District approves Meadowbrook construction pay apps, testing and inspection contracts

District 28 trustees approved routine contractor payments and on-call testing and inspection contracts tied to the Meadowbrook gym construction project and discussed hiring an in-house owner’s representative to manage large construction work.

The board voted to approve pay applications for the Meadowbrook gym construction contract after the district’s contractor submitted applications. “You did award a contract for 7.5 almost million dollars,” a staff member said while presenting the pay‑app item, and the board approved the payment requests by roll call.

Why it matters: Approving monthly pay applications and on-call testing keeps the project on schedule and releases contractor funds tied to work already completed. Board members emphasized timeliness so work does not stall between monthly meetings.

District staff brought three related action items to the board. Buildings and grounds staff presented a proposal to retain Geocon for ongoing geotechnical and materials testing as excavation continues at the Meadowbrook site; staff said the firm would bill on a time‑and‑materials basis and presented a “not to exceed” amount in the contract. The board approved the Geocon testing proposal by voice/roll‑call vote.

Staff also proposed an on‑call plumbing inspection agreement with HR Green to avoid multiweek delays from the state plumbing inspection office. “There is a state inspection available for free but they run four to six weeks behind,” a staff member explained, and HR Green’s proposal carried a district estimate of “not to exceed $5,000.” The board approved that contract to allow inspections to proceed without delaying construction.

At an earlier point in the meeting, district staff told trustees they intend to hire an owner’s representative as a district employee rather than outsourcing the role to a firm after RFQ responses quoted more than $1 million for three years of firm services. Staff said an in‑district hire would be substantially less costly and allow a dedicated full‑time person to supervise construction work; they also said an offer has been extended to a preferred candidate, who had not yet accepted.

Board discussion also noted credits on other capital work: staff reported the Westmore bus lane replacement came in under budget and produced about a $10,000 credit; MBJH roof work is mostly complete but punch‑list items remain after summer rain delays; HVAC and door replacement projects are functionally complete though some manufacturer shipments and software programming remain outstanding.

Discussion vs. decision: The board’s approvals were formal (the Geocon, HR Green and pay‑app motions were moved, seconded and passed). The owner’s representative hire was discussed and staff said an offer is pending; trustees did not take a separate vote to authorize the hire at the meeting beyond including the position in the consent/packet for review.

What’s next: Staff said future contracts tied to the larger Meadowbrook project will continue to come to the board for approval or be included in the bills list for transparency. Staff asked trustees whether to allow project teams to sign smaller, time‑sensitive contracts and then report them; trustees signaled willingness to permit timely approvals to avoid construction delays.

Credits and procurement details: staff repeatedly framed the Geocon and HR Green agreements as on‑call, time‑and‑materials contracts with “not to exceed” amounts; the district also told trustees it will continue to bring pay applications for the Meadowbrook contract to the board for approval as they are submitted by the contractor.

The meeting moved on after approval of the Meadowbrook items and other consent items.