Windham awaits Barrows reimbursement
Sep. 20—WINDHAM — Town officials are still awaiting some reimbursement from the state for the Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy, which opened eight years ago.
But they are hopeful the process may end soon.
During the board of finance meeting last week, Windham Finance Director Chris Johnson spoke about some recent challenges with the audit.
The magnet school, which has a science, technology, engineering and mathematics ( STEM) focus, is at 141 Tuckie Road in Windham.
It cost more than $40 million to construct Barrows and the expected reimbursement rate is 95 percent. Arcadis was the project manager for the project.
Town officials recently submitted more documentation to the state, as requested by the state Department of Administrative Services.
Johnson said he expected the revision to the audit in about a month or two.
" We'll just have to wait and see how it shakes out," he said. " I'm keeping my fingers crossed but, again, the state is looking to pay you back as little as possible."
Johnson said the state has denied the town $4 million, a portion of the reimbursement the state withheld until the project was completed, which he said is a standard procedure.
He said he believed the town has provided enough information to " get us to the $ 4 ( million), unless they really want to be sticklers."
One issue, Johnson noted, is state employees have indicated school officials bought materials without bids.
WINDHAM, Page 4
I'm keeping my fingers crossed but, again, the state is looking to pay you back as little as possible.
Windham Finance Director Chris Johnson
------
Windham awaits Barrows reimbursement
Continued from Page 1
He said they did, but they used state contracts instead, which is allowed as part of the state reimbursement process.
Johnson said state officials also claimed the town didn't submit certain change orders and he believes the town did submit those.
He said, if need be, he and Windham Town Manager Jim Rivers may have to talk to people on a " different level" through the state Department of Administrative Services, which handles the reimbursement process. Windham Mayor Thomas DeVivo, who was chairman of the magnet school building committee, said this morning he has been assisting however he can, but the state was seeking information from before he was on the committee.
He said the pandemic has contributed to the delays on the state level.
" The state has really been on complete shutdown," DeVivo said.
State Sen. Mae Flexer, D- Mansfield, state Rep. Susan Johnson, D-Willimantic, state Rep. Brian Smith, D- Colchester, and the late state Rep. Linda Orange, D- Colchester, all assisted with the audit.
DeVivo said he was pleased staff never gave up on the audit.
Board member Chuck Pennewill said, given the " nightmare" Johnson is experiencing with the audit, he hopes the high school renovation building committee is "dotting their t's and crossing their i's."
" I'm just hoping that the committee is very, very careful to make sure they have the proper paperwork and file the proper paperwork," he said. " We don't want to go through this nightmare again."
Windham Board of Finance Chairman Tyler Griffin, a member of the high school renovation building committee, said he requested to be on the change order subcommittee for the high school renovation so he could keep an eye on the finances.
Follow Michelle Warren on Twitter — @mwarrentc.
