Trustees press district on vendor transparency after agenda edits and contract renewals

Trustees raised questions about agenda edits and contract procurement that prompted staff explanations about differing vendor roles and bid timing.

Trustee Dominguez Cervantes noted that Stapleton Enterprises was listed on a draft agenda to provide HVAC inspections starting July 1 at an hourly rate and then was absent from the final agenda; she asked why Stapleton's item was removed while a Solis Group contract remained. Dominguez Cervantes said the draft included a description showing Stapleton to start work July 1 on HVAC and roof renovations, and she asked whether work had begun without board approval.

District staff and Mr. Pong explained that Stapleton is a division of the Division of the State Architect inspector work (DSA inspector) and that the Solis Group serves a different role as a project-labor-agreement compliance monitor (payroll/prevailing-wage monitoring). Staff said the work described for Stapleton had not started and that dates were being revised; some final agenda language was edited because bids and scopes were still being finalized.

Trustees asked whether hiring a compliance monitor to check prevailing wages and payroll adds cost above contractor fees; staff said the monitor ensures vendor payroll compliance with prevailing-wage and union agreement obligations. Trustee Dominguez Cervantes and others asked the administration to notify trustees of draft-to-final changes going forward and to provide clearer agenda attachments.

Trustees also discussed transportation vendors: HopSkipDrive was described by staff as a provider the district uses when district routes cannot accommodate students (for McKinney-Vento or special-education routes); staff confirmed the vendor provides drivers and vehicles and that the contract covers that full service.

The board approved the related consent items after discussion and requested future updates and a vendor list to increase transparency.