Board approves legal firms, purchasing-coop participation and a suite of contracts; several contract amounts flagged for clarification

At its March 17 meeting the Orange City SD Board took several formal actions: it approved outside legal service providers, authorized participation in a cooperative school-bus purchasing arrangement, and approved a number of vendor contracts and membership agreements brought forward for consent.

Key approvals and amounts - Legal services: The board approved the appointment of Engle and Blair Law and Retzel and Andres (as listed on the agenda) for calendar year 2025. The motion passed by roll call; four board members voted yes and one member was absent. - Bus purchasing cooperative: The board approved a resolution allowing the district to participate in the Ohio School Council cooperative for school-bus bidding and pricing (the board clarified participation does not obligate purchase and that pricing is ordinarily locked for the calendar year). Motion passed by roll call, four yes, one absent. - Contracts approved (consent/review items): - Baker Vehicle Systems: purchase of a Hustler Super Z zero-turn commercial mower, $14,190 (replacement) - Garland contract: roof replacement work for sections of PPLC building (agenda amount shown $667,123) - North Ohio Trenching Service: water-line trenching and replacement, $477,200 (budgeted in 10-year forecast) - Imperial (floor scrubber): ride-on scrubber for floors, $19,008.56 (Moreland Hills) - Martin Public seating (OCR funds): 18 tables and 60 chairs for learning center (OCR funds) - EPCGI: OCR-funded website redesign and hosting (amount not specified in agenda) - Education Alternatives (special-education tuition/day-treatment contract): agenda listed $16,500 but the contract attachment lacked a clear dollar schedule; board members requested a clarified schedule and maximum amount before final approval. - Cabling replacement (Neon Net/Brady Middle School): $45,767 (approved) - Master electric energy sales agreement (participation/consortium agreement): approved on first reading as required for timing (exact commercial terms to be filed via the agreement)

Board questions and follow-up requests Board members raised two recurring concerns while considering the package: (1) several contract documents lacked a clear dollar schedule or a stated maximum obligation (the Education Alternatives contract and some attachments were missing a total figure), and (2) several contracts use OCR funds; members asked staff to confirm levy/levy-language and allowability if community members later question OCR funding of certain infrastructure work.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve action items 7a (legal services) and 7b (bus purchasing cooperative): passed by roll call (Yes: Missus Arnold; Doctor Boyle; Mister Lycan; Missus Wilson Fish. Absent: Mister Bilski). Tally: 4-0-0 (absent 1). - Motion to approve membership, contract and agreement consent resolutions (items listed under membership/contract approvals): passed by roll call (Yes: Doctor Boyle; Mister Lycan; Missus Arnold; Missus Wilson Fish). Tally: 4-0-0 (absent 1). - Motion to approve March financial consent items (14 a-d) including donations, monthly financials, tax-rate resolution and Moreland Hills technology fee: passed by roll call (Yes: Mister Lycan; Missus Arnold; Doctor Boyle; Missus Wilson Fish). Tally: 4-0-0 (absent 1).

Next steps: Staff agreed to return clarified contract language and dollar schedules for any contracts that lacked explicit totals before final invoicing and asked operations staff to provide members with levy-language excerpts and fund-source justifications for large OCR-funded projects.