“They are tracking a little ahead of schedule.” Those were the words of Tim Robertson of ICS Consulting at the Monday, May 22 school board meeting. “Thing are clipping along nice.”
The project is now estimated at 75-78 days until completion and it’s slated to be move-in ready after the 4th of July and by contract is turnkey by August 15. Superintendent Ehler asked Roberston to clarify two points of recent rumor, including the timeline. Ehler indicated that talk of the district being over budget and behind schedule have been circulating. “We’re currently tracking, at the end of the day, with a $206,000 surplus. There’s millions we haven’t spent yet,” said Roberston. “We’re definitely not over budget at this point. Everything seems to be clicking along.”
This week, curb and gutter around the school is going to take shape, while parking lot curb and gutter will be in the next 10 days to two weeks. The job trailer will be out of the parking lot by next month. Kitchen equipment is all accounted for and 80% is installed. Finish work on the ceilings of the shower rooms and locker rooms, painting in the choir and band rooms, and acrylic detail painting in the hallways is underway. Carpet and vinyl flooring is 85-90% complete and the vertrazzo tile in the common areas is in place. Aluminum door and window frames are in. Additionally, the contractor is expecting to start the big air conditioners in the next two to three weeks to help lower the humidity levels. By the end of the week, theatre seating will be in and carpet will finish it up.
ICS Consulting, the school representative for the project, has opted to cut two contractors loose. There were four bids on the project for furniture and it will be divided by two of those bidders; Schmitt Goodman, of Rochester, and Office Solutions, of Minneapolis. The first will be responsible for furniture in the common, break-out areas and their portion rings in at $229,000. The latter will provide furniture for the educational areas and was substantially cheaper than competitors on those items. The price tag of their bid is $208,000.
The district is tentatively planning a preliminary open house for August 19 and there will be additional open houses for the school year. “It’s the 10th anniversary of the flood and there will be other community events going on,” noted Ehler. “I think it sends a message that the recovery process has gone well.” Tentative cleaning and moving dates are also being looked at.
The school is has also scheduled a community build for the school playground. The dates are August 10 and 11 and the contractor is hoping for 60 volunteers per day, with a 20 person minimum.
A time capsule, to be placed near the front door, is also in the works. To be placed beneath a roughly nine inches by 18 inches by 18 inches, the capsule details are in being sorted out. “What’s involved? Who’s involved; dates, times, people, timeframe,” said Robertson. A celebration marking the interment of the capsule will also be planned.
In other school board updates, the board has approved Change Order 11 for the project. The $66,415 change accounts for science classroom fixtures, power for a refrigerator in a lab, sprinkler heads in the wrestling room hallway, among other things. Two of the biggest items from the change order represent improvements to Grimsrud Way, such as curb, gutter, storm water drainage, and utility, and more than $37,000 in retaining wall work.
Robertson noted that Change Order 12 is coming, but that confirmation of valid numbers is still in the works. “You’ll start to see less of these,” he added.
A proposal from Winona Nursey for irrigation at the new school site was reviewed and approved unanimously by the board. Ringing in at $53,281, the work will include irrigation on the landscaping in the parking lot and is estimated to be a time and money saver.
The school received good news from the county on property valuation, following a recent meeting with County Assessor Cindy Blagsvedt. The district had requested a new tax valuation on the current school facility. Including land, and after vacancy, 2018/2019 taxes for the site are estimated at $362,100. Estimated tax using 2017 levy rates on that value would be $13,310. This new valuation should make the property more lucrative to any potential developers.
An all-school assembly will be held Friday, May 26 at 8:25 a.m. A short slideshow, to see the progression from start to current happenings, will be shown to student and staff. At the conclusion, a final all-school photo will be taken on the playground immediately south of the current facility.
In other news, the board approved several policy readings. These include Wellness (533), Acceptance of Gifts (706), and Student Fundraising (511). Health insurance for support staff and administration, through Southeast Service Cooperative, was also approved.
The next regularly scheduled board meeting is Monday, June 19, at 5:30 p.m., in the high school biology room. The public is encouraged to attend.