Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Projects topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves abatement, geotechnical and campus work; unexpected $1.5M bond-related cost for Southwood A&T office relocation
Summary
Trustees authorized abatement contracts, geotechnical and infiltration testing and multiple site work items; district staff said an unanticipated code requirement for Southwood High for the Arts & Technology will require about $1.5 million of interest earnings from bond proceeds rather than contingency funds.
The Southfield board approved a package of construction- and bond-related actions covering hazardous-material abatement, environmental consulting, geotechnical work and site infiltration testing for several projects — and heard that an unanticipated code requirement will add substantial cost to the Southwood High for the Arts & Technology office relocation.
Board materials and the superintendent’s presentation identified the following items the board voted to open and approve: an abatement-services contract recommendation (Doer & Associates) for Boerne K–8; an amendment for Arch Environmental’s oversight; geotechnical services amendments for University K–12 and Southwood A&T (G2 and SME listed); French Associates’ amendment for infiltration testing at Boerne K–8, Levy Middle and Thompson K–8; and a VW Labs proposal to renovate science labs at Adler and Stevenson elementary schools.
Officials described a separate, larger cost tied to relocating district offices within the Southwood A&T building and temporarily housing University K–12 students in an alternate space for the second semester. State plan reviewers required additional fire protection and an upgraded water main because existing building services were overtaxed; staff said those code-required fixes triggered roughly $1.5 million in additional work. Treasurer Talisha Belk and district finance staff said the funds are available from earned interest generated by the district’s bond Series 1 proceeds and that using those earned interest dollars would not reduce remaining project contingencies or reallocate other project scopes.
Basement cleanout Separately, the board approved a general-fund contract to remove accumulated stored items from the Southwood A&T basement. Operations staff said decades of accumulated materials require labor-intensive removal (no elevator access), and the board approved the lowest of three quotes — approximately $48,000 — to complete the cleanout.
Why it matters: these approvals move multiple capital projects into procurement and pre-construction phases. The additional code-driven expenses at Southwood require reallocating bond-interest earnings; the board and staff emphasized that the change reflected an unforeseeable requirement from state reviewers rather than a planned scope change.
Next steps: staff and architects will continue site investigations, finalize contractor scopes and proceed with abatement, site work and lab renovations. Financial staff said they will provide detailed cash-flow documentation showing how earned interest covers the Southwood A&T requirements.
