By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays school board on Monday voted to wait two weeks before making a decision on spending $782,000 for HVAC improvements at Hays High School.
The work would be the first phase in a $4 million to $5 million project to fix the HVAC system at the high school. This first phase would add roof-top units for the main gym, auxiliary gym and wrestling room. The program will also improve controls for other parts of the high school. The district would like to complete construction on the project this summer.
The district has enough money in its capital outlay fund to pay for the first phase of the improvements. The district has lease agreements that will end in the next two years that could allow the district to pay for the additional improvements, Thissen said.
Board member Greg Schwartz has been critical of the board’s decision to use a construction manager at risk for the project instead of sending the project out for traditional bids. Schwartz was not on the board when the board voted in 2016 to hire Building Controls and Services as the construction manager at-risk.
Building Controls and Services intends to hire Glassman Corp. to do the work on the high school.
Schwartz said he was concerned the district is not getting the best deal because it did not use the traditional bidding process. He said he wanted to see the cost for the upgrades at Hays Middle School in 2015 and compare them to the HHS project before making a decision on the HHS project.
James Herrman, BCS representative, said the cost for the HMS project was several dollars cheaper per square foot, but inflation needs to be factored into the increase.
Schwartz said, “I would like to go forward with it … I am one vote, so if the rest of the board wants to move forward with it, I understand. I would just like to see the numbers and have them broken out on those costs. If inflation is the number, look at that. Before I am ready to approve it, I would like to have those.”
Board member Mandy Fox said, “I agree with both points of view here. I do think we are constantly under scrutiny when it comes to financial considerations. We need to do our due diligence and make sure we evaluate all those questions for every board member who is up here.”
Board member Paul Adams said he did not want to wait to vote on the project and made a motion to approve the contract. That motion failed with board members Schwartz, Lance Bickle, Fox and Sophia Rose Young voting against.