In a special workshop meeting Tuesday night, the Standish Town Council heard a request from SAD 6 Superintendent Suzanne Lukas for a temporary occupancy permit for the special education wing of Bonny Eagle High School. A final decision is expected in mid-September.

The 2,700 square foot addition, completed in the summer of 2004, is required by Standish ordinance to have a sprinkler system in place. But when the section was added, the school’s architect contacted the Maine State Fire Marshall’s Office, who approved the project without the system because the intent was to add a sprinkler system at the point an additional, larger building project at the school would be completed.

But local ordinances supersede those of the state, according to Standish Fire Chief Martin Jordan and unless the council grants a temporary permit the school must make alternate arrangements for the affected students.

“Our intent is to sprinkle the entire building over the next year or so,” Lukas said.

The cost to fit the entire building with a sprinkler system is about $520,000.

“In order to do that we will be applying for revolving renovation funds from the state of Maine,” Lukas said.

Chief Jordan asked the council to consider supporting the District’s request as “a non-precedent-setting type of situation.” He said that the fire alarm system that is currently in place is the latest technology. That fact, combined with the one-on-one teacher to student ratio that would facilitate any necessary evacuation, good egress from the addition, and a 24,000 irrigation tank of water nearby that could be used in case of a fire, cause Jordan to believe it is “an acceptable risk.”

Councilor Dolores Lymburner asked if it were possible to apply for the funding, obtain the money and complete the work by next September.

Lukas felt certain that the project could be completed by that time.

Phil Pomerleau expressed his frustration at the request.

“I think it’s going to create bad feelings,” he said. “I know that’s how I feel about this.”

Although he rescinded it later, Pomerleau proposed the council fine the school district for noncompliance.

Lymburner felt a fine was in order, as well, for all the time put in by Jordan during multiple inspections.

Councilor Larry Simpson disagreed with assessing a fine saying, “Our people pay taxes. All we’d be doing is taking it out of one pocket and putting it into the other.”

Council Chair Cindy Hopkins said she wanted to see a financial back-up plan from the school board “if for some reason this does not get approved by the voters.”

Most likely, the council will vote on the issue at their next meeting, September 13.

The problem of multiple code violations at Bonny Eagle High School was also addressed at Tuesday’s meeting.

Channel 13 news recently reported on the excessive number of violations at the high school.

Jordan said the report was “inaccurate.” Although he did find 248 violations in his July inspection, most were minor and none were life threatening.

When he re-inspected the building on Tuesday, 228 of the violations had been corrected and the rest were being addressed.