Kraemer: Bugs Have Rights Too

By way of explanation of the title of Integrated Pest Management Coordinator, Superintendent Joseph Kraemer said, “bugs have rights, too.”

The title went to George Fernandez as part of the board’s appointments of a variety of positions at it’s meeting on Monday night.

“This position ensures that we are following guidelines for getting rid of bugs,” Kraemer said. “There are several methods that have to be tried before resorting to pesticides. And then before using pesticides, we are required to give notice. We also need to be sure that we are using the safest possible pesticides.”

Fernandez will also act as the Right to Know Officer and the Asbestos Management and Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health Act (PEOSHA) Officer. The Right to Know position involves being versed in chemicals used in the schools in the science labs and art classrooms, as well as cleaning products, Kraemer said.

Other appointments included:

• Schwartz, Simon, Edelstein, et al. as board attorney;
• McManimon & Scotland, bond attorney of record;
• Brown & Brown Consulting group as health insurance agent of record;
• Hatch Mott McDonald as consulting engineer of record;
• Urgent Care Medical Associates as school medical inspector;
• Nisivoccia & Company as auditor of record;
• Bollinger Insurance as student insurance agent of record;
• Karl & Associates as environmental and occupational health consultants;
• Business Administrator Dora Zeno as Board Secretary, Purchasing Agent, Public Agency Compliance Officer and Custodian of Records;
• High School Vice Principal Vickki Nadler as Chemical Hygiene Officer;
• William J. Eagan as Treasurer of School Moneys.

The appointments from July 1 through December 31. They became necessary when the board changed its

The board awarded the bid for repairs of the high school roof to Imperium Construction, Inc. with a base bid amount of $496,000.

Finally, the board awarded a lease purchase bid for the acquisition of technology equipment and a replacement maintenance vehicle to US Bancorp Government Leasing and Finance at an interest rate of 1.65%.

“That’s practically like free money,” Zeno pointed out.