Putnam County board approves $30,000,009.87 GMP 3 for Melrose Elementary

Putnam County board members voted to approve Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) 3 for the Melrose Elementary project, adopting the contract balance of $30,000,009.87 as presented at a special meeting.

The approval followed a detailed presentation by the contractor team and district staff explaining that GMP 3 covers the remaining work “from concrete all the way through all the finishes,” and includes allowances for items still under design. Bill Pearson, the contractor representative, told the board the GMP contains allowances for a replacement sewage lift station and for work on the campus wastewater treatment plant, which will require DEP permitting. “GMP number 1 was primarily for mobilization and demolition of the buildings on campus. GMP number 2 was for the site work… and this GMP 3… is the balance of the project,” Pearson said.

Why it mattered: The GMP bundles remaining construction tasks into a single change‑order package and sets the district’s near‑term fiscal commitment to complete Melrose. Presenters and board members focused on the largest open cost items (lift station, wastewater treatment plant and backup power), traffic and drop‑off logistics, student capacity and schedule risks tied to permitting and procurement.

Key details and board concerns

- Cost and scope: The contractor presented the GMP 3 total as $30,000,009.87 and walked the board through major line items and allowances, including earthwork entries the presenter cited as approximately $3,057,006.92 plus $1,000,007.65. One board member noted the contractor said the project’s cost equated to “roughly $500,000 a square foot,” a figure discussed in the meeting as an observed calculation rather than an adopted budget metric.

- Utilities and permits: The presentation flagged major outstanding technical items: a potential replacement of the on‑campus sewage lift station and substantial allowances for work at the wastewater treatment facility that require DEP permitting. The contractor said the water management district permit is in hand, but DEP coordination remains for treatment plant work.

- Student capacity and logistics: Presenters said the new facility is planned for roughly 450 student stations (one speaker cited 454). The project is a phased, occupied campus build: Building 1 has been demolished, site work under GMP 2 is enabling the next construction phases, and parts of the campus (Buildings 14, 15 and 16) are scheduled for renovation when vacated.

- Schedule: The contractor described phased completion dates, targeting late spring of the following year for the first buildings and referencing February–March ʼ27 for other milestones. Presenters cautioned that procurement timing and material lead times, plus permitting, could push some work into the following construction season if necessary.

- Operations during construction: The board asked how lunches would be handled during cafeteria demolition; staff said the plan is to bring meals from Aquila (about six miles away) while the cafeteria is out of service.

- Traffic and safety: Multiple board members raised concerns about parent drop‑off and bus queuing on State Roads 21 and 26. The contractor described a parent queuing loop and a gated 21 entrance that would remain closed most of the day, and recommended coordination with the sheriff’s office and use of crossing guards to manage the first weeks of school.

Vote and next steps

A board member made a motion to approve the GMP “as presented by the superintendent,” the motion was seconded and the chair called for the vote. The board voice vote recorded in the transcript was unanimous in favor (ayes recorded, no opposed recorded) and the chair declared the motion passed.

What to watch for next: final buyout reconciliations after subcontractor bids (presenters said any reconciled dollars would be returned to the district), DEP permitting outcomes for wastewater work, and scheduling updates if procurement or material availability causes slippage. The contractor said the GMP contains contingencies for escalation and allowances for items yet to be fully designed.

Representative quotes from the meeting

“GMP number 1 was primarily for mobilization and demolition of the buildings on campus. GMP number 2 was for the site work… and this GMP 3… is the balance of the project,” Bill Pearson said.

On permitting: the contractor noted, “We received [the] water management district [permit] within the last two weeks,” but added that DEP coordination for the wastewater treatment facility is ongoing.

On the vote: after a motion and second, the chair declared, “The motion passes.”

The board adjourned after the vote; staff and the contractor will proceed with procurement, buyout reconciliation and next‑phase scheduling.