In a critical round of sweeping changes to its upcoming campus improvements, the Trigg County Board of Education used Thursday night to unanimously approve the rejection of a pair of bids aimed at repairing the middle school roof and improving the bus garage and its fuselage — before unanimously approving A&K Construction’s bid for the multi-purpose athletic facility and new press box.
A comprehensive and thorough cost-cutting plan was described by the school’s attorney, Jack Lackey Jr., Director of Operations Matt Ladd, Finance Officer Holly Greene and Sherman Carter Barnhart Associate Principal Architect Andrew Owens — in what should be nearly $1 million saved with this refitting.
Owens noted all three projects came in over budget, which wasn’t surprising, but there was no reason to abandon the projects.
Because all three projects only had one single bidder, Lackey noted that officials could move from competitive negotiations to non-competitive negotiations — essentially allowing for dignitaries to seek the “best deal they can.”
One way to save on the bus garage and fuel pumps emergency plan: omit some planned paving on the site, and accept the donation of a fuel pump — both of which will soon be explored in some notes coming from Lackey.
As for the middle school roof, Owens, Ladd and Greene iterated that school officials can seek savings through state contract pricing — in turn, using other funding means.
Some saving measures on both the multi-purpose facility and press box were discussed — including the removal of a turf system in the facility, the removal of some canopies, changing the press box roof from steel to wood and omitting some windows and stonework on the press box itself.
In the end, however, the windows and stonework were kept, as board members Charlene Sheehan and Clara Beth Hyde agreed with Greene about needing a good look.
Ladd agreed, referring to some older projects on campus. Board chair JoAlyce Harper pointed at the success of the new elementary school gym, while Sheehan and Hyde referred to one specific past project that already draws ire.
The next steps for these construction projects include shipping the multi-purpose facility and press box contract to the Kentucky Department of Education for approval, move into direct negotiations with contracts for the bus garage and its fuel tanks, and to receive the state pricing for the middle school roof.
It will take some finagling, but Ladd said there is brimming hope and expectation that a new press box with new restrooms should be up and working prior to the start of the 2022 football season at Perdue Field.
The construction of the multi-purpose facility, however, will take more time — and could directly impact morning and afternoon traffic around the school. Ladd added that track meets will almost certainly not happen in Trigg County this season.
