School roof costs shared

Sept. 13, 2005

JOEL DAVIDSON\Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU - Administrators from the Mat-Su Borough and the borough school district agreed this week to share the cost of clearing snow from the Su Valley Jr./Sr. High School roof.

As indicated in an architectural report last month, the roof was improperly designed and unable to sustain average snow loads and seismic activity. The Mat-Su School Board agreed to keep the school open this year after listening to a snow-removal plan from architectural firm BurkhartCroft that indicated the school was safe to use as long as snow was regularly cleared,

The borough will request bids for snow removal by the end of next week. In the interim, a private contractor in Talkeetna will remove snow from the Su Valley roof as needed.

According to Keith Rountree, the borough's public works director, the cost to clear snow from the school's roof is expected to be at least $50,000 for the year. The borough is still working on a long-range plan to repair the roof and is expected to address this issue and others during a joint meeting between the school board and borough assembly at 6 p.m. today in the borough assembly chambers.

Contact Joel Davidson at

352-2266, or joel.davidson@ frontiersman.com.