Committee forwards recommendation to finance to replace Germantown High School dugouts with JP Cullen for up to $166,241
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Summary
The Germantown School District Buildings and Grounds Committee voted to forward a positive recommendation to the finance committee to replace underground dugouts at Dream Field with above-ground dugouts by JP Cullen, time-and-materials not to exceed $166,241 from Fund 41 Capital Projects.
The Germantown School District Buildings and Grounds Committee voted Aug. 19 to forward a recommendation to the district’s finance committee to approve replacement of the dugouts at Dream Field, the varsity baseball diamond at Germantown High School. The motion, as made before the committee, specified contractor JP Cullen and a time-and-materials cap not to exceed $166,241 to be paid from Fund 41 (Capital Projects).
Committee members discussed the proposal after Speaker 5 summarized the project as a follow-up to last month’s Buildings and Grounds review and presented an RFP quote from JP Cullen. "This is a review of last month's buildings and grounds committee, with a dollar price attached to the replacement of our Dream Field ... for our varsity team," Speaker 5 said, explaining that the current dugouts are underground and the proposal would replace them with above-ground dugouts with improved drainage and modern coverings.
Committee members asked technical questions about structural details and longevity. "I'm wondering why we're not doing 4-foot footings and poured walls because the rest of it is…CMU construction," said Spencer (Speaker 4), pressing whether the dugouts should have deeper footings and poured walls to avoid frost heave. Speaker 5 replied that the RFP reflects above-ground dugouts intended as dugouts rather than permanent shop-like structures and noted JP Cullen’s prior similar work in the Hamilton School District.
The committee sought confirmation of foundation details with the village permitting authority and noted the RFP language describing a concrete slab with thickened edges; Speaker 6 said footing and foundation specifics "will be confirmed with the village of Germantown" before construction proceeds. Some members expressed concern that a thickened-slab approach may produce a shorter service life than poured-footing construction — "25‑year construction versus 100‑year construction," as one speaker put it — but the committee did not change the approved dollar cap.
The motion approved by the committee directed staff to forward a positive recommendation to the finance committee for JP Cullen to perform the work at a time-and-materials cost not to exceed $166,241 from Fund 41. The committee carried the motion on a voice vote. The recommendation means final authorization and payment will be determined by the finance committee and any further approvals required by district policy or village permitting.
Votes at a glance: - Agenda revisions: motion carried by voice vote (no roll-call tally provided in the record). - Minutes (Aug. 5, 2025): motion carried by voice vote (no roll-call tally provided in the record). - Dream Field dugout replacement: committee voted to forward a positive recommendation to the finance committee for JP Cullen, time-and-materials not to exceed $166,241 from Fund 41 (motion carried by voice vote). - Adjournment: motion carried by voice vote; meeting ended at 6:25 p.m.
Next steps: The finance committee will consider the Buildings and Grounds recommendation; foundation/footing details will be confirmed with the village permitting authority before work begins.
