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Chisholm board hears surprise asbestos costs, confirms auction and demolition timetable
Summary
Board members heard that asbestos abatement at the older school uncovered far more material than expected — driving costs from an initial bid near $200,000 to nearly $500,000 — and approved schedules for a second auction and the building demolition while keeping IRRRB-funded projects on track.
Jordan, the meeting presenter, told the Chisholm Public School District board that a recent inspection linked to IRRRB-funded work uncovered additional asbestos that will increase abatement costs and extend removal work. "There's a bunch of additional asbestos that had to happen," Jordan said, adding the district is working with IEA to complete legal removal before demolition.
A district staff member explained how the cost estimate grew: "The asbestos original bid came in just shy of $200,000 ... all in today with the last little bit of change order, we're really close to $500,000," the staff member said, describing how crews found asbestos beneath multiple layers of old flooring and behind walls not identified in earlier records.
The board was told IEA is expected to finish abatement by the close of Friday, after which the contractor will remove lead-containing window materials at a secondary site. Jordan said final figures are still being confirmed but that the project team has absorbed much of the current extra work through contingency and general-conditions funds so other IRRRB projects need not stop.
Jordan reviewed the IRRRB budget for $8,000,000 and said roughly $3,000,000 remains to be allocated among finishing items such as athletics or a bus garage. He said some items (roofing, tuckpointing, window replacements) are contracted and proceeding, while others (elevator modernization, auditorium ladder) remain budget placeholders pending updated numbers.
The board also discussed salvage and disposal logistics for the building scheduled for demolition. District staff said bricks and other full-wood items will be salvaged; bricks are being set aside to be sold as a fundraiser. Auction number two will go live when abatement concludes; auction pick-up windows were described and the district repeated that everything must be cleared before the demolition start date provided by the demolition crew.
On safety and operations, staff said the contractor must maintain continuous dust control during demolition and that city permits and notifications remain part of the contractor's scope. The Chisholm Fire Department will use the building shortly for ladder-truck training prior to demolition.
The meeting closed the discussion with no new formal votes tied specifically to reallocating IRRRB funds; board members said they will continue to monitor abatement costs and contingency balances as final invoices arrive.
