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Board reviews facility‑project policy updates; members propose removing email bids, adding local‑vendor and health language
Summary
Board members reviewed first reads of policies F G (facility projects administration) and FD (facility long‑range planning). Members recommended removing email as an acceptable bid submission method, adding a one‑year business license requirement for local vendor preference, and expanding sustainability language to emphasize occupant health.
The Savannah‑Chatham County Board of Education held first readings of board policy FG (facility projects administration) and FD (facility long‑range planning) and provided feedback at the May 7 meeting.
Board member Miss Grabowski said she reviewed the policy carefully and proposed multiple edits, including removing email as an option for submitting RFP responses: "We now have an online platform for submitting proposals, and submitting proposals via email can be very problematic. So I would suggest that we remove that from the policy." She also proposed defining a local business in part by requiring a business license for at least one year to qualify for a local preference.
Grabowski further recommended expanding the policy's sustainability section to a broader ‘‘high performance healthy buildings’’ standard that would emphasize occupant health and wellness alongside energy efficiency, water quality, thermal comfort, daylighting, noise control and the use of non‑toxic materials. In her suggested wording she urged that designs "be designed to promote healthy environments through strategies for high indoor air quality, energy efficiency, water quality and conservation, thermal comfort, natural light and views, noise control, safety and accessibility, sustainability and non toxic materials, and regular maintenance and inspections."
Attorney and staff responses addressed statutory language and federal guidance. Staff noted some procurement phrases are taken verbatim from statute, which limits how much the board can change the repair/replace language. Purchasing staff said the district has migrated to an e‑procurement platform (Bonfire) and had retained email language only as an emergency fallback. Board member Mister Cashmore said the policy should be guided by an "efficient expedited process that is legally compliant."
These policy changes were presented as first reads and will return for a second read and adoption at a future meeting after staff and board attorneys incorporate feedback.
