School Board Focuses On Newtown High School Expansion Project

By Eliza Hallabeck

Inspection of possible alternates and deletions from the Newtown High School expansion project during the Board of Education’s meeting, held Wednesday, November 5, could remove $3.9 million from the project, but the board asked project managers Fletcher Thompson and the Morganti Group to return with an exact list for the board’s next meeting, scheduled for November 18.

School board Chair Elaine McClure brought up the topic of rebidding for discussion, and Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson explained two issues facing the board.

The original project proposal was approved by voters last April for $38.8 million, but after bids came in over budget by more than $6 million, an additional appropriation request was put to voters and turned down October 7. The district had 90 days from the time the bids came in to hold bidder’s at their specified quoted rates, but since the 90 days have now passed, the board is facing a rebidding process.

“A lot of what we are getting at is the time that the Board of Ed needs to go out to rebid,” said Dr Robinson.

The first issue, Dr Robinson said, is the board needs to decide how soon it should go out to rebid for the entire project. The second issue is the alignment of the main entrance for the school, because that may be postponed also. However, if the driveway is considered as a separate project, Dr Robinson said it will not be reimbursable through the state.

The board heard from Joe Costa with Fletcher Thompson and Ed Barrett of the Morganti Group when considering all of the alternates and deletions from the NHS expansion project, including the driveway.

Mr Costa said the request to change the driveway came from the state during the last addition to the high school, and now it needs to be done to “to get our signoff and to get our grant money.”

Board members considered changing the project of the realignment of the driveway as an alternate or as making it a phase three project. Board member Kathy Fetchick said the benefit of doing the driveway as a phase three option is it would get reimbursed through the state, and a waiver from the state is possible if it is used as an alternate.

Other projects considered for removal or alternates on the project included a wall designed to surround the outdoor play area near the main entrance, storage space that would be created under the gym, and a lightening protection unit.

Near the end of the discussion, board member Lillian Bittman moved to request Morganti and Fletcher Thompson put together a proposal for rebidding that would take into consideration moving the main entrance into a phase three scenario, taking out the value engineering proposals that were specified in a list to the board from Morganti and Fletcher Thompson on October 22, adding the patio outside the cafeteria and creating alternates of the storage area under the gym, the lightening protection, and the tennis courts at a $1.1 million rate.

“I think the phase three decision is an approach and a plan,” said board member Kathleen Christie. “Not a money decision.”

Ms Bittman said making the driveway a phase three project, adding the first three value engineering options, and the patio behind the cafeteria adds to more than $2 million off the project. She also said adding the alternates of the under the gym storage, the lightening protection, the tennis courts as an alternate and taking out $1.1 million for the track and field, which would still leave money for the track, adds to $1.9 million off the project.

“So we basically took $3.9 million out of the project so to speak through alternates and complete deletions,” said Ms Bittman.

Ms Fetchick said she wants to seek another opinion on the matter of the alignment of the driveway, and she said she wants to see the options written down.

Ms Fetchick then moved for Fletcher Thompson to start seeking a waiver from the state in the event the driveway is used as an alternate on the project. The board voted fully in favor of the movement.

“I feel like we have time,” said Ms Fetchick.

“To be sure we know what we are doing,” Ms McClure added.