Schools plan to comply with grease trap rule
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on February 13, 2004 2:02 PM
Wayne County school officials say they have known about the need for grease traps since last year and are complying with the city's request to have them at 16 schools in the system.
At a meeting of the school board's facilities committee on Thursday, Sprunt Hill, assistant superintendent for auxiliary services, said work will be done as soon as the bid process is complete.
The city has mandated that all restaurants and eating establishments install grease traps to prevent grease from clogging the sewer system. Sixteen of the 31 public schools made the list of those that had not complied. Hill said he met with City Manager Richard Slozak earlier this week to discuss the work and plans to present the information at the next school board meeting.
Hill reported that Slozak "would work with us, but we have got to do it."
He said the main concern is to start on the schools in the city, and Slozak has asked that at least four of the projects be done by the end of June.
"This would get us started; to have four finished by June would be a good faith effort to get this completed," Hill said.
Calling it one of those "necessary evils" that have to be done this time of year, Hill said it is fortunate that the school system has enough money in the budget to cover the expense of four of the projects. The remainder will have to be built into next year's budget.
Hill said he is ready to move as quickly as bids are accepted. In the meantime, he is working with all cafeterias in the schools system.
"We have two men assigned to nothing but cafeterias," he said. "We're not ignoring it."