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Board weighs early onboarding of HVAC, electrical subcontractors for high-school renovation
Summary
District facilities staff recommended early onboarding (design-assist) of HVAC and electrical subcontractors to inspect existing conditions and reduce change orders for a major high-school renovation. Administration said the approach will use an open competitive bid and could be presented as an action item at the next meeting.
The West Bend School District on April 27 discussed a plan to early onboard HVAC and electrical subcontractors to perform investigative work during the design phase of a major high-school renovation.
Tim Harder, the district———director of facilities and technology, outlined why administration recommends an early onboarding or design-assist approach: bringing subcontractors into the design phase can reveal concealed existing conditions, generate more accurate cost estimates, guide phasing to keep the building operational, and allow early procurement of long-lead items. "There literally was a stamp on the switchgear from 1968," Harder said while describing the age and complexity of existing systems.
Harder said early investigative work (popping ceiling tiles, photographing conditions, reviewing original plans) would generally be done off hours and in the summer to avoid disrupting students. He described the structure as a two-part contract: an initial investigative/design-assist contract, followed by the construction-phase contract if the vendor progresses; the district would retain rights to terminate if a contractor failed to meet expectations or if guaranteed maximum price terms were not acceptable.
Administration acknowledged risks, including the perception that early onboarding constrains competition. Harder and administration stated the process would remain publicly competitive: bids would be posted to a public plan room and vendors would be evaluated on qualifications, cost, references and ability to complete the work. The early bid would use 50% schematic design documents so bidders can provide informed input though final construction documents would still be required for contracting.
Board members pressed for details on when subcontractors would be on site and on hazardous-material protocols. Administration said environmental contractors would accompany investigative teams and any suspect materials would be reported and tested before removal. The administration recommended taking action at the next meeting; absent objections, it said the item could be placed on the consent agenda for approval.
What happens next: Administration will return the recommended design-assist contracts for board action at the next meeting, including procurement details and any draft contract language.
