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OKAY. IT IS 6:00. I WILL CALL THE DECEMBER 10TH REGULAR MEETING OF THE AIKEN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ORDER.
WE BEGIN ALL OF OUR MEETINGS WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING WAS PUBLISHED TO THE PUBLIC AND THE BOARD IN ADVANCE, AND WE WILL APPROVE THE AGENDA WITH WITHOUT OBJECTIONS.
HEARING NO OBJECTIONS, THE AGENDA IS APPROVED.
WE HAVE SOME ONE SET OF MINUTES TO APPROVE THIS EVENING.
AND THAT'S THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF NOVEMBER 19TH OF THIS YEAR.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE NOVEMBER 19TH MEETING MINUTES? MAKE A MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. MR. LINDELL MADE A MOTION.
MISS MORRIS SECONDED TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 19TH OF THIS YEAR.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S NINE IN FAVOR. THE MOTION CARRIES.
UNDER SPECIAL ORDERS OF BUSINESS, WE.
WE HAD NO ONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT THE MEETING.
AND THE ONLY ITEM UNDER SPECIAL ORDERS OF BUSINESS IS ELECTION OF BOARD OFFICERS, WHICH BY POLICY WE DO IN THIS DECEMBER MEETING ANNUALLY ELECTION OF THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR AS AN OFFICER POSITION, THE BOARD BY THE BOARD MEMBERS AND THE ONE YEAR TERM OF THE OFFICERS BEGINS.
MISS MAHONEY IS WITH US FROM OUR ONE OF OUR ATTORNEYS, AND SHE WILL ADMINISTER THE VOTE OR THE ELECTION.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. DOCTOR MURPHY, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I WILL FIRST, FOR I KNOW WE HAVE A COUPLE NEW BOARD MEMBERS, SO I'LL FIRST TAKE AROUND THE BALLOTS FOR THE OFFICE OF CHAIR.
AND IF EVERYONE CAN JUST CHECK ONE PERSON AND SIGN IT, THEN I'LL COME BACK AND PICK THEM UP, AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
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CONGRATULATIONS, MR. NESSEL, FOR TURNING HIS CHAIR.SO NOW WE'LL MOVE TO VICE CHAIR.
I CONGRATULATE DOCTOR BRADLEY FOR BEING THE VICE CHAIR.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MISS MAHONEY.
THAT CONCLUDES SPECIAL ORDERS OF BUSINESS, AS I HAVE NOTHING UNDERNEATH THE OFFICE OF BOARD CHAIR, WHICH WILL TAKE US TO INDIVIDUAL ITEMS WHICH WE HAVE FOR THIS EVENING.
THE FIRST OF WHICH IS WE HAVE PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS.
WE'VE BEEN PRESENTED A LIST OF CERTIFIED AND CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL SCREENED BY HUMAN RESOURCES AND APPROVED BY THE ADMINISTRATION THAT WE MUST ALSO APPROVE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LIST OF PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS AS PRESENTED SO MOVED BY DOCTOR BRADLEY? IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND BY MISS TYLER? ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE LIST OF PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS AS PRESENTED, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THAT'S NINE IN FAVOR.
MOTION CARRIES. SECOND OF WHICH IS A SECOND READING OF A POLICY.
WE APPROVED ON FIRST READING AT THE LAST MEETING.
AND THAT'S POLICY G PAGING DEVICES, CELL PHONES AND OTHER PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THIS IS THE SECOND AND LAST READING.
AND WE ARE ESSENTIALLY JUST AT A HIGH LEVEL UPDATING THIS POLICY TO GET IN LINE WITH THE PROVISO THAT REQUIRES OUR SCHOOL BOARD TO ESTABLISH A POLICY CONSISTENT WITH THE STATE BOARD'S MODEL. POLICY.
YOU MAY CALL IT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE POLICY REVISION ON SECOND READING?
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MOTION MADE BY DOCTOR BRADLEY. IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY MR. MOULTON. ANY DISCUSSION? MR.. BROOME. MR.. NUESSLE AS OF TODAY, I'VE RECEIVED SEVERAL EMAILS FROM CONCERNED TEACHERS IN OUR, YOU KNOW, IN OUR DISTRICT, THE, THE ONE THING THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT IS THE CELL PHONES.SECURING THE CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND I THINK AS IT STANDS NOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BOOKBAGS.
YES, SIR. THEY FEEL LIKE THAT IF WE HAD A, LIKE A LITTLE LOCKER THAT WHEN THEY COME INTO THE CLASSROOM, THEY WERE PUT IN AND WERE ABLE TO LOCK AWAY THAT, AS THEY CALLED IT, A CELL PHONE.
POLICE, IT WOULD TAKE A LOT MORE BURDEN OFF THE TEACHERS BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THAT IT'S STILL GOING TO BE ABUSED BY JUST SAYING, BASICALLY THEY'RE KEEPING IT IN SOMETHING OF THEIR PROPERTY. AND I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT THERE BECAUSE THEY THERE IS A LOT OF TEACHERS THAT FEEL LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, AND I'M GOING TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT.
I VOTED AGAINST IT THE FIRST TIME FOR A TOTAL OPPOSITE REASON, BECAUSE I WAS THINKING THAT A CHILD THAT NEVER BROUGHT THEIR CELL PHONE OUT SHOULD, SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PUT IT AWAY.
BUT THEN THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, I'M GLAD WE GET SECOND TRIES ON SOME OF THIS STUFF, BECAUSE THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, THAT WOULD KIND OF BE RIDICULOUS. WHAT I WAS THINKING, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A A CONSTANT BURDEN ON TEACHERS WITH THE AMOUNT OF, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT WHAT MY CHILD WOULD BE EXPECTED TO DO, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN.
SO I DO SEE THEIR POINT AND THE POINT OF SAYING, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS SOME KIND OF INCIDENT, THE CELL PHONES WERE STILL IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO BRING THAT TO THE BOARD FOR SOME CONSIDERATION, THAT THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT IN THE DISTRICT BECAUSE OF CONCERNS OF SOME WHAT I CONSIDER VERY RESPECTED INSTRUCTORS AND, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE FIELD FOR A DECENT AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT THEY'RE NOT SO, SO INGRAINED IN THE FIELD THAT THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GOOD WITH CHANGE.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT IT'S STILL FAIRLY YOUNG TEACHERS SAYING THIS, YOU KNOW. SO THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
DOCTOR MURPHY, DID YOU HAVE ANY IMMEDIATE RESPONSE? YES, I DID WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT.
WE HAVE EVALUATED A LOT OF DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES.
THERE ARE SEVERAL TECHNIQUES FOR SECURING THE PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM AND WHAT WE AND PRINCIPALS, AS WELL AS ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF HAVE COME TO REALIZE IS THERE IS NO REAL WAY FOR US TO ELIMINATE THAT BURDEN FROM TEACHERS.
BECAUSE IF WE SAY, KIDS, PUT YOUR PHONES UP IN THE FRONT OF THE CLASSROOM, THOSE THAT FOLLOW RULES WILL PUT THEIR PHONES UP AT THE FRONT OF THE CLASSROOM. IF WE SAY, KIDS, PUT YOUR PHONES IN YOUR BOOKBAGS THOSE THAT FOLLOW RULES WILL PUT THEIR PHONES IN THEIR BOOK BAGS.
THE QUESTION IS, THOSE THAT DO NOT FOLLOW RULES THAT DO NOT COMPLY, AND THAT'S GOING TO EXIST NO MATTER WHAT.
IF A KID DIDN'T WANT TO FOLLOW RULES, THEY WOULD JUST PUT THEIR THEIR GRANDMA'S FIREFLY CELL PHONE INTO THE THE CASE UP FRONT AND HAVE THEIR PHONE.
SO WHAT YOU END UP DOING IS WE'RE TRYING TO POLICE THE WHAT.
I WOULD SAY ROUGHLY 10% OF KIDS THAT TRY TO SKIRT AROUND THE RULES.
90% OF THE KIDS, WHATEVER WE SAY DO, THEY'RE GOING TO DO.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF COMPLIANCE. SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY THE LEAST INTRUSIVE METHOD FIRST.
AND KIDS KNOW, I KNOW RIGHT NOW MY STAFF KNOWS THAT WE'LL REEVALUATE.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO COMPLY WITH STATE RULES.
SO IF WE NEED TO REEVALUATE AND COME UP WITH A LITTLE BIT A HARSHER PENALTY, WE WILL. BUT RIGHT NOW IN TALKING WITH THE STUDENTS, THEY'RE MENTALLY PREPARED FOR THIS DE-ESCALATION.
SO I'M HOPING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE.
HEARING NONE, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR TO APPROVE SECOND READING OF POLICY JIC. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S NINE IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES.
AND THIS I'LL BE, YOU KNOW, JUST TRANSPARENT.
YOU WOULDN'T THINK WE'D HAVE TO DO THIS, BUT I IMAGINE IT'S A LEGAL THING.
SO WE HAVE WE HAVE A RESOLUTION THAT'S BEEN SENT TO US ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA TO DECLARE THE RESULTS OF THE NOVEMBER 5TH ELECTION THIS YEAR.
AS FAR AS THE REFERENDUM THAT WE HAD ON THE EDUCATION CAPITAL PROJECT SALES TAX.
SO. IN THAT CASE, BASICALLY THE SUMMARIZE FOR THE PUBLIC THE WE'VE THAT REFERENDUM OR THAT THAT VOTE WAS HAD OVER 70% APPROVAL.
AND THE BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY IS TO CERTIFY THOSE RESULTS OF THAT REFERENDUM.
AND IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO DECLARE THE RESULTS OF THIS
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REFERENDUM? I MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE TO PASS.MISTER LINDELL MOVES TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION.
IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND BY MR. MOULTON? ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S NINE IN FAVOR. THE MOTION CARRIES.
ALL RIGHT, SO THE FOURTH ITEM IN INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. NOT MY FAVORITE TOPIC.
PICK A MAKEUP PLAN FOR THE SCHOOL DAY LOST DUE TO HURRICANE HELENE.
HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY. I THINK THE DAY BEFORE.
THE HURRICANE CAME THROUGH THIS AREA.
I THINK ALL OF US THOUGHT IT WAS HEADING A LITTLE MORE WEST.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PLANNED AN E-LEARNING DAY.
AND THEN I THINK ANYBODY KNOWS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE POWER OR INTERNET FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
SO YOU CAN'T REALLY CALL THAT AN E-LEARNING DAY.
AND I'M NOT TRYING TO STEAL YOUR THUNDER, BUT JUST SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS THERE'S THERE'S NOT A LOT OF GOOD CHOICES, RIGHT? SO WE'RE SAYING WHAT'S PROPOSED IS JANUARY 6TH IS A TEACHER WORK DAY.
THE PROPOSAL IS TO DO AN E-LEARNING DAY ON JANUARY 6TH.
WHICH DOES REQUIRE SOME PREPARATION, I'M SURE.
AND THEN MR. JEFFCOAT CAN PRESENT, BUT WOULD ALSO REQUIRE TEACHERS TO BE AVAILABLE FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS DURING THAT DAY, BUT I'LL. I'LL LET YOU PRESENT THAT.
WELL, YOU DID A GOOD JOB ALREADY.
BUT AS I SAID INITIALLY SEPTEMBER 27TH WAS DESIGNATED E-LEARNING DAY, BUT BECAUSE OF THE COUNTY WIDE POWER OUTAGES, WHICH ALSO WAS INTERNET OUTAGES, WE ACTUALLY CANNOT COUNT THAT AS AN E-LEARNING DAY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THERE'S REALLY TWO MAJOR THINGS THAT HAPPENED THAT SAYS WHY WE CAN'T DO IT.
ONE IS STUDENTS DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE MATERIAL AND THE TEACHERS WERE NOT AVAILABLE.
THEREFORE, WE CAN'T COUNT THAT AS E-LEARNING DAY.
SO IT HAD TO BECOME A SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY.
AND UNDER THE LAW SCHOOL CLOSURE DAYS, WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE DAYS UP.
SO WE REVIEWED ALL OUR GUIDELINES, POLICIES AND OPTIONS TO MAKE THAT DAY UP.
AND WE CAME UP WITH JANUARY 6TH BEING THE LEAST DISRUPTIVE AND ALSO THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO MAKE THAT DAY UP.
IT WOULD STILL BE A TEACHER WORK DAY.
SINCE TEACHERS ARE WORKING IN THEIR IN A CLASSROOM, THEY WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS WHO NEED ANY TYPE OF SUPPORT.
AND SO STUDENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO DO AN E-LEARNING.
BUT SINCE WE DID NOT HAVE THAT ON THE CALENDAR ORIGINALLY AS A WEATHER MAKEUP DAY, WE NEED TO BRING IT BEFORE YOU TO APPROVE THAT AS A WEATHER MAKEUP DAY.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO USE THAT AS AN E-LEARNING DAY.
AS YOU ALL SEE OUR BOARD POLICIES AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE THAT SUPPORTS THE GUIDELINES FOR WEATHER MAKEUP DAYS.
THANK YOU SIR. ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MAKE A MOTION? MR. MOULTON SCOTT ONE.
MR. JEFFCOAT, I THINK IT'S THE BEST PLAN YOU CAN PROBABLY COME UP WITH, SO I'M NOT IN DISAGREEMENT. THE I JUST HAVE A CONCERN.
AND YOU GUYS PROBABLY HAVE ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT THE ANSWER TO THIS.
AND THAT IS IF IT'S AN E-LEARNING DAY, ARE WE EXPECTING THE ELEMENTARY AGE KIDS TO TAKE THEIR LAPTOPS HOME OVER THE CHRISTMAS BREAK AND REMEMBER TO BRING THEM BACK ON JANUARY 7TH. YES WE ARE.
WE ARE. AND WE'RE COMFORTABLE THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, TEACHERS WILL WORK WITH STUDENTS, MAKE SURE THEY DO THAT. WE CAN SEND OUT COMMUNICATION TO PARENTS, REMINDING THEM TO BRING THAT BACK.
SO THAT SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM.
OKAY. OKAY. NO OTHER QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU SIR. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
AND SO WE'VE GOT THE ITEM TO BASICALLY DECLARE A WEATHER WEATHER MAKEUP DAY ON JANUARY 6TH AS AN E-LEARNING DAY.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THAT PLAN? I'D MOVE TO APPROVE JANUARY 6TH AS A MAKEUP DAY.
SO, MOTION MADE BY MR. SILAS, SECONDED BY MISS MORRIS TO APPROVE THE PLAN TO HAVE A MAKEUP DAY ON JANUARY 6TH AS AN E-LEARNING DAY. ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION.
HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S NINE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION CARRIES.
THAT IS THE END OF INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. AND WE'LL GO TO CONSENT ITEMS, WHICH WILL VOTE ON AS A GROUP.
BUT WE CAN DISCUSS INDIVIDUALLY.
WE HAVE SEVEN CONSENT ITEMS. ONE, ONE ITEM. THE FIRST ONE, THERE'S BEEN A PRESENTATION PREPARED.
SO BEFORE WE GET INTO TALKING THROUGH EACH ONE AND MAKING A MOTION DOCTOR YARBOROUGH DO
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YOU WANT TO PRESENT OR INTRODUCE THE PRESENTER? YES, SIR. MR. NUESSLE, I'LL INTRODUCE THE PRESENTERS.AND THANK YOU, MR. NUESSLE, BOARD MEMBERS AND DOCTOR MURPHY. IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TONIGHT JUSTIN LUCAS AND NICK DEBESSONET.
THEY ARE FROM GMC ARCHITECTURE, AND THEY ARE HERE TONIGHT TO REVIEW THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT AND THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE SUMMARY FOR OUR NEW CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER. SO I'LL ASK THOSE GENTLEMEN TO COME FORWARD, PLEASE.
GMC. I'M JUSTIN LUCAS, AND I'M THE ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE LEADER FOR THE COLUMBIA OFFICE FOR KELLWOOD.
AND AS NICK BASSINET, PROJECT ARCHITECT.
AND TODAY WE WANT TO GOING OVER THE WHAT GMC HAS SUBMITTED THE THE DOCUMENTS TO OFFICE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES WHO'S CURRENTLY REVIEWING IT AND THE AIKEN COUNTY AND THE LANE DISTURBANCE PERMIT IS CURRENTLY BEING PROCESSED AND ALL THAT SHOULD BE COMPLETED HERE SHORTLY AND JUST MAKE IT GO FORWARD.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT AND GMC SUMMARY TODAY.
THE GMP SUMMARY. AND HERE'S A VIEW OF THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THIS, BUT YOU CAN SEE WE'VE MADE THE ADDITION TO THE SRP BANK IS IS INCLUDED AT THIS POINT AND VARIOUS PLANNERS AND MASONRY.
AND THAT'S THE NEW FRONT ENTRY CANOPY IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL.
AND EXCUSE ME, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
IF YOU IF YOU COULD POSITION THE MICROPHONE DIFFERENTLY OR A LITTLE CLOSER.
OH, THERE WE GO. GET A LITTLE CLOSER. YEAH.
IT WASN'T PICKING UP YOUR VOICE VERY WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU.
HD REYNOLDS HAS COMPLETED THE THE PRICING OF THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS AND DEVELOPED A COMPREHENSIVE GMP FOR THE PROJECT TO CONSTRUCT THE NEW CAREER CENTER.
AND THE OVERALL PROJECT BUDGET INCLUDES THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT FEES. AND WHICH HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND GMC AND HRG RENTALS. AND THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT SITE.
IT'S ADJACENT TO THE AIKEN TECH CAMPUS AND THE SITE SLOPES, YOU KNOW, DOWN TOWARDS JEFFERSON DAVIS HIGHWAY IN THIS CORNER.
AND THIS IS THE OVERALL SITE PLAN.
YOU CAN SEE THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS YOU SEE IN THE YELLOW OUTLINE.
THOSE ARE EXISTING BUILDINGS OFF TO THE RIGHT.
AND THIS BUILDING NEGOTIATES THE LANDSCAPE FROM AS IT SLOPES UP THE HILL FROM JEFFERSON DAVIS HIGHWAY. THIS IS THE FIRST LEVEL PLAN.
AND THE THE UPPER LEVEL IS IN YELLOW.
AND THIS IS THE SECOND LEVEL BUILT OVER THE OVER THE FIRST.
AND THEN THIS THESE UPPER TWO WINGS ARE ON GRADE AS IT GOES UP THE HILL.
THE MINOR CHANGES, ADDING THE BANK TO THE PROJECT AND PLANNERS OUT FRONT.
AND THIS IS FURTHER AWAY IN THE PARKING LOT IN FRONT.
YOU CAN SEE THE TWO LEVELS IN THE FOREGROUND.
THE ENTRY AND THE SHOP SPACES ARE IN THE BACKGROUND.
YOU CAN SEE KIND OF FADING BEYOND, AND THIS IS COMING AROUND THE SOUTH END OF THE SITE. AND YOU CAN SEE THE THE PROJECTION OF THE CANTILEVERED SPACE OUT OUT OF THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING, THE COMMUNITY SPACE.
AND AROUND ON THE NORTH END OF THE BUILDING ARE THE VIEW OF THE SHOP SPACES.
SO YOU CAN SEE THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WITH CANOPIES AND ROLL UP DOORS AND. AND IT'S A PRETTY QUICK PRESENTATION.
WE GO STRAIGHT TO THE, THE, THE TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET AND WHERE WE WENT FROM DESIGN DEVELOPMENT TO CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS.
AND YOU CAN FOLLOW THE THE LINE OF TOTAL HARD CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
AND THE BOTTOM LINE AT THE AT THE BOTTOM YOU CAN SEE WE STARTED AT 53 MILLION AND BACK A YEAR AGO, AND WE ARE OR $6,000 FROM WHERE WE WERE A YEAR AGO.
SO WE'RE JUST CHANGING THINGS AND WORKING THROUGH THE BUDGET AND WORKING WITH H.D.
REYNOLDS, WHO DID A GREAT JOB. AND SO WE'RE REAL PLEASED TO REPORT THAT WE'RE ON TARGET AND ON BUDGET AND EXCITED TO BREAK GROUND.
ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE QUICK ONE. JUST DO YOU HAVE A YOU DIDN'T PRESENT A SCHEDULE, BUT JUST A YOU HAVE A TENTATIVE SCHEDULE.
WE DO. IT'S IT'S SUMMER 2027, ISN'T IT? YEAH. AND AND WE CAN GET WE CAN SEND THAT TO YOU.
THE OVERALL SCHEDULE SHOWING EACH EACH FACET GOING FORWARD. AND DO YOU HAVE A SUMMER OF
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26? SORRY. YEAH, RIGHT.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE GENTLEMAN FROM GMC? THANK YOU BOTH. THANKS. APPRECIATE IT.
SO WE'LL GO THROUGH. WE'LL TALK I'LL GO AROUND THE LIST OF THE SEVEN CONSENT ITEMS. AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT ANY ONE OF THEM IF WE NEED TO.
BUT BEFORE WE MAKE A MOTION CONSENT ITEM B ONE WAS FOR THIS PROJECT.
SO BASICALLY, IF WE APPROVE B1, WE'RE APPROVING THE CONTRACT DOCUMENTS, PLAN SPECS, OVERALL BUDGET OF OVER 53 MILLION AS PRESENTED FROM GMC.
AND PROCEED WITH THE FINAL WORK, DRAWINGS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE PROJECT.
AND WERE ALSO PROVEN. THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE, OR GMP NUMBER ONE, FOR WHICH THE CONSTRUCTION BUDGET IS OVER 46 MILLION FROM REYNOLDS AND ALLOW OUR ADMINISTRATION TO ENTER AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CM AT RISK CONTRACTOR, WHICH IS REYNOLDS. B2 IS INSTALLATION OF FLOORING AT GREENDALE AND BYRD ELEMENTARY. AND THIS IS SO THAT WE RECEIVED BIDS.
AND IF WE APPROVE B2, WE'RE AUTHORIZED THE ADMINISTRATION TO ACCEPT THE LOW BASE BID AND ENTER A CONTRACT WITH FOR BOTH GREENDALE AND BYRD OF ABOUT TWO $295,000 FOR FLOORING AT THOSE TWO SCHOOLS FUNDED OUT OF THE FIVE YEAR FACILITY PLAN.
NUMBER THREE, WE HAVE BEEN PRESENTED A LIST OF EXPULSIONS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN APPEALED, AND WE MUST RATIFY THOSE.
NUMBER FOR SUBMISSION OF APPROVING THE SUBMISSION OF A GRANT.
APPLICATION BY AIR. ADMINISTRATION A DIVISION TO THE SCHOOL BOARDS.
INSURANCE TRUST. RISK CONTROL GRANT PROGRAM FOR A LITTLE OVER $52,000.
THEN WE GET TO SOME CHARITABLE DONATIONS.
THE BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS TRUST FUND DONATION IS CONSENT ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
DONATION OF 2000 TO AIKEN ELEMENTARY.
AND SPECIFICALLY FOR PURCHASE OF BREAKFAST ITEMS FOR THE ALL PRO DADS PROGRAM WHERE THEY HAVE MONTHLY MEETINGS AT THE SCHOOL TO GET DADS INVOLVED WITH THEIR KIDS AT SCHOOL.
ALL RIGHT. NUMBER SIX IS ALSO DONATION FROM CAROLINA TRAINING ASSOCIATES TO THE AIKEN COUNTY CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER.
ALSO $2,000 TO BE USED FOR STAFF INCENTIVES.
AND THEN THE LAST CONSENT ITEM IS A LIST OF SURPLUS ITEMS AND THEIR METHOD OF DISPOSAL.
SO WE'VE BEEN PROVIDED A LIST OF THOSE ITEMS DECLARED SURPLUS AND HOW IT'S GOING TO BE THE METHOD OF DISPOSAL. AND WE MUST APPROVE THAT.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SEVEN CONSENT ITEMS AS PRESENTED? I MOVE WE APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEM.
MOTION MADE BY DOCTOR BRADLEY. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, SECONDED BY MR. LINDELL.
ANY DISCUSSION ON ANY OF THE SEVEN CONSENT ITEMS? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE SEVEN CONSENT ITEMS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THAT'S NINE IN FAVOR.
THE MOTION CARRIES. WHICH BRINGS US TO.
WE HAVE TWO INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. EXCUSE ME FOR A SECOND.
SO THE FIRST OF WHICH IS AN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PRESENTATION BY OUR OWN MR. CARROLL. MR. CARROLL, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
GOOD EVENING, MR. NUESSLE, BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT MURPHY.
IT'S AN HONOR TO ADDRESS YOU TONIGHT.
FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH ME, MY NAME IS NICK CARROLL.
I SERVE AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY.
BEFORE I DELVE INTO THE PRESENTATION, I DO WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE, JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON ME JUST SO YOU CAN JUST A REMINDER OF WHO I AM.
I HAVE DEDICATED THE PAST 22 YEARS TO THE FIELD OF EDUCATION.
MY JOURNEY BEGAN IN THE CLASSROOM, WHERE I SPENT 13 YEARS HONING MY SKILLS AS AN EDUCATOR, AND FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS I'VE SERVED AS A DISTRICT LEADER OF EDUCATIONAL
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TECHNOLOGY. I'M A PASSIONATE ADVOCATE FOR TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF TECHNOLOGY.I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT WHEN THOUGHTFULLY INTEGRATED INTO THE CLASSROOM, TECHNOLOGY CAN EMPOWER BOTH EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS TO TRANSFORM LEARNING IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM. SO JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT ME.
I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M NOT JUST A NORMAL TECHNOLOGY PERSON.
SO WITH THAT SAID, LET ME JUST CONTINUE WITH THE PRESENTATION.
OH, AM I HITTING IT? THERE WE GO.
THE TECHNOLOGY GUY MIGHT NEED TO HIT THE HIT THE RIGHT BUTTON. RIGHT? SO I SHOULD HAVE PRACTICED, LIKE WE SAID, RIGHT? ALL RIGHT.
SO THE DISTRICT HAS DEMONSTRATED A STRONG COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING OUR STUDENTS WITH A 21ST CENTURY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THROUGH SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE. THIS COMMITMENT IS EVIDENT IN THE COMPREHENSIVE TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEM WE HAVE DEPLOYED ACROSS OUR SCHOOLS, ENCOMPASSING LEARNING DEVICES.
WE HAVE 28,000 LAPTOPS FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, ENSURING DIGITAL ACCESS TO LEARNING TOOLS BOTH WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM.
THOUSANDS OF DESKTOP COMPUTERS PROVIDED DEDICATED WORKSTATIONS, SPECIALIZING TASKS AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES, INTERACTIVE PANELS IN EVERY CLASSROOM, FOSTERING DYNAMIC AND ENGAGING LEARNING EXPERIENCES.
2300 WI-FI SPACES HITTING THE WRONG BUTTON.
I'M GONNA HOLD IT RIGHT HERE 23 WI-FI ACCESS POINTS PROVIDING ROBUST WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY THROUGH OUR BUILDINGS.
740 ROUTERS AND SWITCHES FORMING THE BACKBONE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
470 SERVERS THAT PRODUCE AND STORE OUR DATA SECURITY AND SAFETY.
WE HAVE OVER 500 SECURITY CAMERAS, ENHANCING THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF. 370 ACCESS CONTROL DOORS, PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF SECURITY IN OUR BUILDINGS.
37 ALERT SYSTEMS AND AUDIO ENHANCEMENT SITES, ENSURING CLEAR COMMUNICATION AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IN EVERY CLASSROOM.
WITH THAT, THIS ROBUST TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE IS ESSENTIAL NOT ONLY FOR PROVIDING A 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION, BUT ALSO FOR ENSURING THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. WHILE OUR DISTRICT HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN IMPLEMENTING IMPLEMENTING TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, THIS RAPID GROWTH HAS ALSO BROUGHT FORTH CERTAIN CHALLENGES.
INCREASED COMPLEXITY. THE EXPANSION OF OUR SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING ACCESS CONTROL DOORS AND SECURITY CAMERAS, REQUIRE SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.
THE ADDITION OF ALERT SYSTEMS AND AUDIO ENHANCEMENT IN EVERY CLASSROOM NECESSITATES NECESSITATES ONGOING SUPPORT AND TROUBLESHOOTING TO MAXIMIZE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. THE WIDESPREAD DEPLOYMENT OF INTERACTIVE TOUCH PANEL DEMANDS PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE AND TIMELY REPAIRS TO MINIMIZE DISRUPTIONS TO THE CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION.
THE GROWING COMPLEXITY OF OUR TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEM HAS PLACED A STRAIN ON OUR CURRENT RESOURCES, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP WITH MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS IN A TIMELY MANNER. WE FACE A SHORTAGE OF IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE FOR CERTAIN TECHNOLOGIES, LEADING TO RELIANCE ON EXTERNAL VENDORS AND POTENTIALLY DELAYING ISSUE RESOLUTIONS.
THESE FACTORS COMBINED CONTRIBUTE TO AN INABILITY TO RESPOND AND RESOLVE TECHNOLOGY ISSUES AS QUICKLY AS NEEDED, POTENTIALLY IMPACTING THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND FRUSTRATING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.
THIS IS OUR CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR THE TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT.
THE DIRECTOR, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION, THE COORDINATORS COMPUTER TECHNICIANS, TECHNOLOGY SPECIALISTS AND THEN THE WHOLE NETWORK SIDE OF THINGS.
I JUST WANT TO PROVIDE THIS KIND OF, FOR REFERENCE FOR THE NEXT FEW SLIDES TO PROACTIVELY ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES POSED BY OUR EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE AND TO BETTER SERVE THE NEEDS OF OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS.
I PROPOSE A STRATEGIC REALIGNMENT OF OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT AND AN INVESTMENT IN KEY IN-HOUSE PERSONNEL.
THIS RESTRUCTURING INVOLVES THE FOLLOWING ENHANCED SECURITY EXPERTISE.
SECURITY SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR POSITION.
THIS DEDICATED ROLE WILL FOCUS ON THE MANAGEMENT, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS, SECURITY CAMERAS, AND SAFETY ALERT SYSTEMS. THIS WILL ENSURE CONTINUED SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF,
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WHILE ALLOWING FOR PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE AND TIMELY RESPONSE TO SECURITY CONCERNS.EXPANDED NETWORK SUPPORT ADDITION OF TWO NETWORK TECHNICIANS.
THESE TECHNICIANS WILL PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE INSTALLATION, REPAIR, AND MAINTENANCE OF OUR NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS EXPANSION EXPANSION WILL IMPROVE OUR CAPACITY TO ADDRESS NETWORK ISSUES INTERNALLY AND PROMPTLY. ELEVATED LEADERSHIP AND SPECIALIZED SUPPORT.
TRANSITION OF THE TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR. ROLE TO DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS.
THE TRANSITION OF THE NETWORK COORDINATOR. ROLE TO THE DIRECTOR OF NETWORK OPERATIONS.
THIS ELEVATION RECOGNIZES THE INCREASING COMPLEXITY AND RESPONSIBILITY OF THESE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, AND PROVIDES THE NECESSARY AUTHORITY FOR EFFECTIVE DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT.
RECLASSIFICATION OF THE COMPUTER TECHNICIANS TO TECHNOLOGY SPECIALISTS.
THIS RECLASSIFICATION REFLECTS THE EVOLVING SKILL SET AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THOSE ROLES, ENCOMPASSING A BROADER RANGE OF TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT AND TROUBLESHOOTING.
BY INVESTING IN THESE KEY PERSONNEL, WE CAN ENHANCE OUR RESPONSIVENESS, IMPROVE PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE, DEVELOP IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE, PROVIDE BETTER SUPPORT, PROMOTE GROWTH, AND ENSURE EMPLOYEE RETENTION. ULTIMATELY, THIS RESTRUCTURING WILL ENABLE US TO MORE EFFECTIVELY LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS AND CREATE A SAFE AND ENGAGING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT INVESTING IN ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL HAS FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS.
HOWEVER, WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE LONG TERM BENEFITS OF STRATEGICALLY EXPANDING OUR IN-HOUSE TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE WILL SIGNIFICANTLY OUTWEIGH THE COST, AND WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT WILL NOT ONLY ADDRESS CURRENT CHALLENGES, BUT ALSO LAY A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE GROWTH AND INNOVATION.
THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? MR. BROOME? I REALLY LIKE THIS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I COME ON THIS BOARD, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT I WANTED TO SEE WAS US BUILDING HUMAN CAPITAL AND BEING ABLE TO DO THINGS IN-HOUSE.
MY QUESTION IS, IS THE NUMBERS YOU'RE LOOKING AT? ARE YOU FIGURING THAT AS WAGES THAT WE WOULD PAY AND BE ABLE TO RETAIN EMPLOYEES, OR IS THIS. YES, KIND OF THIS WILL REPLACE OUR LABOR AND SERVICES, AND WE'RE USING A VERY CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE.
BUT THE LABOR AND SERVICES THAT WE PAY NOW.
THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO BRING PEOPLE IN HOUSE, DO SOME OF THE SAME SERVICES.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S TIMES WHERE WE WOULD STILL NEED OUTSIDE SERVICES AND HELP, BUT ALLOW US TO PROMOTE MORE PEOPLE WITHIN, RETAIN MORE PEOPLE AND THE TECHNOLOGY WORLD.
FOR INSTANCE, LIKE IF YOU WENT AND GOT A CERTIFICATE AS A SECURITY+, YOU WENT, TOOK THE CERTIFICATE AND PASSED WITHOUT A DEGREE, JUST THE CERTIFICATION AT A HIGH SCHOOL, ANYWHERE BETWEEN 55 TO $70,000 A YEAR STARTING. SO WE'RE COMPETING WITH THAT IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR WHEN THEY CAN GO WORK AT OTHER PLACES. WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH THAT AND THE TECHNOLOGY WORLD.
AND WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE EXPERTISE FOR FOR DIFFERENT THINGS.
THAT COULD BE THE SECURITY CAMERAS. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT HAS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN UPFRONT WITH US, WITH SAFETY AND SECURITY BEING SO UPFRONT.
THINGS LIKE ACCESS CONTROLS, THE THE SECURITY CAMERAS.
THERE HAS TO BE SOMEONE THAT'S WATCHING THAT THERE HAS TO BE A RESPONSE TO IT.
WHEN SOMETHING BREAKS RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'RE FACING IS WE HAVE VENDORS THAT ARE HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING EMPLOYEES JUST LIKE ANYONE ELSE, RIGHT? AND IT'S HARD.
THEY'LL COME OUT HERE, THEY HAVE 16 HOURS TO RESPOND.
THEY COME OUT, THEY CHECK ON IT, THEY SEND A TICKET UP.
THEY MIGHT HAVE TO GO ORDER A PART.
IT'S HARD FOR US TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE WITHOUT HAVING SOME MORE INTERNAL STAFF.
BUT THOSE SERVICES, I DON'T WANT TO SAY A COST SAVINGS, BECAUSE COST SAVINGS IS A IS A WORD THAT YOU GOT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT BECAUSE THE INCREASED COST OF RESOURCES LIKE OUR PRODUCTS, FOR INSTANCE, OUR TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS, OUR SOFTWARE WITH AI INCLUDED INSIDE A LOT OF THOSE SYSTEMS. NOW, THE COST AND PRICES OF THINGS LIKE THAT HAVE ACTUALLY GONE UP.
SO IT'S A IT'S A COST SAVINGS FOR US BECAUSE WE HAVE PEOPLE IN-HOUSE AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO RESPOND MORE QUICKLY TO OUR ISSUES AND RESOLVE THEM.
LET ME I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO GO ON THIS A LITTLE MORE.
I KNOW FROM BACK I'M GOING TO GO BACK A NUMBER OF YEARS.
WE HAD A VERY LARGE HODGEPODGE OF ANYTHING WHEN SPARKS SMART BOARDS WAS COMING OUT.
I MEAN, WE HAD ALL KIND OF DIFFERENT BRANDS AND BOUGHT THEM.
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AND I KNOW WE'VE DONE REALLY GOOD TO GET AWAY FROM A LOT OF THAT.BUT I ALSO KNOW IN THIS DISTRICT, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE BEING USED IN SMALL POCKETS.
SO I GUESS WHAT I'M HEARING IS IF WE BUILD AND I'M GOING TO CALL IT A TECHNOLOGY EMPIRE, THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROBABLY SAVE MONEY THAT WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW BY CONSOLIDATING PROGRAMS AND IN, IN OTHER WORDS, GETTING BETTER, MORE EFFICIENT WITH THE PROGRAMS WE RUN WOULD BE A BUT B AND I WANT TO I'M TALKING TO THE BOARD WITH THIS. AND I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME MEETINGS COMING DOWN THE ROAD ABOUT, BOUT SALARY STRUCTURES AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND I KNOW IT IS A VERY HARD PEOPLE MOVE.
THAT'S RIGHT. WE HAVE GOT TO BE COMPETITIVE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO BE THE TRAINING GROUND.
WE DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING TO BE THE TRAINING GROUND FOR OTHER COMPANIES.
I MEAN, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE CERTAIN COMPANIES THAT YOU CAN'T COMPETE WITH, I UNDERSTAND. BUT AS GOOD AS LARGE AS THIS DISTRICT IS, AS MUCH NEED AS WE HAVE.
AND THIS IS A LOT. THIS IS THE MAKE VERSUS BUY.
THIS GOES ACROSS A NUMBER OF DISCIPLINES.
IF WE HAVE TO DETERMINE IF IT'S BETTER TO MAKE IT THAN BUY IT.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT TO DEVELOP THE HUMAN CAPITAL AND REWARD THEM TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO ALL I'M SAYING IS WHEN YOU JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GIVE OR GIVE IN NUMBERS WITH BARE BONES TO WHERE YOU FIGHT AND TRYING TO KEEP PEOPLE, YOU KNOW. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE VERY REALISTIC GOING FORWARD TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN A NUMBER OF AREAS.
AND I THINK THIS IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO TO BRING PROGRAMS TOGETHER AND HAVE A BETTER SERVICE. YOU KNOW, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GOING TO REWARD THE PEOPLE AND TRY TO KEEP THEM.
I THINK IF YOU HAVE A GOOD GROWTH MODEL, I THINK I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE POINT.
WE'RE HAVING TO COMPETE WITH FORT EISENHOWER, WE'RE HAVING TO COMPETE WITH SARS, AND THAT'S THAT'S HARD IN OUR INDUSTRY BECAUSE CYBERSECURITY IS LIKE THE FOREFRONT OF THE TECH WORLD RIGHT NOW.
AND SO WE'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
OKAY. THANK YOU, DOCTOR BRADLEY MR..
CAROL, IF I'M READING THIS CORRECTLY, WE'RE ADDING THREE NEW PEOPLE.
YES, SIR. AND WE'RE GOING TO ELIMINATE ALL THE CONTRACTORS.
WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE WE CAN'T ELIMINATE EVERYTHING, BUT WE WILL REDUCE THE OUR NEED ON SOME OF THEM, AND THAT WILL BE IN EXCHANGE FOR THOSE SERVICE AGREEMENTS WE HAVE.
WE'LL EXCHANGE THAT FOR IN-HOUSE SERVICES.
WELL, MY QUESTION REALLY WAS ARE WE ARE YOU SURE WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO ALL THIS WORK WITHOUT HAVING TO EVENTUALLY ADD MORE AND MORE PEOPLE, WHICH WOULD IN TURN ADD MORE AND MORE COST? I LIKE IT AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, BUT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN TO THE SKILL LEVEL THAT OUR IN-HOUSE PEOPLE HAVE THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO DO WHAT WE ARE ELIMINATING.
WE WILL HAVE TO CREATE JOB DESCRIPTIONS THAT MATCH THOSE SKILL SETS TO INCREASE IT, AND WE WILL HAVE TO TRAIN OUR PEOPLE.
AND WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT CAN BE TRAINED, THAT ARE IN-HOUSE, THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THOSE POSITIONS.
AND WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF WORKING ON THAT AND GOING THROUGH THAT TO SEE WHERE WE CAN CROSS TRAIN, CROSS TRAIN AND LOOKING AT OUR CERTIFICATIONS.
SINCE I'M A BIG PROPONENT OF THAT, I DO THEM MYSELF.
I COME FROM THE EDUCATION WORLD AND I'VE GOT THE GOLD STANDARD OF CYBERSECURITY.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF AN EXPECTATION TO DO THAT.
I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, WITH SOME OF THE SERVICES WE HAVE NOW, IT'S REALLY ALMOST AN EXACT EXCHANGE FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT THEY SEND OUT TO HELP SERVICE US. THEY SEND LIKE ONE TECHNICIAN OUT.
HE COMES AND LOOKS AT A SITE AND THEN GOES BACK.
THEY SEND TWO. SO AT ANY ONE PLACE, AT ANY GIVEN TIME, WE REALLY HAVE NO MORE THAN 2 OR 3 CONTRACTORS.
BUT THE AMOUNT THAT WE PAY FOR LABOR IS ACTUALLY MORE THAN WHAT WE PAY FOR THE PRODUCT. LIKE FOR THE IF WE INSTALL A CAMERA.
I WAS LOOKING AT SOMETHING JUST EARLIER TODAY, INSTALL A COUPLE OF CAMERAS.
THE COST FOR THE CAMERAS WAS, YOU KNOW, LIKE $4,000.
THE THE LABOR RENDERED WAS LIKE 6000.
SO WE CAN INSTALL FOUR CAMERAS IN A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME AND BE MORE RESPONSIVE.
I THINK OVER TIME, IF WE GROW, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS THAT POSSIBILITY THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO ADD MORE PEOPLE IF WE GROW.
BUT I DO THINK WE CAN BRING A VAST MAJORITY OF OUR SERVICES IN-HOUSE RIGHT NOW AND BE MORE RESPONSIVE RIGHT NOW THAN WE ARE.
I'M ALL ON BOARD WITH THE PHILOSOPHY, BUT I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO SEE US MAKE A MOVE.
[00:45:04]
NOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE OLD THE OLD JOKE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN THAT REQUISITION FOR FOUR TIRES, AND THEN I HAVE TO TURN AROUND AND REQUISITION THE CAR TO PUT THEM ON.THAT'S RIGHT. I DIDN'T WANT US TO BE IN THAT KIND OF SITUATION.
YEAH. AND OF COURSE, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE USING THE PEOPLE, KEEPING OUR PEOPLE. WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE TO PUT OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE WE LAY OFF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT QUITE SKILLED ENOUGH IN ORDER TO HIRE PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE SKILLED.
LET ME. EXCUSE ME, DOCTOR BRADLEY.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S ACTUALLY MORE OF THE OPPOSITE PROBLEM FOR US.
OUR PEOPLE ARE OVER SKILLED FOR THE JOBS THAT THEY HAVE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF OUR TRAINING PROGRAM. AND I DID WANT TO ADD THAT MR. CARROLL WAS TASKED HERE TODAY WITH BRINGING US A COST NEUTRAL SOLUTION.
I DO HAVE A PLAN THAT I WAS GOING TO PROBABLY REQUIRE SOME FTE MOVING FORWARD, BUT WE WEREN'T GOING TO BRING THAT HERE AT THIS TIME. THIS IS JUST FOR INFORMATION ITEM.
OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR.
SO. OH, I'M SORRY, MISS TYLER.
THANK YOU, MR. CARROLL. I DO HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
IT WAS GOING TO BE ONE, BUT SINCE THEY OVERLOOKED ME, IT'S TWO NOW. SO JUST PIGGYBACKING ON WHAT DOCTOR BRADLEY SAID EARLIER IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU NOTED THAT LACK OF EXPERTISE IS ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES.
AND SO I'M TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER HOW MOVING SOMEONE UP THE LADDER WILL INCREASE THEIR EXPERTISE. SO WE REALLY NEED SOMEONE.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE DOING MORE THAN WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO. ESPECIALLY WHEN WITH THE SECURITY CAMERAS AND THE ACCESS DOORS, THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE'VE INCREASED. AND TO BE HONEST, WE DON'T HAVE SOMEONE'S EYE ON THAT BALL AS MUCH AS WE SHOULD.
AND SO WE, WE NEED TO WE NEED TO HIRE SOMEONE THAT'S REALLY AN EXPERT THAT CAN HANDLE THOSE RESOURCES, THAT PHYSICAL SECURITY, IF YOU WILL.
OKAY. VERSUS LIKE A SYSTEM ADMIN THAT WE HAVE THAT DOES OUR CONTENT FILTERING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THIS WOULD BE SOMEONE THAT HAS THEIR EYES ON THOSE PHYSICAL SECURITY RESOURCES. AND REALLY WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING IT, BUT WE REALLY DO NEED HELP IN THAT, IN THAT WORLD.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY KEEPING OUR EYE ON THAT BALL.
OKAY. AND JUST ONE CLARIFICATION FOR ME ON YOUR SLIDE NUMBER SIX.
WHERE YOU SUGGEST THAT WE MOVE THE 12 CURRENT COMPUTER TECHNICIANS TO.
TECHNOLOGY SPECIALISTS? YES, MA'AM. AND THEN YOU SAY $25,000 IN STARTING PAY.
ARE YOU SAYING INCREASE THEIR PAY? IT'S IT WOULD BE ROUGHLY.
IT WOULD COST US ABOUT $25,000 TO MOVE ALL 12 TO EACH ONE FOR EACH ONE FOR EACH ONE.
THAT WAS THE TOTAL COST THAT WAS ON THE END.
BUT AGAIN, IT WAS JUST FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
NO PROBLEM. ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CARROLL. SO WE WILL START.
THAT'S A GOOD PREVIEW FOR WHAT WE'LL GET INTO NEXT MONTH.
AT LEAST BEGINNING OUR FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOPS WILL BE IF NOTHING ELSE, WE'LL HAVE A A SMALL BUDGET WORKSHOP AT ONE OF OUR MEETINGS IN JANUARY TO KICK OFF THE BUDGETING PROCESS. SS.
ALL RIGHT. THE SECOND INFORMATION ITEM WE HAVE IS A PRESENTATION FROM MR. LAMBERT ON CONSTRUCTION DELIVERY MODELS.
THIS WAS AT THE REQUEST OF WELL, IF WE NEED MORE INFORMATION, WE'LL GET MORE INFORMATION. BUT MR. BROOME HAD MADE A REQUEST FOR FOR US TO REVIEW THE CM AT RISK MODEL.
I WON'T SAY THIS WILL ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS, MR. BROOME, NECESSARILY, BUT THIS IS A BEGINNING OF LOOKING AT FOR THE WHOLE BOARD DIFFERENT KINDS OF PROJECT DELIVERY METHODS.
CAN I MAKE A STATEMENT BEFORE HE STARTS? IS THAT APPROPRIATE? SURE, MR. BROOME. OKAY. LAST MEETING.
WE HAVE A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ON THE TABLE.
IS WHY I ASKED THIS. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DELTAS BETWEEN WHAT SOME OF THE NUMBERS WERE ASKED TO APPROVE ARE AND WHAT WE FEEL LIKE THE PROJECTS SHOULD COST.
I ASKED THE QUESTION BECAUSE I WANTED TO KNOW WHERE THE MONEY COME FROM? AND I'M MAN ENOUGH TO SAY IF I MISSPOKE.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A PROJECT THAT I PERCEIVED A $1.2 MILLION DELTA ON, AND I MUST HAVE COME ACROSS AS SAYING THAT THE CONTRACTOR WAS GOING TO GET THE 1.2 MILLION. I WAS SAYING THERE WAS A DELTA FROM WHAT I FELT LIKE WE COULD DO IT IN HOUSE VERSUS WHAT GOING THROUGH A CONTRACTOR WAS.
IF I MISSPOKE, I WASN'T INSINUATING ANYTHING AGAINST ANY CONTRACTOR OR OR THAT THEY WERE
[00:50:02]
GAINING ALL THAT AS PROFIT.I WAS JUST SIMPLY TRYING TO FIND OUT WHERE THE DIFFERENCES ARE.
AND I WILL SAY THAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT 500,000 OF THAT MONEY IS CONTINGENCY MONEY THAT WOULD COME BACK TO US IF THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS. SO I WANT TO BE CORRECTED ON THAT.
IF IF I MISLED ANYBODY AND I'VE GOT OTHER THINGS I'D LIKE TO SAY, BUT I'LL LET YOU GO AHEAD WITH THE DELIVERY.
YEAH, BUT BUT YEAH, I THINK THIS WILL BE INFORMATIVE.
I'M SURE NOT ALL OF US ARE PARTICULARLY FAMILIAR WITH ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF PROJECT DELIVERY METHODS, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS.
MR. LAMBERT, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR MURPHY, BOARD MEMBERS.
GOOD EVENING. REAL QUICK, JUST SO YOU KNOW WHO'S TALKING TO YOU WITH MY FIRM, WE'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF HELPING YOUR FACILITIES DEPARTMENT FOR, I DON'T KNOW, 20 PLUS YEARS ON CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS, ISSUES THAT HAVE COME UP ALONG THE WAY PROCUREMENT ISSUES, THAT SORT OF THING. THE REASON WE'RE, I THINK INVOLVED IN THOSE THINGS IS MY BACKGROUND BRIEFLY IS IN WHEN I WORKED IN THE REAL WORLD, I WAS AN ENGINEER FOR 34 YEARS.
AND IN MY PRACTICE HAS BEEN 100% CONSTRUCTION.
SO AND FROM THE OWNER'S STANDPOINT, ALL OF MY CLIENTS ARE INSTITUTIONAL TYPE OWNERS SCHOOL DISTRICTS, HOSPITALS, UNIVERSITIES.
VARSITIES. SRS. I'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK OUT THERE.
SO AS MY WIFE WILL TELL YOU, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS I DON'T KNOW ABOUT, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING I DO KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT.
SO AND THEN TO PUT THIS A LITTLE FURTHER IN PERSPECTIVE, PROBABLY IT WAS SEPTEMBER OF 2013.
I WAS BEFORE THIS BOARD BECAUSE THE BOARD WAS ENTERTAINING OR CONSIDERING.
SHOULD WE BE LOOKING AT OTHER PROJECT DELIVERY METHODS? I KNOW THEY'RE OUT THERE.
AND SO HOW DO THOSE OTHER ONES WORK AND WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS? SO LITERALLY I TOOK THAT PRESENTATION FROM TEN AND A HALF YEARS AGO, BROUGHT IT CURRENT, CLEANED IT UP A BIT.
AND I WANT TO REVIEW THAT WITH YOU TODAY.
WHAT I WILL TELL YOU IS EVERY ONE OF THESE DELIVERY METHODS WORKS AND WORKS WELL WHEN USED IN THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCE.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO FAVORITES.
THEY ALL WORK WELL. AND WHEN WHEN APPLIED, A SQUARE PEG IN A ROUND HOLE NEVER WORKS, BUT A ROUND PEG IN A ROUND HOLE WILL WORK JUST FINE.
THE OTHER, I GUESS, LEVEL SETTING I'LL MENTION TO THE BOARD IS PART OF WHAT DROVE THIS DISCUSSION TEN AND A HALF YEARS AGO WAS A RECURRING PATTERN, WAS PROJECTS WERE NOT FINISHING ON SCHEDULE AND WERE NOT FINISHING ON BUDGET.
AND THAT WAS A THAT WAS A TREND THAT THE THIS BOARD WAS INTERESTED IN STOPPING OR TRYING TO AT LEAST DO A BETTER JOB MANAGING.
OKAY. SO REAL QUICKLY, I KNOW FROM THE PRESENTATION OF GMC, SOME OF THIS STUFF I'M TALKING ABOUT IS FAMILIAR TO YOU. SOME OF IT PROBABLY IS NOT.
SO I WILL TRY TO MOVE QUICKLY THROUGH A LOT OF THIS.
REALLY? WHAT? I REALLY WHAT I WANT TO DO ON EACH ONE OF THESE DELIVERY METHODS.
AND I'M ONLY GOING TO TALK ABOUT FOUR OF THEM.
THERE'S PLENTY OF OTHERS THAT, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, AREN'T BEING USED BY THE DISTRICT, AND PROBABLY THEY DON'T FIT YOUR NEEDS.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND ANY TIME ON THOSE. BUT REALLY WHAT I WANT TO DO ON EACH ONE OF THESE IS SAY, HERE'S WHAT IT IS, HERE'S THE STRUCTURE, AND HERE'S YOUR PROS, HERE ARE PROS AND HERE ARE CONS.
YOU KNOW I'VE BEEN DOING THIS A WHILE. SORT OF OBSERVATIONS THAT I'LL SHARE WITH YOU ABOUT EACH ONE WHERE APPROPRIATE.
BUT PROJECT DELIVERY METHOD IS REAL SIMPLE.
THIS IS YOU'RE GOING TO EMBARK UPON A PROJECT.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO TACKLE THIS JOB? ARE WE GOING TO ARE WE GOING TO HIRE THE THE ARCHITECT AND THE CONTRACTOR, OR ARE WE GOING TO GO DESIGN, BUILD AND HAVE ONE STOP SHOPPING WITH THE DESIGN BUILDER? OR ARE WE GOING TO USE A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER? WHAT FITS OUR PARTICULAR NEEDS FOR A PARTICULAR PROJECT? OKAY. AND YOU SET THE DELIVERY METHOD TO YOUR CAPABILITIES, YOUR SCHEDULE, YOUR NEEDS, YOUR FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, ETC.. RIGHT. AND SO BUT I MEAN, AGAIN, I'M GOING TO BE FOCUSING PREDOMINANTLY ON THE COMPLEX CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
YOU GUYS GOT A LOT OF PROJECTS ONGOING AND YOU GOT A LOT IN THE PIPELINE, I SEE THAT.
SO I THINK THIS IS A GOOD, MAYBE A GOOD TIME TO TAKE A PAUSE AND SAY, WELL, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT AND HOW DO WE USE THIS MOST EFFECTIVELY GOING FORWARD WITH ALL THESE OTHER PROJECTS? DESIGN, BUILD? EXCUSE ME, DESIGN BID BUILD, WHICH IS I CALL THAT THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH. THAT'S THE WAY THAT IT'S BEEN DONE A LOT OF TIMES FOR A LOT OF YEARS. AND AIKEN COUNTY STILL USES DESIGN, DESIGN, BID, BUILD A LOT. SO DO OUR OTHER INSTITUTIONAL CLIENTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF TYPE OF I'LL GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOME OF THESE, SOME OF THESE SMALLER PROJECTS THAT ARE QUICK,
[00:55:02]
THEY'RE REPETITIVE TYPE JOBS.YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO REPLACE THE LOCKERS IN SCHOOLS. THOSE TYPE OF THINGS THAT IS LUMP SUM ALL DAY LONG. YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IT.
YOU KNOW WHAT IT OUGHT TO COST.
YOU KNOW HOW QUICKLY IT SHOULD GET DONE.
THERE'S NO REAL RETOOLING IN THAT.
YOU JUST NEED SOMEBODY WHO CAN DO IT AND DO IT THE WAY YOU'RE ACCUSTOMED TO IT BEING DONE. DESIGN BUILD IS, YOU KNOW, IS WE NEED TO HAVE BASICALLY ONE STOP. WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL DESIGN BUILD IS TURNKEY.
WE'RE GOING TO EPC CONTRACTING.
SOMEBODY'S GOING TO ENGINEER IT, PROCURE IT AND CONSTRUCT IT AND HARNESS THE KEYS. OKAY. THAT IS THE GOING FROM THE OLD FASHIONED TRADITIONAL APPROACH ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, IN MY VIEW.
OKAY. SORT OF THE COMBINATION IN THE MIDDLE OF THOSE ARE CCM AT RISK AND JUST GOOD OLD AND CCM ADVISOR. AND I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THOSE.
REAL QUICKLY, DESIGN, BID BUILD. I MEAN, THERE'S NO IT IS WHAT THE NAME SAYS. YOU HIRE AN ARCHITECT GMC.
GMC DESIGNS THE PROJECT WHEN THEY GET DOWN TO ISSUED FOR CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS, WHICH MEANS YOU'RE READY TO PUT IT OUT FOR BID.
THEN YOU GO OUT TO BID, YOU GET BIDS.
TYPICALLY, LOW BIDDER IS GOING TO GET THE PROJECT RIGHT, AND YOU HIRE A CONTRACTOR, AND THEN THE CONTRACTOR GOES AND BUILDS THE PROJECT. DESIGN. BID. BUILD.
YOU KNOW OBVIOUS. ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS SORT OF INHERENT IN THAT PROCESS IS THAT IS THE IN THE CONSTRUCTION WORLD THAT IS THE SLOWEST PATH TO DELIVERY. FROM THE TIME YOU SAY WE'RE GOING TO BUILD ANOTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, TILL THE TIME YOU'RE PUTTING STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING EVERYTHING SEQUENTIALLY, NOT ANYTHING IN PARALLEL, IT TAKES IT TAKES THE LONGEST TO GET TO PUTTING THE PROJECT IN USE.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE YOU YOU AIKEN COUNTY ARE CONTRACTING DIRECTLY WITH ARCHITECT.
YOU'RE IN PRIVITY OF CONTRACT.
YOU CALL THEM, THEY PICK UP THE PHONE.
OKAY. YOU'RE IN PRIVITY OF CONTRACT WITH THE CONTRACTOR.
SO YOU CALL THE CONTRACTOR, THE CONTRACT PICKS UP THE PHONE.
I MEAN, YOU'RE YOU ARE AIKEN COUNTY IS THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER FOR THAT PROJECT.
YOU'RE MANAGING THE ARCHITECT.
YOU'RE MANAGING THE CONTRACTOR.
YOU ARE. YOU KNOW, YOU ARE CONTROLLING EVERY STEP OF THAT PROCESS, AND YOU AND YOUR FACETIME IS DIRECTLY ONE ON ONE WITH THAT ARCHITECT OR THAT CONTRACTOR.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE GREAT BENEFITS.
A CON OF THAT PROCESS IS I GO BACK TO SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE WERE HAVING WHEN I WAS HERE TEN AND A HALF YEARS AGO, AND I DON'T MEAN THIS IN A DISPARAGING WAY.
I MEAN THIS IN A TURN OF PHRASE TYPE PHASE.
THERE WERE DIFFICULTY WITH SEPARATING THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF. AND SO THAT WAS PRESENTING SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU ALL WERE ENCOUNTERING. AGAIN, I'M NOT TRYING TO DISPARAGE ANYBODY. THEY WERE JUST HAVING SOME TROUBLES BACK THEN, GETTING JOBS TIMELY COMPLETED WITH, YOU KNOW, QUALITY ISSUES AND COST CONTROL ISSUES.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT THUS FAR? I MEAN, I THINK THIS PART IS PRETTY, YOU KNOW, PRETTY INTUITIVE, IF YOU WILL.
DURING THE BID PHASE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS.
ONCE YOU GET TO THE END OF THE DRAWINGS, YOU PUT THE PROJECT OUT TO BID AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, THERE A GOOD ANOTHER PRO I SEE OF THIS APPROACH IS LOOK, WHEN YOU PUT THE PROJECT OUT TO BID, THE DESIGN IS DONE.
SO THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE ORDERS AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN MISSED ALONG THE WAY BECAUSE OF MAYBE A MORE FAST TRACKED APPROACH HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN MINIMIZED.
AND THE PROS AND CONS HERE, I THINK I'VE TOUCHED ON I MEAN, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, IT'S YOU GOT PRIVITY CONTRACT, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY HAVE PEOPLE THAT CHECK ALL THE BOXES, BUT MAYBE YOU AREN'T READY FOR PRIME TIME IN TERMS OF BUILDING THESE PROJECTS.
SWINGING ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM DESIGN BUILD AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S YOU GO OUT AND YOU CONTRACT WITH A DESIGN BUILDER, AND THE DESIGN BUILDER HIRES THE ARCHITECT, AND THEY HIRE THE CONTRACTOR, AND YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOUR POINT OF CONTACT IN LARGE PART IS, IS GOING TO BE THAT DESIGN BUILDER. THAT'S WHO YOU'RE LOOKING TO. AND IF DOWN THE ROAD THERE ARE ISSUES REGARDING THE DESIGN, YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO THE DESIGN BUILDER AND SAY YOU NEED TO GET WITH YOUR ARCHITECT AND OR YOUR SUBCONSULTANTS, AND Y'ALL NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS ISSUE IS AND YOU NEED TO GET IT RESOLVED. SAME THING. IF THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH SOME WORK PERFORMED BY A SUBCONTRACTOR, YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO THAT DESIGN BUILDER AND SAY, WE'VE GOT A FLOORING ISSUE OR WE'VE GOT A ROOF ISSUE OR WHATEVER.
AND THEN HE'S GOING TO GO RUN POINT AND DEAL WITH THAT WITH THE CONTRACTOR.
[01:00:01]
THAT'S GOOD AND BAD. OKAY.ONE IS IT REQUIRES LESS STAFFING FROM YOUR FACILITIES DEPARTMENT TO MANAGE AND OVERSEE THAT JOB. BUT YOU ARE IN SOME RESPECTS HANDING OVER SOME OF THE CONTROL TO A DESIGN BUILDER. OKAY. WHERE WHERE OFTEN YOU SEE DESIGN, BUILD, USED AND USED EFFECTIVELY ARE OWN PROJECTS THAT ARE VERY SCHEDULE DRIVEN.
A GREAT EXAMPLE IS THESE EV PLANTS THAT ARE POPPING UP EVERYWHERE.
I MEAN, THEY CAN'T FROM, FROM, FROM INCEPTION TO GETTING THOSE THINGS IN OPERATION. IT'S IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A RACE.
I MEAN, THE BMW EV PLANT THEY BUILT, THERE'S TIMES WHEN THAT PLANT IS GOING TO BE WORKING 24 OVER SEVEN, YOU KNOW, 324 OVER SEVEN, 365 DAYS A YEAR. IT'S ALL ABOUT GETTING TO THE MARKET.
YOU KNOW, I TYPE THESE THESE TYPE THESE TYPE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO GENERATE, YOU KNOW, POWER. THOSE ARE KIND OF PROJECTS THAT ARE DESIGN BUILD ALL DAY LONG.
AND IT FITS BECAUSE YOU GOT TO GET TO THE FINISH LINE QUICKLY.
OKAY. ALSO DESIGN CENTRIC TYPE PROJECTS WHICH MEAN WE DON'T KNOW RIGHT NOW.
DAY ONE EXACTLY WHERE WE WANT TO LAND ON THE DESIGN, BUT WE'RE GOING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
BUT WHILE WE'RE FIGURING OUT FIGURING THAT OUT, LET'S GET THE SITE DESIGN DONE AND GET THAT OUT TO BID AND GET THE SITE WORK DONE.
AND WHILE THAT'S GETTING DONE, WE'LL WORK ON, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT PHASE OF THE DESIGN.
SO IT'S A SEQUENTIAL. IT'S NOT A SEQUENTIAL.
IT'S A CONCURRENT APPROACH IN TERMS OF GETTING THE PROJECT DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED.
OKAY. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THAT IS APPROPRIATE IN THE SCHOOL WORLD.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'VE GOT A NEED AND YOU NEED TO FILL THAT NEED QUICKLY. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE IT'S FUNNY, YOU CAN HAVE AN EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT IN THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT WORLD, BUT BUT THE OWNER CAN'T CREATE THE EMERGENCY BY WAITING TOO LONG TO GO BID THE JOB RIGHT OR DESIGN THE JOB.
SO I MEAN, THAT'S A THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE AGAIN, IN THIS IN THIS WORLD WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO BE DRIVEN BY SCHEDULE, POPULATION NEEDS IN AN AREA, THAT KIND OF THING.
A, A ASPECT OF WHETHER IT'S DESIGN, BUILD OR THE CM APPROACHES THAT I USE TO TURN A PHRASE, THE DESIGN BUILDER OR THE CMS GOT SKIN IN THE GAME, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MORE OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO GO WE'RE GOING TO TACKLE THIS ON A PARTNERING BASIS.
OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO GET A DESIGN BUILDER INVOLVED.
OKAY. HE'S GOING TO GET AN ARCHITECT.
HE'S GOING TO GET A CONTRACTOR. WE'RE GOING TO ALL APPROACH THIS WITH SOME SHARED RISK GOING FORWARD. SHARED RISK ON COST.
SHARED RISK ON SCHEDULE AS YOU KNOW.
SO IN THE I MEAN THIS IS THE NORM.
THERE'S AN OWNER CONTINGENCY AND A AND A CONTRACTOR CONTINGENCY IN THE PROJECT WE LOOKED AT 30 MINUTES AGO.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE MONIES THAT ARE IN THERE THAT IF THEY'RE NOT USED, THOSE MONIES COME BACK TO THE OWNER AGAIN.
AND THAT CONTRACTOR, DESIGN BUILDER OR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER HAS GOT GOOD REASON TO TRY TO FIND WAYS TO MANAGE COST AND COME IN UNDER BUDGET.
PROS AND CONS I WON'T I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S AN ACCELERATED PROJECT EXECUTION PLAN.
PROMOTES COLLABORATION, EARLY INVOLVEMENT OF ALL THE PROJECT PARTICIPANTS. TYPICALLY, IF IT'S DONE AND DONE EFFECTIVELY, DESIGN BUILD RESULTS IN A MORE COMPLETE AND CONSTRUCTIBLE DESIGN BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT CONTRACTOR INPUT INPUT CONCURRENT WITH THE DESIGN PROCESS.
I MEAN, THE TEAM BRINGS A SKILL SET DURING THE DESIGN PHASE TO THE, TO THE TABLE, AND SO DOES THE SO DOES THE CONTRACTOR.
AND HAVING BOTH OF THEM PROVIDE INPUT ALONG THE WAY IS IS TYPICALLY HELPS VALUE ENGINEER AND VET COST AND FIND BETTER WAYS TO DO THINGS.
THE FINGER POINTING, WHICH I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT IS NOT UNUSUAL WHEN IT'S THE OLD FASHIONED DESIGN BID BUILD WHERE THE IF THE PROJECT IS BEING DELAYED, THE CONTRACTOR MAY SAY, WELL, THE DELAYS ARE BECAUSE THE ARCHITECT WAS SLOW IN ANSWERING, YOU KNOW RFIS OR REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION I SENT OVER. ARCHITECT SAYS NO CONTRACTOR.
YOU'VE DELAYED THE JOB BY VARIOUS THINGS THAT THE ARCHITECT POINTS TO.
THERE'S THIS FINGER POINTING THAT AGAIN, IT'S NOT IT'S TYPICAL, BUT THERE'S THIS FINGER POINTING THAT GOES ON THAT IN THE DESIGN BUILD CONTEXT.
ARCHITECT, CONTRACTOR, DESIGN BUILDER.
THERE ARE ALL, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALL BATTING ON THE SAME TEAM, SO TO SPEAK. THERE ARE.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S A PLUS OF DESIGN BUILD IS IT'S A COST REIMBURSABLE TYPE CONTRACT.
THERE ARE COSTS THAT ARE DEFINED IN THE CONTRACT THAT ARE REIMBURSED TO THE DESIGN BUILDER. THERE ARE AUDIT RIGHTS.
IT'S AN OPEN BOOK, WHAT THEY CALL OPEN BOOK PROJECT, WHICH MEANS YOU GUYS HAVE GOT THE RIGHT TO GET INTO THEIR BOOKS AT ANY TIME.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO WITH NOTICE, GO OVER AND SAY, WE'RE GOING TO SHOW UP AT YOUR OFFICE. WE WANT TO GO THROUGH YOUR BILLINGS. WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE
[01:05:02]
BACKUP. OKAY. IT IS ALL OPEN BOOK.SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT THE ABILITY TO MANAGE AND CONTROL AND MONITOR WHAT YOU'RE BEING CHARGED AND WHAT YOU'RE SPENDING FOR THE PROJECT.
OKAY. THAT SAME ATTRIBUTE IS TRUE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS OR PROJECT DELIVERY METHODS WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT. THE OPEN BOOK, I POINT THIS OUT AS A CON TO OPEN BOOK PROCESSES IS EFFECTIVE AS THE RELIABILITY OF THE INFORMATION YOU'RE BEING FURNISHED TO, TO STATE THE OBVIOUS.
YOU KNOW, I'VE MENTIONED THE LESSON CONTROL ALREADY.
I MEAN, A A I DON'T WANT TO PUT THIS IN THE CON CATEGORY, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MAY BE A BIT OF AN EXAGGERATION.
AGAIN, YOU'VE GOT PRIVITY OF CONTRACT WITH THE DESIGN BUILDER.
THE DESIGN BUILDER HAS CONTRACTED WITH THE DESIGN TEAM AND THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM.
SO AGAIN, YOU SELECT A GOOD DESIGN BUILDER.
THAT'S A DISTINCTION WITHOUT A DIFFERENCE, BUT IT IS A DIFFERENCE.
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER APPROACHES.
THE FIRST ONE IS YOU BRING IN THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AS AN AGENT OR AS AN ADVISOR. OKAY. AND SORT OF THE VITRIOLIC KNEE JERK REACTION IS, WELL, WE HAVE THAT CAPACITY OUR, YOU KNOW, WITHIN HOUSE.
WHY DO WE NEED TO BRING ANOTHER LAYER OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS? BUT WHAT YOU'RE CONTRACTING FOR UNDER A CMA APPROACH IS SOMEONE WHO'S GOT WHO'S SEASONED AND EXPERIENCED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE AND HAS A HAS GOT A LONG RESUME IN THIS TYPE OF PROJECT. AND SO THEY BRING ALL THAT EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE TO THE OWNER, TO AIKEN COUNTY. AND THEY'RE YOUR ADVOCATE DURING THIS PROJECT.
THEY'RE YOUR SECOND SET OF EYES AND EARS YEARS TO MONITOR EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY IN THE PROJECT. I MEAN, THE FIRST PERSON YOU YOU HIRE IN THE PROJECT DELIVERY PROCESS IS THAT CONSTRUCTION MANAGER. OKAY.
AGAIN, TO STATE THE OBVIOUS, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THAT APPROACH IS AS GOOD AS THE SAME ADVISOR YOU HIRE.
AND A CON THAT I NOTED IN MY COMMENTS ABOUT THIS APPROACH, ONE OF THEM IS THE MARKET.
I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT THE MARKET IS FULL OF, I CALL THEM SNAKE OIL SALESMEN, BUT IT'S FULL OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS WHO OVERPROMISE AND UNDER-DELIVER AND AND SO THAT'S NOT AGAIN, I'M NOT BEING I'M NOT DISPARAGING HIM.
IT'S JUST A FACT OF THE MARKET WE FUNCTION IN.
THERE'S THERE'S GOOD THERE'S GREAT ONES.
IT WORKS EFFECTIVELY. AND THERE'S ONES WHO HAVE OVERSOLD AND BECOME PART OF THE CHALLENGES AND EXECUTION OF THE PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, BY THE WAY, I WILL SAY, I MEAN, WE WORK WITH A NUMBER OF FACILITIES, DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENTS AND A NUMBER OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS. Y'ALL GOT A FANTASTIC TEAM. JUST, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL Y'ALL REALLY DO.
I MEAN, AND I THINK THAT'S EVIDENCED IN A LOT OF WHAT, A LOT OF THE SUCCESS YOU GUYS ARE HAVING IN YOUR PROJECTS.
ONE COMMENT I'LL SHARE IS THAT TYPICALLY WHETHER IT'S WHETHER IT'S DESIGN BUILD, BID BUILD, DESIGN BUILD OR ONE OF THESE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT APPROACHES, THE SAME CONTRACTORS ARE GENERALLY QUALIFIED TO BID IN ANY OF THOSE SCENARIOS.
OKAY. MOST OF THESE GUYS ARE GOING TO HOLD AN UNLIMITED GC LICENSE.
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE PLENTY OF BONDING CAPACITY. SO IN EITHER ONE OF THOSE, IN ANY OF THOSE SCENARIOS, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THE LICENSING AND CREDENTIALS AND EXPERIENCE TO BID NO MATTER WHAT THE PROJECT DELIVERY METHODOLOGY IS.
YOU'VE, YOU'VE YOU'VE CHOSEN SEE HIM AT RISK IS A SLIGHT DEVIATION ON WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
BUT IT'S SORT OF A HYBRID BETWEEN DESIGN BUILD AND CMAG.
BECAUSE WHAT YOU'VE GOT IS DURING THE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, YOU'VE GOT THE CM INVOLVED, YOU'VE GOT IN THE CMAG PROCESS.
YOU THE OWNER, HOLD ALL OF THE CONTRACTS WITH THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM IN A CM AT RISK.
THE CM HOLDS ALL THOSE CONTRACTS.
SO AGAIN, HE'S GOING TO HAVE RISK ON COST AND SCHEDULE.
AND THE CM AGENT SCENARIO I JUST TOUCHED ON.
TYPICALLY THE CM AGENT DOESN'T HAVE ANY SKIN IN THE GAME.
HE'S JUST GETTING IT PAID A FEE FOR COMING IN AND BEING ANOTHER SET OF ANOTHER SET OF EXPERIENCED EYES AND EARS TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE AND EXECUTE AND DELIVER THE PROJECT.
OKAY. SEE HIM AT RISK GOES ONE STEP FURTHER.
YOU BRING IN THAT CONSTRUCTION MANAGER WITH THAT SAME LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE.
BUT HE'S GOT SKIN IN THE GAME.
HE'S GOT RISK ON GETTING THE PROJECT DONE ON ON TIME.
[01:10:03]
HE'S GOT RISK ON GETTING THE PROJECT DONE WITHIN THE CONTRACT.SOME. AGAIN, THERE ARE TYPICALLY GOING TO BE CONTINGENCIES BUILT IN THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAVINGS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AS A AS A AS A PROJECT HAS PERFORMED YOU KNOW, THE PROS AND CONS SOME DUPLICATION, BUT THE PROS AND CONS ON A SEEING AT RISK PROJECT.
THIS, WHETHER IT'S CCM AGENT OR CCM AT RISK, THAT IS AN ADDED LAYER OF COST FOR THE PROJECT. RIGHT. AND THAT PERSON'S COMING IN.
THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE A FEE FOR THE EXPERTISE AND SERVICES THEY PROVIDE.
AGAIN, YOU HAVE AS A BENEFIT A LEVEL OF COST CONTROL, A LEVEL OF VALUE ENGINEERING COST SAVING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE FRONT OF THE JOB THAT GET VETTED GET CONSIDERED AGAIN.
TYPICALLY, IF THAT PROCESS IS USED AND USED EFFECTIVELY, YOU HAVE A MORE CONSTRUCTIBLE DESIGN.
YOU HAVE A LESS AND LESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR US WHEN THINGS GO TO THE FIELD, THERE'S SURPRISES BECAUSE THE CONSTRUCTION, THE CONTRACTORS BEEN INVOLVED DURING THE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
AGAIN, SIMILAR TO THE DESIGN BUILDING APPROACH, THIS IS MORE OF A PARTNERING APPROACH.
SO THERE'S LESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FINGER POINTING. IF THINGS DON'T PAN OUT.
THE JOB'S GOT SCHEDULING ISSUES OR GOT COST ISSUES.
YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY ON ALL THREE, WHETHER IT'S DESIGN BUILD OR CM AT RISK.
EXCUSE ME, BOTH OF THOSE. TYPICALLY THE PROJECT'S GOING TO BE A COST REIMBURSABLE.
THE CONTRACT IS GOING TO BE COST ALSO REIMBURSABLE WITH A GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS THAT IF THE PROJECT AT THE FINAL CONTRACT SUM COMES IN OVER THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE, THE EITHER DESIGN BUILDER OR THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER IS EATING THAT IT'S COMING OUT OF HIS POCKET, NOT YOURS. TYPICALLY THE QUID PRO QUO OF THAT IS IF THE PROJECT COMES IN UNDER THE GMP, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME SHARED SAVINGS.
HYPOTHETICALLY, IF THE CONTRACT SAID THE SHARED SAVINGS ARE 80 OVER 20 AND THE JOB CAME IN $100,000 UNDER BUDGET, YOU GET BACK $80,000, HE GETS BACK $20,000. THE DESIGN BUILD OR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER? AGAIN, SAME AVENUE IN TERMS OF AUDIT RIGHTS.
OPEN BOOK, ALL THAT EXISTS IN THE CM AT RISK PROJECT DELIVERY METHOD AS WELL.
I FLEW AT A HIGH LEVEL, AND I FLEW QUICKLY, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THESE DELIVERY METHODS.
IF YOU LIKE. QUESTIONS FOR MR. LAMBERT. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MR. LAMBERT. THAT CONCLUDES OUR INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. THERE WERE NO INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER ITEMS SUBMITTED FOR THE AGENDA THIS EVENING. WHICH BRINGS US TO A SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE.
AS WE NEAR THE END OF OUR FIRST SEMESTER, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE INCREDIBLE EFFORTS AND DEDICATION THAT ALL OF OUR FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS HAVE DEMONSTRATED TOGETHER.
WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS THE SUCCESS AND WELL-BEING OF EVERY CHILD IN OUR DISTRICT, AND I'M DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THE UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF THIS BOARD IN HELPING US FULFILL OUR MISSION. IT IS WITH A HEAVY HEART THAT I MUST ALSO SHARE SOME VERY DIFFICULT NEWS.
THIS PAST WEEKEND, WE LOST A BELOVED MEMBER OF OUR AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT FAMILY, MISS SHERRI PITTS.
THE STUDENT INFORMATION CLERK AT LEAVELLE MCCAMPBELL MIDDLE SCHOOL PASSED AWAY AFTER A LONG, COURAGEOUS BATTLE WITH HER HEALTH.
SHERRI HAD BEEN A FAITHFUL AND DEDICATED SERVANT TO OUR DISTRICT SINCE 1998.
OVER THE YEARS, SHE TOUCHED COUNTLESS LIVES WITH HER KINDNESS, HER COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE, AND HER GENUINE CARE FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY AND FAMILIES ALIKE.
TO HER FAMILY, HER COLLEAGUES, AND THE LEAVELLE MCCAMPBELL FAMILIES, PLEASE KNOW THAT OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME AS THIS IS OUR FINAL BOARD MEETING BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXTEND MY WARMEST WISHES TO EACH OF YOU, YOUR FAMILIES AND EVERYONE IN OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS A TIME TO REFLECT, TO CELEBRATE AND TO RECHARGE, AND I HOPE IT BRINGS JOY AND PEACE TO ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF AIKEN COUNTY.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO BRIEFLY REMIND EVERYONE ABOUT AN IMPORTANT CHANGE THAT'S COMING IN JANUARY, AS STUDENTS RETURN FROM THE HOLIDAY BREAK.
[01:15:02]
OUR NEW CELL PHONE POLICY WILL BE ENACTED.THIS POLICY IS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN FOSTERING A MORE FOCUSED AND RESPECTFUL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. WE WILL BE SHARING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WITH FAMILIES AND STUDENTS IN THE COMING DAYS, TO ENSURE EVERYONE IS WELL INFORMED AND PREPARED FOR THESE NEW GUIDELINES. I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AS WE IMPLEMENT THIS NEW INITIATIVE.
IN CLOSING, I'D LIKE TO ONCE AGAIN EXPRESS MY MY GRATITUDE FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR DISTRICT.
TOGETHER, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR STUDENTS, OUR STAFF, AND OUR COMMUNITY. MAY EACH OF YOU HAVE A SAFE AND JOYFUL HOLIDAY SEASON, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO RECONVENING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH A RENEWED SENSE OF ENERGY AND PURPOSE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MURPHY.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO WE WILL NEED A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING THE FOLLOWING MATTERS. IN SUCH ORDER AS THE BOARD DEEMS APPROPRIATE UNDER ANY EMPLOYMENT MATTERS. THERE IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTERIM COORDINATOR OF ATHLETICS POSITION.
AND THEN THERE IS A UNDER CONTRACTUAL MATTERS, THERE IS A CONSTRUCTION MATTER TO REVIEW.
FOLLOWING THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE BOARD WILL RECONVENE INTO REGULAR SESSION TO ANNOUNCE THE MATTERS CONSIDERED AND TAKE ANY ACTIONS THAT MAY BE NECESSARY.
IS THERE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THESE PURPOSES? MOVE. WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
MOTION MADE BY DOCTOR BRADLEY. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, SECONDED BY MR. LINDELL.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ENTERING EXECUTIVE SESSION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THAT'S NINE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION CARRIES.
WE'LL BEGIN EXECUTIVE SESSION IN 5 TO 10 MINUTES.
OKAY, WE HAVE COMPLETED EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE ARE IN NEED OF A MOTION TO EXIT EXECUTIVE SESSION AND REENTER REGULAR SESSION.
MOTION MADE BY DOCTOR BRADLEY. IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY MR. LINDELL. ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF EXITING EXECUTIVE SESSION AND REENTERING REGULAR SESSION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S NINE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION CARRIES.
WHILE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE DID DISCUSS TWO ITEMS. THE FIRST OF WHICH WAS UNDER EMPLOYMENT MATTERS.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTERIM COORDINATOR OF ATHLETICS POSITION.
IS THERE A MOTION IN REGARDS TO THAT MATTER? I MOVE, WE ESTABLISH THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF IS THERE A DIRECTOR? COORDINATOR? COORDINATOR OF ATHLETICS.
DONNA BRADLEY HAS MADE A MOTION TO ESTABLISH.
INTERIM COORDINATOR OF ATHLETICS POSITION.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT.
I THINK MISS MORRIS. MISS MORRIS GOT IN THERE FIRST.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? MR.. SILAS. JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
IS THAT TO BE MORE SPECIFIC THAN INTERIM PART TIME POSITION? YEAH. THE THE. YEAH. LET ME RESTATE THAT.
WE I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ESTABLISH THE POSITION FOR A PART TIME COORDINATOR OF ATHLETICS IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANOTHER POSITION THAT.
YEAH. SO TO TO RESTATE THE MOTION IF THIS IS FAIR AND WE IS THAT THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A 0.5 FTE INTERIM COORDINATOR OF ATHLETICS POSITION.
[01:20:03]
AND THAT THAT'S JUST A CLARIFICATION OF THE MOTION THAT'S SECONDED ON THE FLOOR.ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A 0.5 FTE INTERIM COORDINATOR OF ATHLETICS POSITION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
OKAY. NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER REGULAR SESSION ITEM IN WHAT WE'RE CALLING SECTION G.
AN INDIVIDUAL ITEM. OH, SORRY.
FIRST I SHOULD SAY IS UNDER CONTRACTUAL MATTERS, WE DID DISCUSS A CONSTRUCTION MATTER THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE ACTION.
IN SECTION G. WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL ITEM REQUIRING ACTION.
AND THAT IS GMP NUMBER ONE FOR FOOTBALL FIELD TURF, ARTIFICIAL TURF AT AIKEN HIGH, MIDLAND VALLEY AND SILVER BLUFF.
AND. EXCUSE ME, LET ME PULL THAT UP.
AND JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR THIS IS WE'RE IN NEED OF A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE ADMINISTRATION TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT WITH HG REYNOLDS COMPANY IN THE AMOUNT OF A LITTLE OVER 5 MILLION FOR THE INSTALLATION OF NEW ARTIFICIAL TURF AT AIKEN HIGH, MIDLAND VALLEY HIGH AND SILVER BLUFF HIGH, UTILIZING THE CM AT RISK DELIVERY SYSTEM.
IS THERE A MOTION? I MAKE THE MOTION.
DOCTOR. THAT DOCTOR BRADLEY HAS MOVED TO DO THAT.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? SECONDED BY MISS MORRIS.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION? OH. I'M SORRY. YEAH, I APOLOGIZE, I GOT AHEAD OF MYSELF BECAUSE IT'S TIME TO GO HOME. BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE, AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS A PRESENTATION.
YEAH, I CAN'T I CAN'T SEE THAT ONE.
SORRY. MY EYES AREN'T THAT GOOD.
IT SAYS NUMBER TWO. YEAH, IF YOU WANT.
WELL, WHEN WE UTILIZE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AT RISK, THE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE GMP WARD LAMBERT DISCUSSED SOME OF THESE SAME ISSUES.
ASSURES THAT THE PROJECT COSTS STAYS WITHIN OUR BUDGETS.
THE COST SAVINGS AT THE END OF THE PROJECT ARE SHARED WITH THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR, WITH ALLOWANCES COMING BACK TO US IN FULL.
NUMBER THREE. THE MAJORITY OF THOSE SAVINGS GOING TO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHICH SUPPORTS ADDITIONAL FACILITY NEEDS.
WE HAVE ENJOYED ALMOST $13.5 MILLION IN SAVINGS OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS.
ALL OF THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AT RISK PROJECTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AND UNDER BUDGET.
BECAUSE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED GREAT BENEFITS FROM CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AT RISK.
THE BOARD HAS APPROVED AND SUPPORTED THIS DELIVERY SYSTEM OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS.
THE NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH TURF PROJECT HAD UNFORESEEN CONDITIONS THAT INCLUDED UNSUITABLE SOILS, STORMWATER DRAINAGE FROM THE HILLSIDE, AND WE HAD TO REROUTE STORMWATER RUNNING UNDER OUR FIELD THAT SUPPORTED UPPER HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS. AS MANDATED BY SOUTH CAROLINA DHEC LATE IN THE PROJECT, EVEN WITH ALL THESE ISSUES, THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK, H.G. REYNOLDS, OVERCAME THESE PROBLEMS AND FINISHED THIS PROJECT BEFORE FOOTBALL SEASON STARTED. AND THE QUALITY OF THE COMPLETED FIELD WAS EXCELLENT.
SO NOW MIKE JARA WILL DISCUSS OTHER DELIVERY METHODS.
THANK YOU KEVIN. THANK YOU EVERYONE.
WHILE WE USE THE CMR FOR MANY PROJECTS IN OUR DISTRICT, WE CONTINUE TO USE OTHER DELIVERY METHODS AS WELL AND HAVE A MULTI DELIVERY METHOD APPROACH TO OUR BUILDING PLANS.
WHEN SELECTING A CONSTRUCTION DELIVERY METHOD, THE FOLLOWING ITEMS MUST BE EVALUATED.
[01:25:01]
WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROJECT.WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE RISKS OF THE RISK OF ISSUES, HIDDEN COSTS, OUR IN-HOUSE STAFFING OVERSIGHT CAPACITY WITH OTHER PROJECTS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY. WE NEED TO LOOK AT SCHEDULE, AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT HISTORICAL SUCCESSES AND FAILURES TO MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION.
IF YOU LOOK AT SLIDE EIGHT, THIS GIVES YOU A GLIMPSE OF WHAT OUR CURRENT WORKLOAD IS. SO WE HAVE PROJECTS IN MANY DIFFERENT PHASES.
WE HAVE PROJECTS IN CONSTRUCTION.
WE HAVE PROJECTS THAT ARE ENDING.
AND NOW WE'RE TIDYING UP AND NOW WE'RE IN THE FINAL CLOSEOUT.
OKAY, ALL IN ALL, THERE'S ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 40 PROJECTS IN THIS LIST.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
WE DO OUR VERY BEST TO DETERMINE THE BEST DELIVERY METHOD FOR EACH CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. SMALL JOBS MIGHT BE A HARD BID.
LIKE STADIUM, RESTROOMS, CONCESSIONS.
WE HAVE MIDLAND VALLEY RESTROOMS AND CONCESSION PROJECTS SOUTH AIKEN HIGH, SILVER BLUFF, HIGH, NORTH AUGUSTA, AND ALSO AIKEN HIGH RESTROOMS. WE JUST TOOK AND RECEIVED BIDS TODAY, AND THOSE WERE ALL HARD BID GRANITE ELEMENTARY ADDITIONS IN 2008 WAS A DESIGN BID BUILD HARD BID.
BELVEDERE ELEMENTARY AND MILLBROOK ELEMENTARY.
ADDITIONS. THAT'S THE CENTER LEFT AND BOTTOM LEFT WERE ALSO HARD BID.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE WITH A SMALL STAFF TO MANAGE AND OVERSEE A ROBUST LIST OF PROJECTS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, AND GIVING OUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH THE TURF PROJECT AT NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOL THAT KEVIN TALKED ABOUT, WE CHOSE THE CMET RISK WAS SELECTED FOR THESE TURF PROJECTS.
WE BELIEVE IT TO BE THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND STEWARDS OF OUR TAXPAYER DOLLAR. WE CAN DELIVER TURF PROJECTS WITH THE CMR METHOD.
NOW THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU THAT WE'RE NOT THE ONLY.
DISTRICTS TO USE THIS TEAM OR THIS COMBINATION OF CRM AT RISK AND CONTRACTORS.
YOUR LEFT SIDE YOU'LL SEE BEAUFORT, CHARLESTON COUNTY, JASPER COUNTY, GEORGETOWN, RICHLAND ALL USE A CONTRACTOR LIKE GEOSERVICES. AND THEY COMBINE THAT WITH THE EXPERTISE OF A CM AT RISK.
THE RIGHT HAND SIDE WILL SHOW YOU THAT THERE ARE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE DECIDED THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENT ANOTHER WAY OF DOING IT, AND MAYBE THAT'S BETTER FOR THEIR STAFF.
OKAY, SO IT PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE FAIRFIELD RICHLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT TWO SPARTANBURG SEVEN. SO THERE'S A VARIETY OF COMBINATIONS.
BUT WHAT WORKS FOR THAT SCHOOL THAT'S WHAT WE CHOSE WE FEEL IS THE BEST.
NEXT, I'D LIKE TO BRING UP DOCTOR YARBOROUGH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO, MR. NATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS AND DOCTOR MURPHY.
AS OUR TEAM HAS SHARED TONIGHT.
IN OUR ASSESSMENT, WE BELIEVE THAT THE CM AT RISK WILL PROVIDE A SUPERIOR LEVEL OF SERVICE AND IN A MANNER THAT ALLOWS FOR THE UNEXPECTED, LIKE SUBSURFACE CONDITIONS, LIKE MR. CHIPMAN MENTIONED, WITHOUT IMPACTING OUR BOTTOM LINE.
AND THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
IT ALLOWS US TO BE BETTER STEWARDS OF THE PUBLIC'S MONEY RATHER THAN DIRECT BIDS IN THIS IN THIS SITUATION.
THE CM AT RISK CONTRACTOR IS INCENTIVIZED TO DELIVER THE FINISHED PRODUCT UNDER BUDGET AND EARLY. SO BASED ON THE PARAMETERS OF THESE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TONIGHT, WE CHOSE CMRR AS THE PREFERRED DELIVERY MODEL.
CAN WE GO TO SLIDE 12? OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THE FUNDS IF THIS BOARD APPROVES OUR REQUEST, THE FUNDS THAT WOULD BE USED FOR THESE TURF PROJECTS WOULD COME FROM THE SALES TAX MONIES THAT WE'VE COLLECTED THROUGHOUT THE 2014 ORIGINAL SALES TAX, THE RECENTLY APPROVED 2024 SALES TAX, AND ALSO SOME 8% ATHLETIC MONIES.
SPECIFICALLY, AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL WOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH THE OLD THE ORIGINAL 1% SALES TAX THAT WAS APPROVED IN 2014.
AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL WAS ON THAT BALLOT THAT VOTERS APPROVED.
SILVER BLUFF HIGH SCHOOL WOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH THE NEW 1%, AS WELL AS MIDLAND VALLEY, AND WITH MIDLAND VALLEY,
[01:30:02]
WE WOULD ALSO SUPPORT IT PARTIALLY WITH 8% ATHLETIC FUNDS.SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO STRESS THAT THOSE 1% FUNDS CANNOT BE UTILIZED FOR FOR PROJECTS AT SCHOOLS THAT WEREN'T LISTED ON THE BALLOT THAT VOTERS APPROVED EITHER THE ORIGINAL THE ORIGINAL 2014 BALLOT. AND SO IF SOMEONE ASKS A QUESTION, WELL, WHY COULDN'T THOSE FUNDS BE USED, FOR INSTANCE, TO PUT A NEW ROOF ON A SCHOOL THAT'S THAT'S LEAKING? WELL, IF IF THAT SCHOOL WAS NOT LISTED ON THAT ORIGINAL 2014 BALLOT, WE CANNOT DO THAT. WE'RE HELD BY LAW TO ONLY ADDRESS THOSE SCHOOLS LISTED ON THAT ORIGINAL BALLOT. SO 13. YES. SO OF COURSE, ARTIFICIAL TURF SYSTEMS HAVE HAVE EVOLVED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THEIR INCEPTION, WITH VARIOUS MANUFACTURERS OFFERING DISTINCT PRODUCTS THAT ARE TAILORED TO SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS.
PREMIUM IS THE NEXT PHASE OF THIS TECHNOLOGY AND IS BETTER IN A IN A MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT WAYS. AT NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOL THAT FIELD IS STANDARD TURF, AND THAT WAS ALL THAT WAS AVAILABLE AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS CONSTRUCTED AT THAT TIME.
WHEN THEY BEGAN PLAYING ON IT IN 2015, IT WAS CONSIDERED TO BE STATE OF THE ART AND STANDARD. TURF IS STILL GOOD, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN ADVANCEMENTS MADE IN THE PRODUCTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. THE PREMIUM TURF THAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO APPROVE PLAYS LIKE NATURAL GRASS. WHEN YOU WHEN YOU USE THAT PRODUCT, YOU GET BETTER BIOMECHANICS, PLAYABILITY AND SAFETY.
THE STANDARD PRODUCT THAT EXISTS AT NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOL HAS A RUBBER INFILL, AND THAT RUBBER INFIELD IS VERY RESILIENT.
SO IT HAS LIKE A TRAMPOLINE EFFECT OR A BOUNCE BACK.
AND SO THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE ARE FOOTING ISSUES.
THE ATHLETES IMPACT RETURNING BACK TO THE ATHLETE, WHICH CAN THEN LEAD TO SOFT TISSUE INJURIES, WHICH OF COURSE WE WANT TO AVOID.
THE PREMIUM PRODUCT IS IT TAKES THE RUBBER OUT AND IT STILL DOES HAVE A COOLING AGENT, INCLUDING INCLUDED IN IT.
IT ALSO HAS A SHOCK PAD, WHICH IS AN UNDERLAYMENT INSTALLED BENEATH THE TURF SYSTEM, AND THAT PROVIDES CUSHIONING, WHICH OF COURSE IMPROVES PLAYER SAFETY.
IT ABSORBS IMPACT, IT REDUCES THE RISK OF INJURIES, AND IT ENHANCES SHOCK ABSORPTION PROPERTIES THAT ARE MEASURED IN G FORCES.
THE PREMIUM TURF THAT WE'RE PROMOTING ALSO HAS A 12 YEAR NON PRORATED THIRD PARTY WARRANTY. WITH THE STANDARD PRODUCT.
THE WARRANTY IS JUST EIGHT YEARS.
SO AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRES WE THE OWNER WOULD INCUR MAINTENANCE COSTS IF WE ONLY USED OR IF WE USED THE STANDARD TURF.
MAJOR UNIVERSITIES IN OUR AREA LIKE CLEMSON, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA UTILIZE PREMIUM TURF IN SOME OF THEIR ATHLETIC APPLICATIONS, AND AT THE NFL LEVEL, THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS ARE NOW USING PREMIUM TURF. AND IN THOSE CASES, OF COURSE, MONEY IS NOT AN OBJECT.
THEY'RE PAYING FOR THE VERY BEST PRODUCT THAT THEY CAN GET.
BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOLS INSTALLED STANDARD TURF ON TWO HIGH SCHOOLS.
AND THAT RECEIVED SYNTHETIC TURF ON THEIR FIELDS.
BUT THEN THEY DECIDED MIDWAY THROUGH THAT PROCESS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO UPGRADE TO THE PREMIUM PRODUCT FOR FIELDS THREE THROUGH SIX.
AND THAT WAS DUE IN PART BECAUSE THE STANDARD TURF THAT THEY WERE USING KIDS WERE GETTING LATEX. THEY HAD LATEX ALLERGIES AND THEY WERE REACTING TO THAT STANDARD TURF, WHICH INCLUDED LATEX. AT THE TIME THAT WE WERE CONSIDERING THESE TURF PROJECTS, THE DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION MET WITH PRINCIPALS, ATHLETIC DIRECTORS, COACHES TO DETERMINE THE TURF SYSTEM THAT WAS BEST SUITED TO THEIR NEEDS AND WHAT THEY WANTED FOR THEIR ATHLETES SAFETY.
THE STANDARD TURF. WHILE IT WAS LESS EXPENSIVE INITIALLY, IT REQUIRES A HIGHER LEVEL OF MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP EARLIER IN ITS LIFE CYCLE, WHICH ADDS TO ITS OVERALL PRICE.
SO THE VALUE, THEY SAID, THE VALUE OF THE PREMIUM TURF IS FOUND IN THE LOWER INCIDENCE OF INJURIES, A COOLER PLAYING SURFACE IN HOT CLIMATES LIKE OURS, THAT'S A MAJOR CONSIDERATION AND A LONGER LIFE CYCLE.
ALSO, THE PREMIUM TURF DOES NOT REQUIRE MAINTENANCE.
IT DOES NOT. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE RAKED.
THE ONLY THING YOU HAVE TO DO TO PREPARE THAT SURFACE TO PLAY IS SIMPLY BLOW OFF LEAVES, FOR INSTANCE, IF THEY'RE ON THE FIELD.
SO WE AGREE WITH OUR COACHES, AIDES, AND HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS THAT PREMIUM TURF IS THE CORRECT CHOICE.
SO IF WE COULD GO TO SLIDE 14.
SO DURING THIS PROCESS, WE CHOSE A CM AT RISK CONTRACTOR FROM A GROUP
[01:35:01]
OF THREE. AND THE FACILITY'S CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT DID THIS, AND THE CONTRACTORS THAT THE SUBCONTRACTORS WERE VETTED AND APPROVED BY THE.THE CM AT RISK CONTRACTORS WERE VETTED AND APPROVED BY OUR PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT HERE IN AIKEN COUNTY, AND THEY FOLLOWED DISTRICT AND STATE PROCUREMENT RULES.
HHG. RENTALS WAS CHOSEN AS OUR CM AT RISK CHOICE BECAUSE OF PAST HISTORY IN OUR DISTRICT AND THE SUCCESSFUL INSTALLATION THAT THEY PERFORMED AT NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOL.
SO HHG RENTALS RECEIVED BIDS FROM TURF INSTALLATIONS SUBCONTRACTORS IN OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR. SO IF THIS BOARD APPROVES OUR DECISION OR OUR RECOMMENDATION, THEN THE CM AT RISK CONTRACTOR HHG RENTALS AND THE SUCCESSFUL SUBCONTRACTOR WILL BEGIN WILL ARE PREPARED TO BEGIN THEIR PROJECTS.
THESE PROJECTS IMMEDIATELY THE PROJECTS WILL BE WILL BE PERFORMED CONCURRENTLY WITH OVERLAP BETWEEN EACH ONE.
THE TOTAL TIME REQUIRED CANNOT EXCEED 150 DAYS, AND IF IT WAS APPROVED BY THIS BOARD TONIGHT, THAT THAT DEADLINE WOULD BE NO LATER THAN MAY 11TH OF 2025.
I WOULD ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT OUR ORIGINAL DATE THAT WE HOPED WE WOULD BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THESE PROJECTS WAS IN APRIL, BUT IF APPROVED TONIGHT, OUR DATE OF COMPLETION WOULD BE NO LATER THAN MAY 11TH.
SO WE UNDERSTAND THIS IS STILL BEING CONSIDERED BY THIS BOARD.
BUT WE JUST WANT TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THE COSTS THAT FURTHER DELAYS COULD CAUSE IN PREVENTING US FROM MOVING FORWARD.
AND IF WE HAD TO, TO UTILIZE A DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION DELIVERY MODEL, THAT WOULD SLOW US DOWN, AS, FOR INSTANCE, IF WE HAD TO BEGIN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND PUT OUT AN RFP THAT WOULD REQUIRE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN TWO AND A HALF AND THREE MONTHS.
THEN ON TOP OF THAT, THE 150 DAY CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE WOULD PLACE US INTO THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR'S FOOTBALL SEASONS AND AT THREE SCHOOLS.
AND SO HOME GAMES, TICKET SALES, THOSE WOULD BE LOST.
INSTALLATION WAS WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED.
IF IF THIS BOARD GAVE US PERMISSION TO START IMMEDIATELY AFTER FOOTBALL SEASON.
BUT WHENEVER WE START, IT WON'T MATTER.
THERE ARE SPORTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED LIKE FOOTBALL, SOCCER, LACROSSE WHICH ALL PLAY ON THESE MULTI-USE FIELDS.
THIS PROJECT WAS ORIGINALLY BID OUT ON OCTOBER THE 3RD JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IF WE HAD TO RE PROCURE THIS PROCESS AND START OVER THEN LIKELY THE BIDS WOULD COME IN 5 TO 8% HIGHER THAN THEY ARE NOW, SO WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BEGIN THIS, BEGIN THIS PRODUCT DURING A FOOTBALL SEASON OR THIS PROCESS DURING A FOOTBALL SEASON.
WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR TO BEGIN THESE PROJECTS.
AND IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, CONSTRUCTION PRICES HAVE ESCALATED, AS WE KNOW. SO MR. NESSEL AND BOARD MEMBERS, IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE HAVE PEOPLE HERE THAT CAN ANSWER THEM.
YEAH, I'VE GOT PLENTY. MR. BROOME SPOKE UP FIRST AND THEN I SAW MR. LINDELL. WAS RED ZONE.
YEAH. I'M THE ONE THAT BROUGHT THIS QUESTION OF THE DELIVERY MODEL UP INITIALLY, AND I'VE TALKED BEHIND THE SCENES AND I'VE AGREED I'VE NEVER QUESTIONED PREMIUM.
SO THAT WAS A NICE PRESENTATION.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY ON THIS BOARD WOULD FEEL LIKE THAT.
WE SHOULDN'T GO WITH A PREMIUM PRODUCT.
I FEEL LIKE. AND I WASN'T GOING TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND LISTEN TO SOME OF THE STUFF THAT I'VE HEARD.
I'VE BEEN TOLD BY MANY SOURCES THAT 70% OF PEOPLE THAT DO THESE FIELDS DO THEM DIRECT, AND THAT A LOT OF THE ONES THAT ARE C.M.R HAVE OTHER WORK ATTACHED TO THEM WHEN THE WORK IS DONE. IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S NOT JUST THE FIELD BEING DONE, IT'S OTHER CONSTRUCTION. AND THAT'S PART OF THE PROJECT, WHICH WOULD BE C.M.R. AND I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT.
WE ALL KNOW THAT WHEN THESE COMPANIES COME IN A REPUTABLE COMPANY, THEY HANDLE THIS PROJECT FROM A TO Z.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT LOOK AT THE COMPACTION RATES.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT MOVE THE DIRT.
THEY WILL GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY.
IF YOU'RE A DISTRICT AND YOU WANT TO HAVE THE DIRT HAULED OUT, THEY'LL LOAD YOUR TRUCKS AND LET YOU MOVE THE DIRT OUT FOR THEM.
THEY WORK WITH YOU EVERY HIGH THAT NEEDS TO BE WORKED.
YOU. SO WHEN YOU SAY THAT IT'S GOING TO BE CHEAPER GOING CMRR OR IT'S.
[01:40:09]
I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THE MENTALITY FOR THAT.HOWEVER, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T HAVE YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE.
AND I WON'T QUESTION YOUR JUDGMENT ON IF YOU FEEL LIKE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY RIGHT NOW TO FOLLOW PROJECTS LIKE THAT.
IF YOU FEEL LIKE WE DON'T, THEN I AGREE WITH THAT.
I'M NOT GOING TO ARGUE THAT, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, THIS IS THE KIND OF PROJECTS THAT WHEN YOU DO CMRR, YOU'RE REALLY PAYING SOMEBODY TO WATCH SOMEBODY ELSE DO ALL THE WORK.
AND FOR ANYBODY TO TRY TO SELL THIS ANY OTHER WAY.
THIS IS NOT LIKE BUILDING A SCHOOL OR DOING CONSTRUCTION WITH MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES.
I JUST FEEL LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO OVERSELL WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
BUT THE REASON I'M SUPPORTED IS APPARENTLY ALL THESE TALKS THAT WE HAD WITH THE ADS AND STUFF WAS BEFORE I GOT ON THE BOARD, BECAUSE NOBODY I DEAL WITH EVEN KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. THESE TALKS YOU'RE SPEAKING OF.
WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS, IF THAT WAS THE POINT, HERE'S MY ISSUE. WE GO OUT AND WE GET A BID AND WE KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST US.
THEN WE GO TO A CMR CONTRACTOR AND WE GET A BID FROM THEM OF WHAT IT WILL COST.
YOU GOT A DELTA AND IT DON'T MATTER IF IT'S PROFIT OR THEIR PEOPLE OR WHAT IT IS.
THEN YOU'VE GOT TO DECIDE, WELL WE COULD GO GET IT DONE FOR THIS.
WE CAN GET IT DONE FOR THIS. HERE THERE'S A DELTA.
NOW, WHICH WAY IS BETTER FOR US? IN CASES LIKE THIS, WHEN WE'RE NOT THE ONES BIDDING IT, WE DON'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, SO WE DON'T REALLY KNOW.
SO I JUST THAT'S WHERE I STRUGGLE WITH THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW IN IN MY AREA, OUR ATHLETIC TEAMS ARE STRUGGLING MIGHTILY FOR MONEY, FOR UNIFORMS, EQUIPMENT.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE BIG TICKET ITEMS. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE LITTLE THINGS. SO I HAVE A PROBLEM THAT WE MUST HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS OVER TWO YEARS AGO, AND WE'RE JUST NOW GETTING AROUND TO GETTING BIDS, AND WE'RE LOCKED IN TO WHERE IF WE DON'T ACCEPT THIS BID, THEN WE HAVE TO TURN AROUND AND REBID IT.
AND THEN I'M TELLING MY STUDENTS I REPRESENT THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE IT ON THEIR FIELD, AND I'M NOT WILLING TO DO THAT FOR WHATEVER THE COST DIFFERENCE IS.
RIGHT? SO THAT THAT'S MY WHOLE ISSUE AND I'M GOING TO SUPPORT IT.
BUT I DO NOT LIKE THE WAY THIS COME ABOUT, HONESTLY.
YES, SIR. AND I KNOW I WAS GOING TO ANSWER THAT ONE QUESTION BECAUSE THE SITUATION HE HAD, SIR. OKAY. SO THE REASON WHY THE THE SILVER BLUFF ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATOR DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE PROJECT IS BECAUSE HE WAS NOT HIRED ON THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATOR WAS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT RADFORD WAS STILL THERE, I KNOW THAT. NO, SIR, I'M TALKING ABOUT LAST YEAR.
YEAH. AND WE STARTED AROUND, I WANT TO SAY FEBRUARY.
GIVE ME I DON'T WANT TO BE CORRECT.
YES, SIR. AND WE DIDN'T HIRE HIM UNTIL AFTER THE THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATOR ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT. SO HE JUST WASN'T INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS BECAUSE WE HAD TO PROCEED.
AND WHEN HE SAID THAT IT'S GOING TO WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO BE AN ACTUAL SAVINGS, BUT HE WAS TALKING MORE SO ABOUT VALUE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH.
WE'D HAVE TO HIRE SOMEONE EITHER WAY.
AND SO THAT THAT'S THE ONLY THING HE WAS REFERENCING IN HIS PRESENTATION. BUT I DO UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT. I TAKE YOUR POINT.
I KNOW THERE'S I KNOW YOU PUT CONTINGENCY IN THERE.
I GET ALL THAT. I KNOW THERE'S GOING TO COULD BE UNFORESEEN THINGS, BUT THE COMPANY HANDLES THESE THINGS.
THEY'RE SET UP TO LOOK FOR THESE THINGS.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT'S GOING TO IDENTIFY THEM. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT'S GOING TO IDENTIFY THE SOLUTIONS. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT'S GOING TO HANDLE THEM. THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. SO I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH USING.
USING ANOTHER DELIVERY METHOD I JUST DON'T WANT.
I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND IF WE CAN'T SUPPORT THE DELIVERY METHOD THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, THEN I ACCEPT THAT.
BUT I DON'T WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO DO OTHER THINGS IN CERTAIN CASES. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING.
WELL, AND I WOULD RESPOND TO, TO ONE OF YOUR POINTS, MR. BROOME, JUST TO SAY THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE EVER USE THE TERM CHEAPEST, BUT I THINK WHAT WE'RE PROMOTING IS WHAT'S THE BEST VALUE.
AND SO, FOR INSTANCE IF, IF, IF THE CM AT RISK MODEL IS USED, IT WILL ALLOW US TO POSSIBLY HOPEFULLY.
AND I FULLY EXPECT TO RETURN MONEY TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
ALLOWANCES. THE CM AT RISK CONTRACTOR IS INCENTIVIZED.
IT'S IN HIS BEST INTEREST TO FINISH THE JOB UNDER BUDGET AND ON TIME.
ALSO GOING BACK TO THAT, THAT IDEA OF CHEAPEST.
[01:45:01]
CERTAINLY THE PREMIUM TURF IS MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT BUT IT HAS A CLEARLY SUPERIOR WARRANTY.AND SO JUST AS A, FOR INSTANCE, THE STANDARD TURF WITH AN EIGHT YEAR WARRANTY VERSUS THE PREMIUM TURF WITH A 12 YEAR WARRANTY, WE'RE ESSENTIALLY GETTING VALUE BACK EACH ONE OF THOSE YEARS THAT THAT PREMIUM TURF OUTLASTS THE STANDARD TURF.
SO I SUPPORT THAT. I THINK YOU SHOULD GO WITH THE LOWER QUALITY.
I MEAN, TO ME IT'S LIKE PUTTING PAINT ON THE WALL.
YOU PUT PAINT, USE THE GOOD PAINT BECAUSE THE LABOR PUT IT DOWN.
IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME. THAT'S CORRECT. SOMETIMES IT'S CHEAPER TO PUT DOWN GOOD STUFF THAN IT IS BECAUSE IT COVERS BETTER THAN THE CHEAP STUFF.
SO YES, SIR, I THINK THERE'S VALUE IN THE PREMIUM TURF THAT SIMPLY DOESN'T EXIST.
CAN EXIST WITH THE STANDARD TURF.
SO. SO I GUESS I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY.
NOT NECESSARILY CHEAPER, BUT A BETTER VALUE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND A AND A CLEARLY SUPERIOR PRODUCT FOR THE SAFETY OF THE ATHLETES.
YES, SIR. SO IF THERE WAS ANOTHER QUESTION, I'M SORRY I LOST IT.
MR. LINDELL, I REALLY DON'T HAVE A QUESTION ANYMORE.
BUT I GUESS I GOT A STATEMENT OR A COMMENT FOR NORTH AUGUSTA STANDARD FIELD.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A PATH FORWARD AT SOME POINT TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HAVE A PREMIER FIELD, BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE THE FACT THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE NOW GOING TO HAVE I KNOW THERE'S OTHER SCHOOLS THAT AREN'T AS UPDATED, SO I AM SENSITIVE TO THE ISSUE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR STUDENTS BE ABLE TO PLAY ON PREMIER TURF, TOO. AND SO AT SOME POINT, I'D LIKE TO SEE A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE WHERE WE CAN WORK TOWARDS THAT.
DOCTOR MURPHY, CAN YOU RESPOND ON WHAT THE CYCLE WOULD BE FOR REPLACEMENT OF ARTIFICIAL ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELDS? ABSOLUTELY. IF APPROVED BY THIS BOARD THIS EVENING, THE STANDARD FOR AIKEN COUNTY WILL BE PREMIER TURF.
AND SO, MOVING FORWARD, AT THE END OF THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE NORTH AUGUSTA TURF, WE WOULD INSTALL THE PREMIER PRODUCT.
AND WHAT IS THAT LIFE CYCLE? IT'S USUALLY 10 TO 12 YEARS.
AND YOU GUYS ARE AT THE END OF YEAR NINE I WANT TO SAY CORRECT ME.
OKAY. IN THE END OF YEAR NINE.
SO WITHIN THE NEXT THREE YEARS THEY'RE GOING TO NEED A FULL FIELD REPLACEMENT.
DOCTOR BRADLEY, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT? QUESTION FOR DOCTOR MURPHY.
AND I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN WITH HIM ABOUT THIS.
AND I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT I WANT TO GO ON THE RECORD.
I GOT A LETTER FROM A TRACK COACH WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE HAVING TO GIVE UP THE FOOTBALL FIELD AS A PLACE TO RUN TRACK AND DO TRACK.
TEAM THAT IS IN CONTENTION FOR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, AND SHE'S WORRIED ABOUT NEGATIVE IMPACT OF HAVING TO PRACTICE SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN WHERE THEY ARE ACCUSTOMED TO PRACTICING. YES, BUT YOU HAVE ASSURED ME THAT THERE ARE COUNTERMEASURES THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO.
COUNTERACT THAT NEGATIVE IMPACT.
SO I'D LIKE TO JUST QUICKLY REPEAT THOSE FOR THE RECORD.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR BRADLEY, FOR BRINGING THAT UP. THAT IS A FAIR POINT.
THE FIELDS THAT WE'RE REPLACING ARE UTILIZED YEAR ROUND.
THERE IS NO INSTANCE WHERE A SPORT WOULD NOT BE IMPACTED BY THE INSTALLATION CYCLE.
AND SO WHEN WE BASICALLY WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO BID IT, WE KNEW THAT THIS WAS A FOOTBALL FIELD.
IF WE LOSE A FOOTBALL GAME, EVERY SPORT IS IMPACTED BECAUSE THE MONEY'S BROUGHT IN BY FOOTBALL, ACTUALLY SUPPORT THE OTHER SPORTS.
OTHER SPORTS TAKE CARE OF PARKING.
OTHER SPORTS. TAKE CARE OF THE CONCESSIONS SO FOOTBALL DOESN'T KEEP ALL THE MONEY FROM FOOTBALL? IT'S A MONEY GENERATOR.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE.
WE AT LEAST MAKE SURE THE FOOTBALL TEAM HAD THEIR HOME GAMES THERE.
WHEN IT COMES TO ANY OTHER SPORT IMPACTED, WE WILL SUPPORT THEM IN FINDING AUXILIARY SITES. IF THEY NEED TO DO SOME TRANSPORT, WE WILL SUPPORT THEM DOING THAT.
BUT IT'S SUCH A SMALL, COMPACT TIMELINE.
WE'RE HOPING THAT ANY, ANY, ANY INCONVENIENCE WILL BE MINIMIZED BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE THREE PROJECTS GOING ON AT ONCE, AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO STRETCH THEM OUT AGAIN.
IF WE DELAY THE PROJECT, WE WOULD NEED TO WAIT TILL AFTER FOOTBALL SEASON. AND THAT'S WHAT HE WAS REFERRING TO.
WITH THE ESCALATION IN PRICING WHAT WHAT MAY NOT HAVE COME OUT IN THAT LAST STATEMENT WAS THE REASON WE DIDN'T GET BIDS, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE AN RFP OUT.
WE DON'T WE HAVEN'T ASKED ANYONE TO GIVE US BIDS.
OUR RFP WAS APPROVED IN APRIL TO GET CM AT RISK CONTRACTORS.
WE WE PROCURED THREE CONTRACTORS.
AND SO WE GO TO THOSE FOLKS TO TAKE BIDS.
WE DON'T TAKE BIDS AGAINST THOSE FOLKS.
AT THIS TIME, WE COULD, IF WE WANT, DO AN RFP, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE ONE DEVELOPED. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE FOLKS UNDERSTOOD THAT, THAT IT'S A CHOICE.
EITHER WAY WORKS. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH DIRECT BID.
IF WE HAD THE INFRASTRUCTURE RIGHT NOW TO DO IT.
I DID WANT TO SHARE THAT WE HAVE A TWO NEW MEMBERS OF OUR STAFF AND A BRAND NEW DIRECTOR
[01:50:03]
TO OUR DISTRICT. SO WE ANTICIPATE FULLY MOVING FORWARD IN THE FUTURE WITH MORE TRAINED FOLKS AND MAYBE HAVE A DIFFERENT OUTCOME.SO THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SAY. THANK YOU, SIR. APPRECIATE THE QUESTION. MISTER SILAS SACHSE NEXT, BACK TO YOUR COMMENT.
DOCTOR MURPHY ON REPLACEMENT AND THREE YEARS OF IN RESPONSE TO MISTER LINDELL'S HOPE.
I JUST HAVE TO SAY, AND I MAY NOT BE ON THIS BOARD IN THREE YEARS TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT CONVERSATION, BUT IT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE IN NEED AND WANT.
AND WHEN A FIELD IS UP OR YOU KNOW, IS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT BASED ON EXPECTED LIFE CYCLE. SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT THERE.
WE HAVE OTHER FIELDS IN THIS COUNTY THAT THAT THAT WILL NOT HAVE TURF.
PROBABLY BY THE END WE DON'T KNOW.
BUT THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE IN NEED AND WANT.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO REPLACEMENT.
MR. BROOME I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ALL OF NORTH AUGUSTA, BUT I CAN SAY RIGHT NOW THEY ARE AGAINST THIS TURF.
THE PREMIUM PRODUCT, THEY HAVE REASONS TO BELIEVE IT'S INFERIOR.
AS FAR AS SLIPPAGE AND OTHER THINGS.
SO YOU MAY TRY TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING THEY DON'T WANT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DOCTOR YARBOROUGH? IF NOT, THANK YOU, DOCTOR YARBOROUGH.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE. CONTINUE ANY GENERAL DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE.
ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? OKAY. IF NOT, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR TO AUTHORIZE THE ADMINISTRATION TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT WITH REYNOLDS IN AMOUNT OVER 5 MILLION AND INSTALL NEW ARTIFICIAL TURF AT AIKEN HIGH, MIDLAND VALLEY HIGH AND SILVER BLUFF HIGH UTILIZING THE CM AT RISK DELIVERY SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S BEEN MOTION SECONDED AND DISCUSSED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S NINE IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES.
WITH THAT, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY MORE AGENDA ITEMS. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? DONNA BRADLEY MOVES TO ADJOURN.
IS THERE A SECOND BY MISS TYLER? ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S NINE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION CARRIES.
WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.