Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities Maintenance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District pitches $3 million 'warm, safe, dry' facilities package; board to consider phased bid packages
Summary
Consultants from ICS presented a prioritized facilities plan asking the board to authorize design and bidding for a $3 million package of imminent maintenance projects (HVAC units, pool dehumidifier, fire alarms, controls, chiller plant) and a separate $29,740 conceptual study for stadium design.
Consultants from ICS told the Lower Moreland school board on Jan. 7 that they had distilled a larger capital plan into a first tranche of "imminent" projects to match about $3 million in available capital funds.
John Young and Tim Geiter of ICS described a package approach that breaks the work into four bid packages: rooftop/air-side equipment (Pine Road rooftop unit and the middle school pool dehumidifier); fire alarm replacements (Murray Avenue and Pine Road); controls and network upgrades (Murray Avenue); and chiller-plant replacement (Murray Avenue). "We were charged with taking that holistic capital plan and really reducing it to the more imminent needs," John Young told the board, repeatedly using the consultants' "warm, safe, dry" prioritization language.
Why it matters: The recommendations aim to keep buildings operational and protect instructional continuity by addressing HVAC, controls, and fire alarm systems that consultants rated as high-immediacy items.
Scope and budget: ICS presented fully loaded cost estimates that include construction, professional services, site supervision and a 5% construction contingency, with the total of the packages estimated at about $3,000,000. The consultants described the package breakdown and noted design contingencies and alternates, such as evaluating VAV box replacement as an add-alternate during bidding and multiple configurations for the pool dehumidification unit.
Stadium conceptual design: Separately, the consultants proposed a not-to-exceed $29,740 conceptual design study for a stadium project to develop a refined scope, site analysis, civil engineering and budget estimate. ICS said the fee would be time-and-materials, not-to-exceed that amount, and would be offset by a prior $9,500 phase 1 credit.
Phasing and procurement: ICS proposed a schedule that would finish design between February and April, bid in May and return to the board in June with recommended contractors. The consultants told the board the first tranche of projects could be staged to avoid instructional disruption and that some work would be scheduled over summer to minimize impact.
Board questions: Board members asked whether project scopes would trigger additional permitting or require code upgrades that could expand costs. ICS and district staff said the initial tranche is targeted maintenance and would not trigger full building-code alteration requirements. The board also discussed capital fund balances; the business office said the district expects a cushion in the capital projects fund after paying outstanding obligations and that some stadium feasibility work could be funded within that cushion.
Next steps: Administrators said they would bring motions for AIA agreements and authorization to proceed with design and procurement at the January public meeting if the board is inclined. The transcript does not show final recorded votes on those motions in the provided text.
