Board approves Osborne Engineering contract to develop design‑build specifications for new well and maintenance facility

The West Geauga Local School District Board of Education approved a professional services agreement with Osborne Engineering to prepare design‑build specifications, site surveys and soils investigations for a proposed water‑treatment building and a consolidated maintenance facility on the district campus.

Board members moved and approved resolution 2‑84 to authorize the professional services agreement; a representative from Osborne described the project's purpose and scope during a lengthy discussion.

Scott Bura of Osborne told the board the firm responded to a solicitation for architectural and engineering criteria documents to support a design‑build procurement. "We are going to build off of a lot of legwork that's already been done," Bura said, referencing prior studies dating back to about 2017 and the district's master plan. He said the key piece already resolved is preapproval of a well location by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Bura outlined three conceptual building footprints being evaluated in the criteria documents — roughly 4,000, 6,000 and 9,000 square feet — with the full 9,000‑square‑foot option treating water and including a maintenance/service area separated by a full‑height firewall. He said designing for the full build now would allow bidders to price the full scope while providing the district the option to stage or omit nonessential pieces if initial pricing exceeds available funds.

Bura described work the agreement will cover: surveying; soils investigations for foundations; design criteria for a water‑treatment building sized to serve the library, high school and middle school; and coordination so proposed new water mains provide direct runs to the three buildings rather than introducing treated water into older piping. "We want the whole thing done, and don't touch it again for 50 years or more," he said, summarizing the goal for durable infrastructure.

The consultant said the combined facility approach aims to reduce multiple mobilizations and contractor overhead by consolidating treatment and maintenance construction. Bura also noted the building program would account for vehicle service bays large enough to handle district vehicles above 13,000 pounds and include fire‑protection provisions in the service area because of heavy vehicles and emerging electric‑vehicle battery‑safety concerns.

Board members asked about phasing and cost. The consultant said design‑build procurement gives contractors flexibility to propose means, methods and local sourcing that can lower cost; the criteria package will also include the information contractors need for firm pricing. "Design build's perfect application for this because the hard work's already been done," Bura said.

District staff and the consultant emphasized the water‑treatment work is a time‑sensitive piece of the overall master plan but acknowledged district budget constraints may require staging the project. The board voted to approve the Osborne agreement after the presentation; the scope approved is to develop the bid‑ready criteria and investigative work, not to start construction.