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Council approves appropriation for Walnut Hill school; debate centers on PPEA vs. design-bid-build
Summary
Council approved an $850,000 appropriation from a school construction grant for Walnut Hill Elementary but engaged in extended debate over whether to use the PPEA (design-build) process or design-bid-build; staff said three proposals are under review and the PPEA process includes a 45-day competition window.
Petersburg City Council voted Nov. 18 to appropriate $850,000 in a school construction grant for Walnut Hill Elementary after school staff said no additional city funding was required.
Matthias Greywood, chief financial officer for Petersburg City Public Schools, told council the request was to ‘‘appropriate $850,000 of the school construction grant that the school system received for the construction of the Walnut Hill Elementary.’’ Assistant Superintendent Jovanam Martinez said the project is currently in the PPEA process after an unsolicited proposal and that staff are considering design-build delivery; Martinez said the unsolicited proposal opened a 45-day window for competitors and that three proposals now exist for committee review.
Several council members expressed concerns about the PPEA process. Councilman Cuthbert said PPEA ‘‘is the easy approach’’ but ‘‘is the more expensive approach’’ because it can limit competitive bidding; he asked that the council consider a joint meeting with the school board to review delivery options. Martinez and staff pushed back that PPEA is authorized by Virginia law (the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act), that the process can preserve schedule and include financial components, and that delays could jeopardize state construction assistance.
Despite disagreement over delivery method, the council approved the appropriation to move grant funds into the schools budget so the project can advance; Vice Mayor Hill moved to approve, Councilman Jones seconded, and the motion carried by roll-call vote.
