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Board approves Safe Routes construction contract with Schwartz and accepts MnDOT grant
Summary
The Grand Rapids board unanimously approved a construction contract with Schwartz and accepted a $469,700 Safe Routes to School grant under MnDOT terms; board members said the project addresses persistent traffic and safety concerns and that grant rules shape contract overage terms.
The Grand Rapids Public School District board approved a construction contract with low bidder Schwartz and accepted a Minnesota Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School grant at Wednesday’s meeting.
Superintendent Gross said the agenda included two related actions: awarding a contract to Schwartz and accepting the grant agreement that makes $469,700 in state funding available for the school’s safe‑routes and parking‑lot improvements.
A board member who served on a facilities briefing said a key comfort factor was that several items included in the bid were routine maintenance the district would otherwise address; completing them during construction can be more cost‑effective. Board members noted the bid exceeded the grant amount by roughly $29,000 and discussed MnDOT’s standard contract terms for grant projects, including unit pricing and limits on overages.
The contract motion and the grant acceptance were each approved by voice vote with no recorded roll‑call tallies in the meeting transcript. Board members said the improvements also address community safety concerns along the school‑access road, which the board was reminded is owned and maintained by the district in the relevant segment.
No further debate or amendments were recorded on the motions; both passed and staff were cleared to proceed under the grant and contract terms.
