Torrington CC/WPCA: High School Leaks, Firefighter PPE, Burned-Out Property Sale

Logan Mullen

06/16/25

Present were Mayor Elinor Carbone, Councilors Stephen Ivain, Molly Spino, Anne Ruwet, and Paul Cavagnero. Councilors Drake Waldron, David Oliver, and WPCA Administrator Ed Tousey attended virtually.

Leak concerns at the new high school were the subject of a large portion of the meeting. Dave Cravanzola, Assistant Vice President of O&G, faced a barrage of questions from Councilors on the leaks at the new high school, which opened to students for the first time in January of this year. By May, a plumbing issue had already prompted an early dismissal, and there was fear that leaks in the new roofs caused damage to the new middle school gym floor.

Cravanzola took the position that the issues the school had faced were typical given the size of the project. Pointing to the leaks, he said that of the 19,000 feet of seams in the roof, only a six-inch overlap section had failed. These are highly complex projects with integrated systems and they are all things that we are used to dealing with and we are prepared to continue to deal with for the lifespan of the project.” In total, Cravanzola said there had been four minor leaks since occupancy.

As for the plumbing issue that caused the early dismissal, Cravanzola said there was a malfunction of the Domestic Water Booster Pump system, which is necessary given the school’s height. Cravanzola said a new controller has been installed and is functioning properly, with school staff now trained to operate the system manually. He also noted it was an isolated incident.

But there’s a long, contentious, history in Torrington on mold issues within the city’s schools. The old middle school, built in 1994, was rife with mold and bacteria issues from a yearslong roof leak. By 1997, some parents were alleging that their kids were getting sick from attending the school, resulting in multiple lawsuits the city had to fight.

“I know for a fact the city of Torrington was liable for millions of dollars in payment due to the recurring mold issue and the students and families that were affected,” Cavagnero, who served on the Board of Education from 2003 to 2013, said. “So, this immediately triggers those (concerns), particularly for me.”

There was also a vote on a firefighter Personal Protective Equipment contract that drew some pushback from Cavagnero over inconsistencies in the documentation. The initial agenda item allowed for the purchase of 10-20 sets of equipment, at $4,036 per set. However, the purchasing agent’s letter specifically said that they would be buying 10 sets at $40,360.

“This is sloppy,” Cavagnero said. “This is still $40,000 of taxpayer money that’s basically non-tracked. … Get your paperwork right, all these departments need to do that. If public safety doesn’t catch it, that’s unfortunate, but we’ll catch it here.

The motion ultimately passed as drafted, albeit with acknowledgement that there needs to be more precise requests in the future. Ten sets are immediately needed, and there was a desire for flexibility to outfit new recruits in the fire academy without needing to return to the council for separate approval, hence the reason the contract allows for the purchase of up to 20 sets.

There also was a unanimous vote to sell the property at 403 Torringford West Street owned by the city. The structure had been destroyed by arson and all that remained on the otherwise vacant lot was a garage. The city sold the property to Paul Mitchell for $30,000. The city initially came into possession of the lot through a warranty deed in lieu of a foreclosure. Because of that – and the fact the value of the property was greater than $10,000 – a public hearing was required.

However, after letters were sent to neighboring owners offering to merge the parcel with no takers, they proceeded with the sale to Mitchell, with the proceeds going into the blight account.