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Catawba County school board approves design contracts, gym and HVAC work and vendor agreements
Summary
The Catawba County Board of Education on June 8 unanimously approved multiple contracts and project agreements, including design-services fees totaling $4.365 million with LS3P for four middle-school projects, a $2.44 million design fee for Maiden Middle School, gym-floor refinishes and an HVAC replacement at Bunker Hill High School.
The Catawba County Board of Education on June 8 unanimously approved a package of design, maintenance and vendor contracts tied to middle-school renovations and facility upkeep.
Design-services agreements included a contract with LS3P Architects covering additions and renovations at four middle schools; LS3P’s combined fees total $4.365 million as part of an estimated $71.5 million construction program. Robert Oily, who presented the agreement, said schematic design is underway and bid documents are expected by November.
A separate contract with Holland and Hammer Architects for Maiden Middle School was approved; the presenter said the designer’s fee is roughly $2.44 million on a $39.5 million construction budget, about 6%—a rate the presenter described as consistent with state averages.
The board also approved two Sourcewell contracts with Royalwood Associates to refinish gym floors at Maiden Middle and Art Middle, with costs listed in the packet at $31,857 and $34,427 respectively. Mr. West Morland said the work will be paid from the district’s Capital Outlay Painting Fund and noted Royalwood has performed similar work for the district for more than 15 years.
For building systems, the board approved replacement of four aging HVAC units in the Bunker Hill High School gym and accepted the low bid from Hickory Sheet Metal at $66,200. Mr. West Morland said the units are more than 20 years old and the selected vendor offers a five-year parts warranty.
On finance operations, the board approved a sales-and-use tax claim refund agreement with Sessions Consulting, Inc. Presenter Steven Pette said the consultant files refund claims with the North Carolina Department of Revenue and is paid from any refund recovered on the district’s behalf, rather than from local operating funds. Pette said the firm has worked with 45 other school districts and that higher prior-year expenses were driven by one-time ESSER-related refunds.
The board voted on each item by voice or show of hands and recorded unanimous approval on all motions. Officials said the construction-manager-at-risk agreement and other project contract elements will return for approval at a future meeting, and staff expect to have bid-ready documents in the fall.
