Board awards helical-pier contract for LHS cafeteria; low bid roughly $115,004.60

The District 128 Board of Education on Aug. 25 approved a rebid and contract award for helical piers required by deeper-than-expected excavation at the Libertyville High School cafeteria construction site. The nut graf: contractors found extra subsurface work was needed for the servery and courtyard foundations; the change exceeded the contractor's 10% trade threshold, requiring a separate bid for the additional work. The board approved the low bidder to complete the work so the project can proceed. District staff said the site required deeper excavation “than anybody thought we had to do” and that the original contract did not cover the additional scope. Two contractors submitted bids; the low responsive bid came from the on-site contractor — identified as Safeguard Waterproofing / RamJack Illinois — and the amount stated in the motion was $115,004.60. The bid tabulation earlier in the meeting transcript recorded $115,004.61; the board-approved motion used $115,004.60. The board voted and the motion passed by roll call. Action details: the board approved the recommendation to award the additional helical-pier work to Safeguard Waterproofing / RamJack Illinois so the cafeteria project may continue. Board members noted the item had been discussed previously in committee and during the month. Why it matters: the additional work is a construction change tied to subsurface conditions at a high-school facility; approving the bid prevents delays to the cafeteria renovation but increases the projectscope relative to the original contract. Ending: district staff will proceed with the awarded contractor. The board did not discuss additional contingency funding at the Aug. 25 meeting.