Greg Sanders chaired the Feb. 28 special Northwestern School Board committee meeting for operations.

Sanders said committee members toured the high school and saw what was planned for renovation.

They also visited with the architect, Mark Thompson of MKSD.

Slides were shown so the audience could understand what portion of the school was being discussed.

Three classrooms, three bathrooms and the offices are the only sections for general construction.

HVAC and electrical work are the major part of what the district wants to have done.

The stage needs electrical work only, but asbestos was found and will have to be removed. The light bulbs are no longer manufactured but the school has 30, which are being used at a rate of 10 per year.

There might also be asbestos on pipes.

Superintendent Mary Anne Wright said some individuals wanted to do the entire renovation but the work was broken down for the committee to discuss.

Thompson said as soon they begin working on lighting, the energy code changes.

Board member Ron Morrison asked if there were any controls that would prevent change orders.

"At this time, there is nothing. We'll be moving walls and need air conditioning in the science areas and the computer lab," Thompson said.

The steam boiler system will eventually be phased out. The replacement hydraulic system will save fuel and provide air conditioning.

Cosmetic changes will be made in the auditorium, such as a new curtain and carpeting.

Some board members said paint near the entrance is also needed and should be done by maintenance.

Four hundred ninety feet of single pane windows along the front and rear will be replaced. Some doors do not latch.

Member LeRoy Sorensen said replacement of the hardware should correct that problem without replacing the doors.

The estimated cost is $5,485,424. That includes a contingency fee of 5 percent and project management fees of 4.5 percent. Inspection fees have to be added. Sorensen asked about building permits.

He said payroll is expected to double from $16 million to $32 million in the next seven years.

Thompson said permits had been waived in the past.

Sorensen said when work is not done correctly, it falls on the community to make repairs at the expense of the students.

Thompson said some of that falls under project management and would be caught if the district were paying for 20 people for management rather than 4.5 percent of the project cost. The manager would be onsite full time.

Prevailing wage must also be paid.

Sanders asked who does the final punch list of minor things to be finished.

The project manager and inspectors create it, Thompson said.

Sorensen mentioned several items the maintenance department should be able to do.

Bob Kripplebauer, operations director, said his department has dropped from four workers to three and, one of those has to work in the office almost every day.

He convinced Sorensen they were doing what they could.

Both Sorensen and Morrison were willing to provide support and the extra person Kripplebauer wants.

Morrison asked if a power line or water line were to be cut, who would be responsible?

Sanders told him PA 1 calls do not cover indoor water and power lines.

Member Willard Dellicker said the school cannot afford to pay an architect who could give them a design with no problems.

"We have to give it to someone (as he waved toward Thompson) whom we have faith in," Dellicker said. "Public projects are tough. We want zero change orders but we cannot get that. Do we want to go ahead or think about it?"

Wright said there were resources to pay for the work without issuing bonds.

Dellicker asked if they were interested in fund balance, bonds or a combination.

"It took us a long time to get the good financial reputation we have," he said. "We need some professional counseling."

Member Joe Reiter said next year's bond refinancing savings could contribute to a renovation fund.

Sanders said by trimming some things they could bring the cost down by half.

He asked if the mechanicals could be done alone.

Thompson said the mechanical-electrical are the driving factors in the cost. To do that work, some ceilings will have to be opened and it makes sense to keep them together.

"I don't have good direction," Wright said. "What do you need to make a decision."

The issue was tabled for further discussion.

Sanders said he was disappointed other board members, who had attended an earlier financial meeting, had not stayed for the operations meeting.