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Madison County School Board approves RFP to advertise repairs for athletic and agricultural facilities
Summary
The Madison County School Board voted 5-0 to authorize an invitation to bid for repairs and replacement work at the high school’s baseball and softball complexes, agricultural buildings, field house, weight room and greenhouse; the advertisement begins this week with a mandatory pre-bid on Feb. 4 and bids due Feb. 24.
The Madison County School Board on Jan. 13 voted 5-0 to authorize an invitation to bid for storm-damaged facilities at the high school, including the baseball and softball complexes, agricultural buildings, the field house, weight room and greenhouse.
The vote authorizes staff and consultants to advertise the request for proposals; it does not commit the district to proceed with work beyond the advertising and bid-opening steps. Will Rutherford, the meeting presenter, said the advertisement must run this week to preserve reimbursement opportunities from FEMA and insurance and to meet timeframes tied to spring sports schedules.
Rutherford summarized damage and proposed scope for the high school sites. On the baseball field he listed a damaged visitors’ dugout roof, a missing batting cage, about four bent schedule-80 poles that support top netting, and damaged chain-link fence sections. He said the Musco lighting system and an older ballasted light box are separate issues; he estimated Musco-related costs “around $85,000.” Rutherford described similar damage at the softball field and said some block work and a missing pole would be included in the scope.
Rutherford said the agricultural complex includes four barns: one tractor barn with roof panel damage that can be re-roofed and three older buildings that he characterized as functionally obsolete. He said consultants and insurance contacts have tentatively indicated insurers would fund a metal building replacement rather than repair of the older barns. He cautioned that a replacement metal building would be a longer lead item (roughly 14–16 weeks) and would not be complete by the district’s March spring break target.
On schedule and procurement, Rutherford said the district will publish the advertisement immediately, hold a mandatory pre-bid conference on Feb. 4, and receive bids on Feb. 24 at 2 p.m., a 28-day solicitation window. He said some long-lead items (for example, replacement netting) might be procured separately or purchased directly to meet the spring-break target for baseball and softball; other items — notably any new metal agricultural building — would likely extend past March because of fabrication and delivery times.
Board members and staff discussed wording to ensure the advertisement and scope documents cover whole “complexes” rather than only playing fields, and to preserve the district’s ability to include smaller or concealed repairs discovered after demolition. Members also raised concerns about work already performed (temporary repairs), and Rutherford said work done before formal FEMA approval may not be reimbursable. The board asked staff to obtain insurance documentation from Melinda (staff) so members can see what the insurer has approved or tentatively committed to pay.
Board member Miss Knight moved to approve the invitation to bid; Miss Thompson seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 5-0.
Rutherford and board members emphasized that the advertising step is intended to preserve reimbursement and scheduling options, and that the board retains final authority on whether to award contracts or to decline to proceed after bids are received. Rutherford repeatedly said the advertisement and bid phase are administrative steps that allow the district to receive offers and make decisions at a later date.
The board adjourned after the vote.
