School committee approves closeout of high-school bond, transfers roughly $3.29 million to city after debate over storage shed costs

The East Providence School Committee voted to close out the East Providence High School bond and to transfer the remaining balance to the City of East Providence, administration told the committee. The committee also approved the remaining project activities for the high school — including two storage sheds and related site work — with the administration estimating a conservative $150,000 budget for the larger shed and contingencies.

Committee members and administration spent substantial time debating the storage-shed proposal and procurement process before the vote. Craig, presenting the building project committee’s final report, said the project came in under budget overall and walked through outstanding capital items and costs; administration’s line-by-line figures left a remaining balance to be transferred to the city of about $3,292,562. Administration explained several trades (concrete pad, electrical, possible fire suppression and doors) will require separate requests for proposals before final awards.

Some committee members pressed for earlier, more complete documentation. One member said the committee had not received punch lists and detailed cost breakdowns from earlier in the project and criticized what they described as “no legwork” and a lack of procurement paperwork for the small-building estimate that had been on the list eight months earlier. Administration and other members responded that preliminary cost information and vendor conversations had been completed and that formal RFPs remain to be issued and will provide final bids. They also noted the City Council had voted to turn leftover bond funds back to the school department and to hold them in a city-managed capital account earmarked for school capital improvements.

The committee also approved a separate, smaller shed (18x20) to sit on an existing pad and discussed a proposed composting restroom for the baseball field for which the city planner identified a possible $60,000 grant. Administration gave the committee the high-level totals: an original project budget of $189,500,000, spent-to-date and projected expenditures of about $182,590,095, outstanding items of roughly $3,617,343, and the approximate transfer balance of $3,292,562.

The meeting record includes disagreement about procurement thresholds and timing; administration stated that whether an RFP is required depends on procurement rules and cost thresholds, and that that step will be followed where required. The committee approved the high-school remaining project activities and the bond closeout by recorded motion and vote.