Plans to move forward with the demolition of the 1922 school building occupied the Annandale School Board on Monday, Sept. 22.
The school board unanimously approved contracts for the work with GLTArchitects and Winkleman Building Corporation.
"The time has come to hire an architectural firm to prepare necessary bid specifications for demolition of the building and constructing necessary additions to replace needed space," said Superintendent Steve Niklaus. "We would like to have the bids for this work completed and contracts signed by the December meeting."
The demolition package proposed by GLTArchitects and approved by the school board was for $9,000. For that fee the architects would assist the school district in providing a bid package for the removal of the building. This would include plans with limits of construction, specifications for bidding and demolition, civil engineering to address site utilities, a grading plan and mechanical-electrical engineering to disconnect existing systems to the building.
Once the building is demolished, work will need to be done to the middle school and will be a combination of remodeling and addition. The bathrooms located outside of the ‘A’ gym are partially located in the 1922 portion of the building and will need to be replaced. A secured entrance to the building needs to be created, and work on the boilers in the 1954 addition needs to be done.
Other needs that may be considered as part of this project were also discussed. Those include moving the district offices, repairing the roof over the ‘A’ gym, replacing boilers in the 1954 addition and constructing four additional tennis courts. Niklaus indicated that cost estimates for these projects would be brought to the board at the Monday, Oct. 27, meeting.
Since the scope of work has not been finalized, GLTArchitects proposed a sliding fee scale based on a percentage of new or remodel construction costs. The architect’s fee for 100 percent new construction would be 6 percent of construction costs; if a project was 100 percent remodel, the percentage would be 8.5 percent of construction costs.
The board also approved using the services of Winkleman Construction to provide construction management for the project.
Services provided by Winkleman will be billed on an hourly basis. This includes the principal-in-charge $140 per hour, estimator $115, project manager $115, cost control and administrative support $50, and site superintendent $85. Winkleman estimates the total for the construction management services to be $67,560 for the demolition and new construction-remodel of the middle school.
Winkelman’s cost estimates for just the demolition of the 1922 building are $311,500. This does not include the $9,000 fee to GLTArchitects.
The demolition and necessary remodeling will be paid for out of a $1.4 million fund that was a part of the Annandale Elementary School construction fund.
GLTArchitects provided the following preliminary timeline for the demolition and construction at the middle school:
■ Design options and estimates would be completed by the Monday, Oct. 27, school board meeting.
■ Design development and estimates would be completed by Nov. 17.
■ Removal of hazardous materials from the 1922 building would be completed in November.
■ Construction documents completed by Dec. 29.
■ Bidding would begin Jan. 5, 2015, and contracts awarded Jan. 26.
■ Demolition of the 1922 building would start May 18, 2015, and be completed July 13.
■ Construction: bathrooms, secured entrance and other options will start June 1 and be completed by Aug. 10.
Levy set at 3.59 percent
In other business during the meeting, meeting the board approved a property tax levy increase of 3.59 percent, payable in 2015.
Each September school districts in Minnesota must approve a preliminary property tax levy for taxes payable the following year. The information is sent to the county auditor, and that office calculates the property tax changes for each taxpayer and informs them of the date for the school district’s truth-in-taxation hearing Wednesday, Dec. 3.
The Minnesota Legislature determines limits on amounts school districts are eligible to levy each year to fund the operations of schools. Cities and counties determine their own ley rates; school districts have maximums based on formulas set by the legislature. School districts have the option to levy less than the maximum, but not more.
Niklaus gave the board two options. One option would have raised the property tax levy by 5.34 percent or $247,970, the maximum allowed by the state. Niklaus recommended a lower levy increase of $166,662 or 3.59 percent.
Niklaus indicated he was recommending the 3.59 percent increase to offset the estimated cost to the district in 2016 for mandates of the Affordable Care Act, expected to be about $100,000 a year.
At the truth-in-taxation hearing in December, the board has the option to reduce the levy if it chooses. It can’t, however, go above the 3.59 percent it set at this meeting.
Recreation Park
Superintendent Niklaus update the board on the progress of the proposed Annandale Family Recreation Park at the meeting. The next step in the process is a grading, drainage and erosion control plan, to be completed by civil engineers on the proposed site. This plan will cost $48,000, with the school district, the city and a private group of citizens splitting the cost three ways. The school board and the Annandale city council have approved their $16,000 share, on the condition that the private group also comes up with $16,000.
At an earlier meeting Niklaus indicated that if the $48,000 is raised in a timely manner, the grading, drainage and erosion control plan could be completed by engineers this fall. This would allow for more formal fundraising effort for the project to begin.
The private group has raised $8,500 so far: Kiwanis, $1,000; Cardinal Athletic Foundation, $1,000; Annandale Lions Club, $1,000, ACT, $500 and the Annandale Industrial Development Corporation, $5,000. The group still has $7,500 to raise.
At a meeting of the group on Tuesday, Sept. 23, a goal of Friday, Oct. 17, was set to have the additional money raised.
Limiting open enrollment
The school board passed a resolution limiting the number of non-resident students who may enroll in kindergarten and first grade for the 2015-16 school year. For the 2015-16 school year, once 150 students are enrolled in kindergarten or first grade, non-resident students will no longer be accepted under open enrollment.
Niklaus indicated that students may still apply for open enrollment, but those students would not immediately know the status of the applications.
"They will not be assured acceptance of their application until February each year, when the potential enrollment of resident students in these two grades is clearer," Niklaus said.
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