CLEARFIELD – At Monday night’s committee meetings, the Clearfield school board reviewed bids for its proposed bleacher and elementary building projects during a presentation by Architect J. Greer Hayden of HHSDR Architects/Engineers of Sharon.
Hayden first reviewed the proposal and bids for the bleacher project at the Clearfield Bison Sports Complex at the high school campus. He said that the updated plans incorporate a press box with the steel support system.
According to him, alternatives to be decided by the district are whether to save money by re-using or salvaging the seats from the present bleachers, and whether to choose a completely closed deck system. He recommended the package that salvages the seat boards and includes all new seats, and the semi-open deck system, which will leave a minimal 2.5-inch gap at the floor and bench jointures. Total cost of the project will be $578,309.
A question was raised regarding the insurance issues with the bleachers. Business Administrator Sam Maney said the insurance company has been patient in working with the school district to resolve the safety problems with the current bleachers. He said it is to the point the school faces possible non-renewal of insurance coverage due to liability issues with the unsafe bleacher system in place.
In the second part of Hayden’s presentation, he explained the five prime bid packages and alternatives for construction plans at the Clearfield Elementary School. Bid packages include roofing, heating, plumbing, electric and food service. Hayden suggested the district consider rejecting the bids for electric contracts, which came in at $600,000 higher than the original estimated cost of $1.2 million.
Hayden said re-opening for new bids for action by the May 20 board meeting will push back the timeline for finishing the construction projects by approximately 10 days, and may be well worth the savings in new bids. He explained that the current bids could be held for 60 days, which allows time for rebid. Construction at the CES is slated to begin June 17.
Maney proposed the board consider a bid for furniture improvements for the administrative offices of $66,678. He said a local contractor could re-use much of the current furnishings to build workstations, which will be an estimated $4,000 savings to buying all new furnishings. Maney explained this estimate is based on available inventory of all the schools in the district.
Hayden pointed out that furniture and fixtures are not included under general contract because it inflates the costs. He said for this reason a contingency line item is added to the construction budget to help cover these costs.
Board President David Glass tendered his resignation from the school board effective April 29, due to pressing family health issues. He encouraged the board to continue to put aside politics and always put the needs of the district, and especially the students, first.
Superintendent Dr. Thomas B. Otto presented Glass with a plaque in token of the district’s appreciation for his service.