ASHLAND – Bids came in well under estimates for Ashland City Schools’ Community Stadium renovation, which is planned for this summer.
Superintendent Doug Marrah told board of education members Monday the district should be able to add optional extras, or alternates, into the project without exceeding the $275,000 maximum budget.
Mansfield-based Adena Corporation was the lowest of six bidders to submit bids for the project. Adena’s base bid of $202,039 was about $10,000 lower than any other company’s bid, and the cost with all three possible alternates came in below the competition at $247,388.
Other bidders included BCMC Inc., Simonson Construction, Mid American Construction, Studer-Obringer Construction and E & D Specialty Stands Inc.
Marrah said he expects the district will proceed with two of the alternates, including a vertical picket guardrail for the front row of the stadium and a five-foot top rail fence. A third potential alternate includes seat backs for bench seats. But Marrah said the district is waiting on a sample to see whether the district would like to add that alternate to the project at a cost of about $21,000.
Board members will be asked to approve Adena’s bids at their next regular meeting on Jan. 29.
Also at Monday’s meeting, the board welcomed new member Mike Heimann, who was elected last November to replace former board member Rick Ewing, who did not run.
Board vice president Jim Wolfe praised Heimann for his work as former middle school principal, a role he took on when the district lost a principal mid-year.
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to know that man now sits on this board, because I think we’re going to benefit from your experience and knowledge,” Wolfe said.
The board re-appointed Will Gravitt as board president and Wolfe as vice president. Lindsey Saffle and Bryan Lefelhoc were appointed to represent Ashland City Schools on the Ashland County West Holmes Career Center board. They will join Rick Ewing, who has agreed to remain on the Career Center board even though he won’t be on the Ashland City Schools board.
The board voted to move all work sessions and regular meetings from 7 to 6 p.m. for 2018. Meetings are held in the district’s central office.
At the board’s next meeting on Jan. 29, representatives from the Ohio School Boards Association will present an update on the district’s strategic plan. Gravitt said he expects each board member will take a leadership role in implementing one portion of the plan as the plan becomes a guiding document for the district’s future.
At the end of the meeting, Wolfe made two suggestions about board operations. He suggested board members be paid for attending committee meetings, just as they are for regular meetings. He also suggested that he and Lindsey Saffle be appointed as ex officio members of the district’s labor relations committee, which is an administrative committee that negotiates with the district’s certified and classified staff unions.
Neither suggestion was voted on by the board, but treasurer Sue Guthrie pointed out board policy already allows board members to be paid for committee meetings.
