School District Capital Improvement Projects are On Track

WAITSBURG – Waitsburg School District capital improvement projects are on track and building permits were submitted to the city last month, Design West Senior Project Architect Ned Warnick told the school board in a work session prior to their Dec. 13 regular board meeting.

The projects, which encompass all three of the district school buildings as well as the athletic field, are slated to go to bid in early February. Due to uncertainty in the bid market, Warnick strongly suggested that several items be submitted as bid alternates, in case funding runs short.

“Even if we bid at the start of March we’re going to be one of the first projects out of the gate for 2018, which is good in that your project looks attractive and there isn’t a lot of competition for bidders out there. What’s difficult about it is that I don’t have a lot of landmarks in terms of cost estimating,” Warnick said.

He said that recent project estimates are on the high end of the budget.

“There has been a significant amount of escalation through 2016 and 2017. We can’t tell where that next jump is going to be or if there is going to be a jump. That’s the anxiety of being one of the first to the market in the new year,” Warnick said.

Warnick said his concern is that if bids come in too high to be accepted, the district would be forced to re-bid, which will put the projects into the busier time of year for contractors, likely meaning even higher bids.

Superintendent Jon Mishra noted that going out for rebids could push out the project completion dates, possibly moving them into the 2018-19 school year.

To prepare for that possibility, Warnick suggested turning the high school HVAC, at $400,000 and Preston Hall HVAC, at $600,000 into bid alternates.

“That would allow you to take them or not take them based on the bid results are. I would love for the March meeting to be one where I can say, ‘We got great news and we can take everything, but I can’t guarantee that’s going to be the case,’” he said.

“This would provide separate, identifiable prices for each one and allow you to balance your budget at need be,” he added.

Warnick suggested that cooling the high school auditorium and adding a concrete masonry base around the bottom of the field house also be listed as add alternate bids.

The projects will be funded through a $3.8 million capital improvements bond passed by voters in Nov., 2016. The scope of the projects includes upgrading the HVAC in all three school buildings, a complete renovation of the district kitchen, and construction of a field house at the athletic field.

In Feb. 2016, voters failed to approve a $4.8 million bond, which included the above improvements as well as an all-weather track and parking lot improvements, by 13 votes.

Warnick said current construction estimates are coming in at $3.25 million, which is under budget but does not account for an estimated $700,000 in soft costs such as building and inspection permits, design fees, sales tax, contingencies, etc.

The board approved the project with the four add alternate bids and Design West submitted building permits last month. If all goes as planned, HVAC upgrades will begin during spring break, work on the field house will begin during the end of track season and the kitchen renovation will take place over the summer.