Committee recommends RFP for construction manager to oversee $25 million referendum projects

At a Manitowoc School District finance and facilities committee meeting, members voted to recommend that the full board request a formal request for proposals (RFP) to hire a construction manager or general contractor to oversee projects funded by the district's $25,000,000 referendum. The recommendation was made after staff outlined a plan to prioritize and coordinate numerous roofing, asphalt, window and interior projects across multiple buildings.

The staff presentation said the construction manager would handle vetting contractors, coordinating schedules, reviewing invoices and helping the district determine how much work can be completed in a single summer. "The district needs these services to manage the projects that will be paid for with the $25,000,000 referendum," Nate said when asking the committee to forward a memo to the board requesting an RFP.

Staff described the RFP as seeking firms' qualifications and a competitive fee (typically a percentage of managed work) rather than bids for the trade work itself. They also said any work a managing firm planned to self-perform would still be required to bid competitively. Staff emphasized seeking local subcontractor participation: "We would be looking for them to tackle priority 1... and also be looking for local participation in the project as well," a staff presenter said.

Committee members discussed oversight and communication. Staff proposed a single point of contact or a small oversight committee (suggested members included Nathan and district facilities staff) to receive weekly updates, review payment applications and relay information to the board. One member asked the board retain district expertise in vendor selection so existing relationships and cost savings are not lost.

An unnamed committee member moved to pursue the RFP; the motion was seconded and put to a voice vote. The committee recorded ayes and no on-the-record nays and advanced the recommendation to the full board. The committee directed staff to finalize the RFP draft and return results to the board for approval.

What happens next: Staff will complete the RFP language and distribute it to qualified firms; respondents' qualifications and proposed fees will be returned to the board for review and selection of a partner to manage the referendum projects.