Board members weigh fixing a leaking roof

CHARLES CITY SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

Board members weigh fixing a leaking roof

Prospect of upgrading high school finds way into maintenance decisions

The middle school addition to Charles City High School is considered the first of what School Board members hope will be a two phase project. The prospect of Phase II, an updated high school gave School Board members pause when they were asked Monday to approve spending $230,000 to fix the leaking high school roof.

School Board Member Lorraine Winterink asked Buildings and Grounds Director Jerry Mitchell if there was another option that might correct the problem at a lower cost.

“When you look at the roof, there are five sections, N, O, P, Q and R,” Mitchell said. “We can try and do O and P or just an O and hopefully that takes care of it.”

However, Mitchell pointed out the entire high school roof is the same age making it difficult to know exactly which section is problematic.

“You might think the problem is in O and P, it actually could be in Q or R and run down,” he said.

Superintendent Dr. Dan Cox noted that what an updated high school facility would look like is nowhere near decided. Phase II could be designed to use the existing gym and cafeteria where the current leak is causing a problem or it could be entirely redesigned.

“It all goes back to the fact that we don’t have a common agreement as to what Phase II would even look like,” Cox said. Without an exact plan for Phase II, it is equally difficult to justify major spending as it is to justify a quick fix alternative.

“My suggestion would be doing O and P as our base bid, which is the two sections which is the most current right where the leak is, and put alternates as Q, R and N,” Mitchell said.

School Board President Scott Dight was not sure opting to only fix a portion of the roof was a good decision.

“We could spend $80,000 and not have the problem fixed,” Dight said.

School Board Member Jim Frisbie recommended his fellow board members view the cost of fixing the roof over a course of three years, an estimated time when Phase II would be proposed. Instead of viewing the project as a $230,000 expenditure next summer, look at the budget and see $80,000 for the next three years to maintain a building and avoid further structural damage. He also asked that when it came to asking for bids, that two bids be asked for three projects.

“That would be for sections O and P as the base bid and Q, R and N as alternates and the third would be the total package,” Business Manager Terri O’Brien clarified.

Ultimately this bid request was approved along with the remaining items on the 2016 summer facility project list including an additional allowance for the transportation center and purchasing a tracer. The size of the roofing project requires the district to employ an architect and engineer. Therefore, it was also approved to use Skott and Anderson Architects for preliminary work with expenses not to exceed $6,000.

The public hearing on the proposed plans, specifications and contract form for the high school roof project has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11 in the middle school cafeteria. A pre-bid meeting is being scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 8 with bids to be due at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22.

EARLY RETIREMENT

Also discussed at Monday evening’s School Board meeting was whether or not to offer early retirement. It is not the intention of the School Board to guarantee an early retirement offering every year.

“This will be offered when it’s in the best interest of the district,” School Board Member Jason Walker said.

A decrease in enrollment of 10 students has the School Board considering early retirement as a way to save money.

“We will be in another trimming mode when it comes to spring,” Cox said.

“We’re left to come up with ways that are the most non disruptive,” School Board Member Robin Macomber said.

“(Offering early retirement is) in the best interest of the district again,” Walker said. “Hopefully next year it’s not.”

School Board members chose to enlist the Finance Committee to further explore potential early retirement packages. Winterink also requested to work with administration to see where smaller cuts could be made so that the budget could be trimmed while cutting as few positions as possible. According to Cox a decision on whether or not to approve early retirement would need to be made at the next School Board meeting to be held Monday, Dec. 14. This will allow those who are eligible enough time to make a decision before the Jan. 30 deadline, he said.

IN OTHER ACTION

Also at Monday’s meeting: — Approval of change order: 1st Avenue unsuitable subgrade correction per city request, $27,943.71, McKiness excavating (to be reimbursed by the City) — Approval of change order: addition of elevator backup system, $2,605.38, O’Keefe Elevator Co.

— Update on the IASB Convention — Approval of updated mission and vision statement — STEM (science, technology, engineer, mathematics) BEST (Businesses engaging students and teachers) presentation — Approval of Costa Rica spring break trip butterbraid fundraiser The next scheduled meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14 in the Charles City Middle School Cafeteria.

By Amie Johansen amie@charlescitypress.com