleyville Resident
1:37 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
wait, we - the town - paid 900,000 and now only 3 years later they are only worth 200,000??? hmm, I'm not an accountant but that does not seem like a very good investment. Why not donate them to some of those towns out west that need them, will 200,000 really mean something, can't we get a tax right off if donated??
Alex Tytler
3:49 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
We bonded them too. How much do we still owe???
Douglas Brennan
8:24 am on Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Towns do not pay income taxes. They do not pay taxes on fuel either.
Daniel Patti
1:47 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
"Officials also have said that while portables may be needed in Newtown in the future, it would likely make more financial sense to sell the units now – recoup some of the money originally spent to purchase them as well as avoid the cost of disassembling and caring for them. If the need for portables arose again, the town could lease new units, officials have said"
Maybe we should have leased in the first place.
Paul Alexander
2:45 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Unfortunately, this is all very typical when the public sector spends Other People's Money. They buy at a premium and sell at a discount. Just the opposite of what the private sector would do. And, also typically, there are private vendors benefitting on each side of that deal, selling at a premium and buying back at a discount, at the expense of the invisible and advocate-less taxpayers.
Alex Tytler
3:52 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Price doesn't matter in the public sector, because its OPM. There is no profit to be judged on, just one big ever increasing loss.
Bob Attanasio
3:16 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Call American Pickers
Toby Kieth
6:32 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Lets send them to China! and send Janet with them!
Toby Kieth
6:35 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
look on ebay! they are new delivered for $38k....
Toby Kieth
9:48 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
"Officials also have said that while portables may be needed in Newtown in the future, it would likely make more financial sense to sell the units now – recoup some of the money originally spent to purchase them as well as avoid the cost of disassembling and caring for them"
Meeting for what members suggested may be the last time, the School Facilities Ad Hoc Committee voted on Monday, February 6, to recommend to the Board of Education that when and if the student population for the next school year allows, the school board begin studying the option of closing a school, with a focus on Reed Intermediate School.
Both of these quotes were made in the same week in the same town about the same school system.
This town is a tragic example of gluttony spending
Who Me Matter !!!
1:09 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
The school in East Haven where these " Portable Classrooms " where intended to go is so overcrowded that the children have classes in hallways, On a stage during gym class. They can't even provided our children with a library, No room for it. Seriously, An elementray school with no library. How sick is that !!!
Think about this, How would you like it if the "OFFICIALS" in charge put so many kids in one school that it might actually be in violation of fire code regulations. Might be, because I'm sure it's being looked into. It's so sickening of a situation thats becoming a nightmare.
Anthony Serio, The superintendent that brokered the deal with Newtown received a raise, a RAISE ! Maybe you all should go read East Haven's patch, Grass ain't greener here folks. Only saving grace we have in this debacle is our facutly is awesome.
Sam Mihailoff
1:44 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
"WMM"
interesting perspective...thanks
http://easthaven.patch.com/articles/portable-classroom-project-for-overbrook-school-halted