North County to place issue on ballot to build new elementary school

By TERESA RESSEL
Daily Journal Staff Writer

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 10:21 AM CST

The North County school board chose a construction management group to oversee construction of a new elementary school in Desloge.

On Tuesday night, the board selected CCS of Chesterfield as the project management group for district construction and renovation projects. CCS was one of three companies that submitted proposals.

Previously, the board heard proposals from CCS, CTS and Brockmiller Construction. They narrowed their choice to CTS, also based in Chesterfield, and CCS for the meeting on Tuesday and again heard those companies’ proposals. Each company was given an hour to make their proposal.

The district will be placing a $8.5 million no-tax increase bond issue on the April ballot to build a new elementary school in Desloge. The building will replace the existing three-story building that was originally constructed in 1911. The new building will be connected to the wing of the fourth grade classrooms, cafeteria, and library built with a 1996 bond issue.

Each company had a different idea about what a construction management company would do.

Representatives of CCS said they would act as advocates for the school district. They would act more as managers. They said their projects are completed on schedule and under budget. They brought a reference — a former Gasconade superintendent — with them for both proposals.

Before the bond issue, the district, on its own would need to hire an architect to do a preliminary drawing and start on a geotechnical study. They told the district they saw the school opening in fall of 2010.

CTS, on the other hand, was a “turnkey provider” who offered a fixed price with no change orders.

Before the bond issue would pass, CTS would put out bids for the contractor so that work would be ready to begin right away and be done by the first of 2010. Demolition of the old school and paving of the parking lot would come later.

While the school district would have a say in the selection of the contractor, the contractor would have a contract with CTS and answer to them.

CTS would offer free assistance/marketing in getting the bond issue passed. They were the only one of the three companies to present a preliminary drawing that was completed by Grojean Architects.

After both companies left, Superintendent Dr. Yancy Poorman said while both had strengths, he was leaning toward CTS because they would help with the bond issue and take on some risk of their own. He also liked that they were turnkey providers.

“I’m comfortable with either way you want to go,” he said.

Larry Joseph made a motion to hire CTS but in a vote, he was the only one to vote for them.

School board members indicated they liked that CCS talked about many schools they had worked on.

School board president, Keith Bannister, said the pushed timeline with CTS worried him. Barry McCord said he liked CCS because they seemed more professional. Jack Poston said he liked that they said they would be good stewards of the district’s money. Janice Neubrand said she believed they would get good quality with CCS.

Poston made a motion to hire CCS. Only Joseph opposed it.

Bannister said the board just felt more comfortable with CCS and their project management style.

According to a press release issued Nov. 25, in addition to the new elementary school, remodeling and repair improvements would be made to the district’s other facilities to the extent funds are available. The district also plans to prepay the existing callable lease financing of the Series 2001 and 2005 guaranteed performance contracts in the amount of about $2.2 million.

Teresa Ressel is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 179 or at tressel@dailyjournalonline.com.

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