Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Construction Procurement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board moves forward with construction manager‑at‑risk approach; interlocal agreement to be refined with county
Summary
Superintendent described a construction manager‑at‑risk procurement to guide the middle school project and the board authorized posting an RFQ, while a draft interlocal agreement with county commissioners will be reviewed in a December work session. Board members referenced neighboring counties' use of CMARs to limit change orders and costs.
The Swain County Board of Education authorized staff to release a request for qualifications to hire a construction manager‑at‑risk (CMAR) as the district begins procurement for the new middle school and agreed to meet in early December to finalize an interlocal agreement with county commissioners.
The superintendent explained a CMAR will "work as our advocate, as our voice in the design process and also during the construction process," describing the role as a partner in design who later functions in the general‑contractor role to oversee subcontractors and manage the schedule. The district plans to post the RFQ immediately, interview candidates in December and then present any contract recommendations to both the board and the county commissioners for approval.
Board members said they had reviewed a first draft of an interlocal agreement prepared by attorney John Henning; the superintendent asked members to take the draft back for review and to provide comments to Henning and to the county attorney, Kim Carpenter. The board agreed that a smaller construction committee should refine the draft and bring a near‑final product to the county commissioners' work session the next day for their review.
Board members cited experiences in neighboring districts using CMARs; the superintendent referenced Mitchell County and a comment attributed to Chancellor Calhoun (Mitchell County superintendent) that adding a CMAR had produced substantial cost savings in that district. The board clarified that an RFQ release does not award a contract — it begins candidate review and evaluation — and that final contractual approval requires action by both governing bodies.
Next steps: district staff will post the RFQ, the construction committee will meet to finalize suggested edits to the interlocal agreement, and attorneys for both governments will review the draft before the county work session in early December.
