District reviews architect contract, building repairs, vape-detection RFP and solar rebate

Clinton City Schools officials reported March 26 on several facilities and capital items: a draft architect contract for a possible new elementary school, a planned renovation to Sunset Avenue’s front foyer and auditorium canopy, an RFP for vape-detection sensors funded by a Center for Safer Schools grant, and a pending federal reimbursement related to the district’s solar PV project.

Mr. John Lowe (district staff member responsible for facilities issues) told the board the board has selected SFLA as the architect for a potential new elementary school and that SFLA supplied an AIA-standard draft contract and a preliminary budget appendix. Lowe said the firm’s standard fee is about 8% for a project of this type and that SFLA offered that the district would bear no design cost risk if the project could not secure funding. He recommended the board and the board attorney review the contract and the appendix.

Lowe also said the district published an RFP (March 18) for repairs funded from the Public School Building Repair and Renovation Fund (lottery-based PSB RRF). The scope described in the RFP includes removing and replacing failing brick and windows at Sunset Avenue and installing an enclosed metal awning to stop a foyer leak; the district said fully replacing the existing canopy would trigger code upgrades and a much higher cost, so the RFP proposes an alternate that does not require that work. A pre-bid meeting was scheduled for April 1.

Lowe said the district published a separate RFP (March 7) for environmental sensors (vape detection) for the middle and high school that will run on Power-over-Ethernet and include tamper alarms; the procurement was tied to a Center for Safer Schools grant (delivered through the SBI). He described the sensors as networked devices with tamper alarms and noted he specified tamper alarms in the RFP.

On the district’s solar project, Lowe said the contractor who filed necessary paperwork on the district’s behalf (Ryan LLC) reported a pending IRS disbursement of approximately $57,000 under the Inflation Reduction Act process; Lowe reported Ryan’s fee had been $10,000. Officials said they were awaiting formal IRS letters and would follow up with the contractor if the federal communication did not arrive.

Other items: the Sampson Arts Council ran a small fundraising campaign toward new stage curtains for Sunset Avenue and mailed donations; Lowe reported about $1,700 raised through the council plus a direct $200 donation and said the project still needed roughly $7,000 more.

No board action was taken on the items during the meeting; Lowe encouraged board members to review contract documents and RFP appendices and told the board he saw no immediate risk in the materials presented.