Committee approves Measure D expenditure report as district unveils facilities master plan quick-start list

The Citizen’s Oversight Committee on Tuesday approved the Measure D project summary — a report of bond expenditures for work completed since the prior report — and heard a detailed briefing on the district’s new facilities master plan and a set of “quick‑start” projects for the 2025–26 year.
John Anderson, the district’s director of maintenance, operations and transportation, described completed summer work at several campuses, including playground replacements and safety fencing at Forest Grove and Robert Down elementaries, replacement of an aging sewer line and interior finishes at Robert Down, and a suite of bathroom modernizations across campuses using standardized materials to simplify future repairs.
Anderson reported infrastructure repairs at Pacific Grove High School that included detection and emergency repair of three level‑1 gas leaks and replacement of a state‑of‑the‑art pool boiler after the previous boilers failed. He said electrical switchgear for the high school has been purchased and is going through Division of the State Architect (DSA) approvals, and he estimated the switchgear purchase at about $500,000.
District staff and program managers from Sonio Incorporated and Brailsford & Dunleavy outlined a 120‑day mobilization plan and a quick‑start list of priority‑1 projects approved last week by the school board. The items on the quick‑start list include playground surfacing and equipment, ADA path‑of‑travel work and fencing at Forest Grove; playground and stair replacement, ADA path and a perimeter fence at Robert Down; painting and fencing at Pacific Grove Middle School; a switchback ADA path and drainage work at Pacific Grove High School; and parking‑lot and demolition work at the adult education campus and a feasibility study for relocating continuation high‑school programs.
The committee discussed scope and cost questions for the Forest Grove ADA/site package, which staff described as a combined site‑work package that includes sidewalk and ADA path improvements, restroom triggers and accessible parking; staff gave a single-package cost of $2.6 million for the backside site and associated items. Program managers explained that when DSA jurisdiction is triggered for an accessibility or structural project, additional items such as accessible parking and restroom upgrades can be triggered and must be included in the budget.
On roofing, Anderson said the district applied a liquid‑applied roof coating at Robert Down that carries a 50‑year renewable warranty requiring periodic recoating every 10 years; staff said the coating is considered a “coating” rather than a full reroofing and therefore does not require DSA submission.
Anderson also said the district disposed of decades‑old hazardous science‑lab materials over the past two years through specialized hazardous‑waste haulers, and that science departments have substantially reduced on‑site inventories going forward.
Program accounting and bond administration were discussed. Staff identified a program‑management / bond administrative cost under the district office of roughly $2.9 million (soft costs and bond‑related FTE share including accounts‑payable functions). Program managers said they will use the BMet system for budgeting and reporting and indicated the district is pursuing state matching funds (referred to in the briefing as Prop 2) to stretch bond dollars; staff said a prior needs assessment identified about $54 million in needs and that the district is planning priorities to use Measure D funds alongside other capital and deferred‑maintenance funds.
Following discussion, the committee moved, seconded and approved the project summary report as presented; the committee record shows the motion passed with an abstention recorded for committee member Candace Ingram. The committee also heard that a bond‑subcommittee will be formed to help prioritize “priority‑3” projects that remain after required priority‑1 and 2 work is scheduled.
Staff said they will return in November with a master list of priority‑1 and 2 projects for board review and continue to develop interim‑housing options, designs and procurement approaches for multi‑year phasing.