So far, the majority of construction bids for Clarkston Community Schools? bond projects have come in under architect estimates.
When one goes over the estimate, the school board notices. When considering a $578,000 projected overrun on July 12, board members asked for more details on specific line items.
The board approved a bid package for the planned Grade 8-9 building (currently known as Clarkston Middle School) in the amount of $10,519,424. As with most of the previous bid packages, vendors submitted bids for individual material and labor items.
Wes Goodman, the district’s director of building and grounds who is also serving as ‘owner representative? on bond projects, said structural steel came in higher than estimated, with cost for a new auditorium also higher.
‘Steel is one item, but it’s in the footings, the concrete, the steel decking for the roof, it’s also in the door frames,? Goodman said.
While the bids for each line item were included in the agenda packet, the estimates for each were not, leading board Treasurer Ron Sullivan and Trustee Joan Patterson to ask for more details.
‘It may be small amounts through the whole thing versus one large amount [in individual bids],? Sullivan said. ‘It just helps us understand some of that.?
Patterson suggested color coding items coming in higher than estimated.
‘It wouldn’t be bad to have in red just items that could possibly be overrun,? she said, ‘so we can track the items we really need to track.?
Bruce Beamer, executive director for business and financial services, said he was concerned the board may try to accept some parts of a bid package and reject others. Because the various elements of the project are interrelated, he said that could be dangerous.
‘I caution you in asking for the details,? Beamer said. ‘As your bean counter, I’m looking at those numbers, but you have to look at the whole thing. We had some things where we saved large amounts of money, too.?
‘The estimates are exactly what they are — estimates,? Goodman said.
‘If we’re going to have this school open on time, we need to move ahead with it,? Superintendent Al Roberts said, promising to negotiate with construction supervisors to seek additional ‘value engineering,? a previously-discussed practice which seeks more cost-effective ways to build within specifications.
President Karen Foyteck noted similar circumstances in previous bond projects.
‘There’s always the questionable costs,? Foyteck said. ‘Last time we were caught in a very tight labor market. This time it happens to be the price of steel.?
Sullivan repeated his request for more details to compare estimates with actual bids, saying he never intended to promote partial bid approval.
‘It just helps me understand what the original estimate was,? he said. ‘That’s all I’m asking for.?
Voters in 2003 approved an $84.7 million bond financing package for a variety of building renovations and a new early childhood center. Roberts noted the combined bids so far have come in about $1.3 million below estimate, and the bond budget has contingency funds beyond that cushion.
‘We’re in pretty good shape from a fiscal standpoint,? he said.