District seeks to begin low-flow fixture replacement under bond; staff say project near budget with small contingency

District staff presented a contract to begin replacement of low-flow water fixtures across the Durango School District No. 9-R, work staff said is funded from the district's authorized bond allocations.

Staff said the proposal builds on an audit performed by a vendor identified in the packet (referred to in meeting remarks as Verigee/Veraging) that previously supported the district's LED lighting project. The scope would replace fixtures such as faucets and some flush valves and, in limited cases where fixtures are in poor condition, full fixture replacements (urinals and toilets). Staff estimated the work would touch roughly 1,100 fixtures districtwide, with Sunnyside excluded from the current contract for budgetary reasons.

Budget, contingency and schedule Staff told the board the contract sits at the top of the allocated budget for this line of work and that the available cushion is small (staff cited roughly a $200 line-item cushion in the immediate contract package). In addition, staff and the vendor discussed a program contingency staged into the deferred-maintenance allocation; meeting remarks described a contingency target that would equate to roughly 10% of the value of a $600,000 line item in one portion of the program (the example used in discussion equated 10% to about $60,000).

Staff said they had considered removing another school from the scope to increase the contingency buffer but believed the current scope carried minimal risk and that the vendor (and staff) were comfortable proceeding. The district noted a related $600,000 line item for Needham was included in the deferred-maintenance/bond packaging and that some cost savings from fixture replacements are projected over time through reduced water consumption.

Work sequencing and disruption District staff said the work is planned to begin in the fall and would be executed, when possible, outside school hours to limit disruption, similar to the prior LED lighting project. Because work spans many campuses, staff outlined mitigation options: (1) reduce scope to postpone work at the least-impacted sites; (2) stage work across the school year; or (3) draw on program contingency. Staff also noted that in many locations the work is limited to replacing faucet hardware, while in a smaller number of rooms full fixture replacements will be required.

Board action The transcript of the June 24 meeting includes staff presentation and discussion of the contract scope, budget and contingency but does not include a recorded board vote on the contract in the excerpt. Staff said design contracts have been executed for package procurement and that procurement and design meetings are under way for multiple deferred-maintenance projects.

Why it matters Replacement of low-flow fixtures is a bond-funded deferred-maintenance item that reduces water consumption and addresses aging plumbing assets across district campuses. The project's small immediate contingency and the exclusion of one campus from this contract were points of concern for some board members; staff said options exist to cut scope if unexpected issues arise.

Ending Staff will return with formal contract documents and schedule details; the board directed staff to proceed with prudent risk management and to report any significant scope or cost changes back to the board.