Committee presses contractors on door hardware and elevator problems; votes to postpone December meeting

At the Nov. 20 School Building Committee meeting, members raised safety concerns about door hardware and elevator reliability at the 1922 Building, asking the project team to accelerate fixes. Committee member Fred Bahu said doors "aren't locking correctly" and described incidents where new doors could be pushed open, naming Abloy as the hardware supplier.

Suffolk and design staff told the committee they are pursuing a two-track response: audits with installers and trade partners and site visits by manufacturers and consultants to confirm installation and hardware specifications. A Suffolk field representative said installers and manufacturers will meet as early as next week and that "we've installed per the manufacturer's guidelines" while the team completes an audit.

Mayor Leahy reported repeated elevator problems near the gymnasium and asked whether loading-dock doors should have an auto-open system because deliveries leave doors open. Design staff said auto-openers are "plausible" but are often limited because of maintenance concerns and recommended further discussion with the high school and administration.

During the meeting the committee voted to postpone the regularly scheduled Dec. 18 meeting: Representative Elliott moved to cancel the meeting and Connor Baldwin seconded; the committee voiced approval. The committee scheduled the next School Building Committee meeting for Jan. 22 at 6 p.m.

Suffolk and Perkins Eastman have been asked to prepare a formal response to counsel Gitscheer outlining corrective steps for door hardware and to report back to the committee.