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Estill County board hears two construction managers’ pitches, delays hiring decision
Summary
On Oct. 23, 2024, the Estill County Board of Education heard presentations from Pax Walker and Codell Construction on a proposed new middle school but did not select a construction manager; the board said it will hold a special called meeting to decide.
Estill County Board of Education members heard competing pitches from two construction management firms Wednesday but postponed choosing a firm for the district’s proposed middle school.
David Rhodes, representing the Pax Walker joint venture (PAX Incorporated and Walker Company), told the board the firm brings deep local experience and offered a site-selection example in which Pax Walker’s redesign cut an estimated $600,000 in retaining-wall costs and redirected the savings to concessions and storage. "We saved him about $600,000," Rhodes said while describing the design change and how those funds were reallocated.
Pax Walker emphasized preconstruction services — geotechnical review, BG-form and Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) familiarity, trade bid packaging and on-site supervision — and listed repeat work in five school districts, including Montgomery, Menifee, Rowan, Fleming and Bath counties. Rhodes said the team would involve maintenance staff and the community and deliver regular board updates.
Jim Codell, president of Codell Construction Company, presented the competing team and introduced project manager Jack Reed and site lead Kenny Davis. Davis summarized Codell’s approach to limiting cost and schedule risk: "It’s budget control, it’s schedule control, and it’s change order control," he said, adding that the firm uses in-house estimating, constructability reviews and value-engineering exercises so projects are affordable at bid day.
Codell pointed to prior Estill County work completed during the pandemic and other Kentucky school projects as evidence the firm can meet tight schedules and handle volatile material markets. The company recommended an early site package to reduce timing risk and offered a rough schedule range of about 20–22 months from start to finish, with a potential school opening in January 2027 depending on site conditions and weather.
Board members asked both firms for details about past projects, how they would work with the district’s design team and KDE, and what steps they would take to avoid cost overruns and change orders. Both firms said they would provide detailed pre-bid reviews, keep trade bid packages and schedules transparent, and keep executives involved throughout the project.
Board leadership told attendees that the board would not make a hiring decision during the special meeting and expects to convene a special called meeting next week to select the construction manager. The chair said, "There will not be a decision made on that this evening." The meeting was adjourned after a motion from Tammy Hardy and a second from Veil Samples; the board voiced "Aye."
