The Warren County School District's Physical Plant and Facilities Committee discussed bid results on two items during its meeting Monday night.

The committee reviewed bids for the demolition of a property located at 19 N. South St. from H.H. Rauh Contracting of Lakewood, N.Y., for $7,650 and from Keith White Excavating of Warren for $7,680. The committee voted in favor of the bid from H.H. Rauh Contracting, being the lower price by $30, which raised concern from committee members by utilizing out-of-area companies for work.

Asked Physical Plant and Facilities Committee Member Tom Knapp, "Are we required to go with the lowest bidder?"

"I will have to check with our solicitor," answered Dr. Norbert J. Kennerknecht, director of buildings and grounds for the district.

Added Kennerknecht of awarding work to the lowest bidder, "That's the bidding process."

Board Member Jeff Lockett drew attention to Policy 4130, which states, "The Board recognizes that the District's program and mission are supported in great part by tax revenue paid by businesses and individuals located within Warren County. Accordingly, the Board hereby expresses a policy that suppliers and contractors having their primary place of business in Warren County be given preference when all other conditions (concerning price, competence and the like) are equal."

"Maybe we need to revisit that," Donna Zariczny, committee chairperson, said of the policy.

The committee forwarded the bid contract of $7,650 to the full board for approval.

The second item requiring bid submissions was for a three-year waste disposal and recycling services contract. The committee reviewed bids from Veolia Environmental Services for $52,624.46 and Jones Carroll Inc. for $64,440. The contract bid from Veolia Environmental Services, with the option to renew for two more years, was forwarded to the full board for approval.

Under informational items, Howard Plunkett, a representative of Pitney Bowes Inc. from Erie, gave a presentation on LobbyGuard, a security system that would monitor who enters and exits a school building. Through a log-in system, parents, students, administration and visitors would get their photo taken and insert their driver's license or identification card to be granted access.

"You could build a database for those that are not allowed on the premises," explained Plunkett.

Plunkett did not have a specific price for the system because he said he would need more additional details on the quantity of the systems and where they would be installed.

The meeting was attended by approximately 30 community members showing their opposition to the potential closing of Sheffield Area Middle/High School. A handful of individuals held signs reading, "S.O.S., Save Our Schools." During the public comment portion of the meeting, only one person questioned how the meeting place and time were set for the community dialogue portion of the high school feasibility study by DeJong. That meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Warren Area High School gym.

The next meeting of the Physical Plant and Facilities Committee will be Monday, Nov. 23 following the Curriculum, Instruction and Technology Committee meeting at the Warren County Career Center.