The Paynesville Area School Board awarded 26 bids, totaling $2.77 million, for construction of a new auditorium and fitness center at its Tuesday night meeting, May 23. (See chart.) This amount does not include the cost of the tennis courts, architect's fees, or construction manager's fees. The addition will be located on the north side of the high school.
Kevin Becker, construction manager for the project, informed the board they had hundreds of contractors request copies of the bid specifications. "The bids were designed so they were practical and easy to read," he added. More than 100 contractors submitted bids for the various areas of construction.
Becker recommended the board approve the bids. The board accepted the low bid in each area except one, where the bidder asked to withdraw because of miscalculations.
The board approved alternate one, the ventilation upgrade for the locker rooms which will cost about $62,000. Funds from the Children's Family Learning Department's health and safety division will cover the expenses. The department also will pay $14,000 for nonconstruction costs.
Having spent an extra $22,000 on the new tennis courts, about $50,000 remains in the contingency fund.
"The good news is that we are not over budget by $1 million," said school board chairman Pat Flanders. "The bad news is that we are on a very tight budget."
The budget will be updated weekly throughout the project to keep track of the costs and change orders.
Becker went over different areas of the contract, explaining areas what could be trimmed to build up the contingency fund. "We are sitting fine for now. We know we can break even but we need more contingency funds," he added.
Funds can be saved by not installing the proposed elevator shaft. About $60,000 could be saved by the omission, according to Flanders. Another suggestion was to eliminate the two-tone brick design around the exterior of the building to save $30,000.
Savings from the brick design could be used toward adding air conditioning to the auditorium and fitness center. The cost of adding that is $75,000.
"I feel it would be a mistake not to match the brick on the school exterior," said superintendent Howard Caldwell, after the meeting. "I feel we can have the decorative brick and air conditioning.We can wait with other issues until the end of the project."
At the meeting, Caldwell said the interest on the dollars received as a result of the bond sale should be more than $100,000. The original estimate was $70,000. The district also has a balance in the capital expenditure account from which funds could be borrowed. "However, we don't want to deplete the account, but we could squeeze out some funds," Caldwell added.
Jay Thompson, a teacher at the high school, suggested using some of the Carol Weaver Funds. The district received an inheritance from the Weaver Estate. The high school has been using the interest off the $84,000 fund for new software purchases at the high school.
Other possible savings could be realized by changing the stage flooring and auditorium seats, and by delaying equipment purchases for the fitness center.
Board member Deb Glenz objected to delaying equipment purchases. She compared that to not purchasing seats for the auditorium.
The board directed Becker and the architects to go over the plans to see what areas could be trimmed from the project. Troy Miller said they would have a list of potential savings ready by the board's next meeting on June 13.
| Contractor | Service | Bids |
| Landwehr Construction, Inc. | earthwork | $145,783 |
| MN-Kota Concrete, Inc. | concrete | $189,181 |
| Hanson Spancrete Midwest, Inc. | precast concrete | $41,535 |
| CAMCO Construction, Inc. | masonry | $696,900 |
| Thurnbeck Steel Fabrication, Inc. | steel supply | $171,688 |
| Mid Central Steel Erectors | steel erection | $37,734 |
| Twin City Builders, Inc. | carpentry | $135,000 |
| Reigstad Brothers Roofing, Inc. | roofing | $124,392 |
| Construction Specialties | caulking | $9,790 |
| Central Door & Hardware, Inc. | doors/frames/hardware | $33,100 |
| Nationwide Glass, Inc. | aluminum entrances | $24,936 |
| Regal Contractors, Inc. | drywall | $66,655 |
| McArthur Tile Company | hard tile | $19,500 |
| Grazzini Brothers & Company | terrazzo flooring | $35,700 |
| St. Cloud Acoustics, Inc. | acoustical ceilings/panels | $15,000 |
| Midwest Sport Floors, Inc. | wood flooring | $30,900 |
| Multiple Concepts Interiors | resilient flooring, carpet | $25,930 |
| Steinbrecher Painting, Inc. | wall and ceiling finishes | $31,780 |
| Omaha Stage Equipment, Inc. | theater and stage equip. | $37,687 |
| Arch Spec, Inc. | auditorium seating | $72,222 |
| Brothers Fire Protection Company | fire protection | $45,120 |
| El-Jay Plumbing & Heating, Inc. | plumbing | $134,660 |
| Sun Aire Systems, Inc. | ventilation/sheet metal | $246,000 |
| UHL Company, Inc. | controls | $69,726 |
| Mechanical Data Corporation | testing and balancing | $7,700 |
| T&M Electric, Inc. | electrical | 321,635 |
| TOTAL | $2,770,254 |
The district has $100,000 dedicated for curriculum needs each year. In this year's review cycle, music, math, and media brought in purchasing requests for more than $300,000, high school principal John Janotta said.
According to Caldwell, the school's revenue won't change much in the future. If anything it will be less, as enrollment declines.
Janotta said the only way to get more money is through the Legislature.
•The board approved a contract for Brad Nepsund as a new middle school physical education teacher. He replaces Dick Realdsen who retires at the end of the school year.
•The board approved summer school teaching assignments for Karlin Jacoby, Lora Larson, Berniece Voss, and Kelly Woehler.