Quincy Reporter

Community Consolidated School District 181 Board of Education Finance and Facilities Committee met Sept. 10.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

Call of Meeting

The Board of Education Finance and Facilities Committee meeting of Community Consolidated School District 181, DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois, was called to order by Board Member and Finance Committee Chair Sinead Duffy at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10, 2024.

Roll Call

Finance and Facilities Committee members present were Asim Aleem, Dr. Garcia, Adam East, Ellen Dunlap, Mindy Bradford, Meg Cooper, Rich Giltner, Lois Mejdrich, Jerry Mejdrich, Margaret Kleber, Sinead Duffy, Mike Duggan, and Catie Norton.

Pledge of Allegiance

Mindy Bradford led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Public Comment

No public comments.

Approval of Minutes

Sinead Duffy made a motion to approve the minutes from the June 11, 2024, Finance and Facilities Committee meeting. Meg Cooper seconded the motion. The motion carried.

Celebrations

Ms. Bradford welcomed Mr. Brian Bresnahan, Business & Operations Coordinator, to District 181. He joined the Business Office team on July 1, 2024, replacing Brian Marroquin.

Discussion Topics

Summer Capital Projects Summary

Mike Duggan, Director of Facilities, provided a summary of the Summer Capital Projects.

Madison School MRC Remodel

This project was originally planned to be a District Architect-led project as it was expected that some structural work may have to be undertaken. As it turned out, the structural work was not needed, so the Administration was able to complete the project as a Buying Cooperative/ In-House Project, which saved the district a considerable amount of architectural fees. This remodel was an item identified on the Facilities Master Plan. The administration worked with its Sourcewell contractors for flooring, painting and furnishing of the MRC. The life span for this project is 15-20 years.

Prospect Parking Lot Replacement

Healy Bender Patton and Bean prepared specs and bidding documents for this project. A public bidding was held on January 24, 2024. The most responsible low bidder was Accu-Paving, Inc. of Aurora, Illinois, with a base bid of $206,780.00. The lifespan for these projects is 25-30 years. During excavation, on-site testing revealed sub-soil organic materials that had not been disclosed by the soil testing done prior to the start of construction. This meant that those areas could not be paved over in line with the original specifications, requiring the organic materials to be removed and hauled off-site. The net amount for that unanticipated extra work was $76,450.00.

Walker and Prospect Schools - Playground Replacement

Pursuant to an initiative to replace the older playground equipment in the district, a great deal of research was completed into possible replacement structures. It was determined to seek equipment that met national fitness standards, and which was inclusive and fun. The administration worked with the principals and provided the plans to the PTOs along with a menu of items which they could contribute that were from the same manufacturers and which met the same specifications. The PTO generously contributed complimentary pieces and a portion of the rubberized surfaces that enhanced the basic layout provided by the district. These projects were completed utilizing cooperative purchasing pricing. The lifespan for these projects is 15-20 years.

Monroe School Flooring Replacement

Utilizing the cooperative purchasing agreement, Consolidated Flooring of Chicago was awarded a contract for the installation of new LVT flooring and walk-off carpeting in the halls and classrooms of Monroe School. The project was completed on time and within the budgeted amount. The life span for this project is 30+ years.

The Lane School LED Retrofit and Replacement

This project was originally budgeted at $65,000. The lowest responsible bidder was Wier Energy Group of Huntley, IL. whose bid price was $74,828.75 net of the ComEd incentives of $37,333.65 obtained for the project. The annual savings in electricity costs expected for this project is $15,838.25 with an expected payback of 4.5 years.

Monroe, Madison, and The Lane Poured-in-Place Surfacing:

Poured in place rubber surfacing was installed increasing the safety of the District playgrounds.

Board member Duffy commented that she is very proud of the progress the District has made in ensuring the playgrounds are accessible to all.

Ms. Bradford updated the committee on the financial impact. She said all funds used for summer projects were budgeted and paid for with operating revenues, ensuring there was no additional financial burden on the district’s taxpayers.

District Office Building Update

Mike Duggan, Director of Facilities, provided an update on the new District Office. He shared details on the design elements, construction timeline, and anticipated occupancy date.

● Site Plan Improvements

○ Additional parking spaces, revised traffic flow, and a new trash enclosure.

● Interior Design

○ The interior design incorporates collaborative workspaces, flexible furniture arrangements, and designated display areas to showcase the district’s history, awards, and student achievements.

● Construction Timeline

○ The project is on schedule, with construction documents being finalized and bids expected to go out by September 13, 2024. Construction is anticipated to begin in October.

● Anticipated Occupancy

○ The office is expected to be ready for occupancy in late May/early June of 2025. Mr. Duggan shared that the District Office should be able to accommodate committee meetings in the future.

Committee members discussed the possibility of putting in some type of penalty clause in the contract, in the event the office is not completed on time.

Full-Day Kindergarten Update - Phase I - Completion August 2024

Mike Duggan shared an update on the progress of the construction progress,

KR Miller

Oak

At the conclusion of Safety Village, demolition and construction of the two existing classrooms, main office, and related services offices began in the center of the existing building. The demolition and addition at the south end of the school of four classrooms and two offices began after the ComEd relocation was complete and the majority of the construction of the August 2024 prioritized spaces in the center of the existing school was far enough along to ensure completion prior to the start of school. The four classroom addition is not required to be finished until August 2025. The prioritized spaces in the center of the building were finished on time, and classes resumed on schedule on August 20, 2024. The work on the addition progresses and is scheduled for completion in February 2025.

Madison

The three-story shell is currently finished with further completion of the building envelope expected to be complete in October 2024. After that point, construction work will only be allowed on non-student attendance days and during the summer of 2025. The expected completion date for this project is July 25, 2025. The emergency egress which was required before the start of the 2024-25 school year was completed on time.

RL Sohol

Walker

At Walker, four first-floor remodeled classrooms were required to be finished before the start of the 2024-25 school year. Two of those rooms were being extended to accommodate classes that needed more space, and two rooms were extensively remodeled in order to provide access to the second-story addition via a new staircase. The work in those rooms was completed on August 19, 2024, the day before classes resumed for the 2024-25 school year. The shell of the second-story addition, which will include three new classrooms, related storage areas, and work rooms was completed simultaneously with the first-floor remodeling work. The additional work required to complete the venting for the boiler room is projected to be done by October 1, 2024. After that date, construction work will only be allowed on non-student attendance days and during the summer of 2025. The expected completion date for this project is August 1, 2025.

Monroe

ComEd completed the underground service relocation on August 12, 2024. This delayed the start of any building construction for the entire summer of 2024, with the exception of underground stormwater work which was completed prior to the start of school. Now that school is back in session, work will continue until at least the shell of the addition is under the roof and complete. This work is expected to be completed by December 1, 2024. After that date, work will only be allowed on non-student attendance days and during the summer of 2025. This project is scheduled for completion on August 1, 2025

Lite Construction

The Lane

The shell of the two additional classrooms, bathroom, office, and entrance foyer/corridor is complete. The new entrance will serve as an emergency egress during the 2024-25 school year. Work at this site will only be allowed during non-student attendance days and during the summer of 2025. The expected completion date is June 30, 2025.

Elm

The shell of the added classroom, bathroom, and entrance foyer/corridor is complete. The new entrance will serve as an emergency egress during the 2024-25 school year. Work will only be allowed during non-student attendance days and during the summer of 2025. The expected completion date is June 30, 2025.

Financial Impact

Ms. Bradford shared that all funds used for the full-day kindergarten are being spent from the debt certificates that were issued in July 2024. Year-to-date expenditures for the full-day kindergarten projects as of August 31, 2024 was $5,054,470.

Committee members discussed the need to share this information with families. Dr. Garcia said it will be shared either through the district or through the principals.

Items for Recommendation

Monthly Financials

Ms. Bradford shared the following:

Operating Funds Year to Date:

● $37.7 MM: Trends will be discussed after the first quarter

○ Includes relief to the taxpayers and purchase of district office building

● Revenue $3.7 MM: The trend will be discussed after the first quarter

● Expenses $3.3 MM: The trend will be discussed after the first quarter

The committee agreed and supported the recommendation to bring this item forward for Board approval.

Amendment to the Crossing Guard Agreement

Mr. Duggan shared that on August 9, 2021, the Board of Education approved the Service Agreement between Community Consolidated School District 181 and Andy Frain Services, Inc. for providing crossing guard services throughout the school district. The agreement is amended annually adopting Andy Frain Services’ new rate of pay for the coming school year. The terms of this Amendment shall be in effect through July 31, 2025, and include an hourly increase per guard of $0.70 (an approximate 3% rate increase, which is in line with general inflation) for a new hourly rate of $24.37. For reference, the annual expenditure for crossing guard services last year was approximately $300,000.

The committee agreed and supported the recommendation to bring this item forward for Board approval.

New Waste and Recycling Contract

The Administration issued an RFP for District-wide Waste and Recycling services for a three-year term, with a sealed bid opening date of June 28, 2024. At that time the lowest responsible bidder was SBC Waste Solutions, Inc. (SBC). This company qualifies as a women-owned business, which is important as we seek to diversify our supplier base. The terms of SBC’s proposal were $44,160/year for three years or $132,480 a savings of almost $5,000 over the previous waste and recycling provider’s agreement over the 3-year contract and almost $13,000 less than the amount proposed by Waste Management, the district’s current provider and only other bidder. Given that Waste Management charged a significant amount of Overage and Contamination fees, the Administration is confident that the district will save significantly more than the $5,000 base savings over the life of the contract.

The committee agreed and supported the recommendation to bring this item forward for Board approval.

Discussion

Sinead Duffy updated that committee on the status of the Village of Clarendon Hills TIF proposal.

Future Agenda Items

● Quarterly Financial Reports

● Preliminary Tax Levy Update

● Monthly Financials

● Facilities Master Plan Recommendations

● School Maintenance Grant

Adjournment

Sinead Duffy made a motion to adjourn at 6:00 p.m. Meg Cooper seconded the motion. The motion carried.

https://go.boarddocs.com/il/hccsdil/Board.nsf/files/D9XJX84F42CD/$file/2024_09_10_Fin.%20and%20Fac.%20Com.%20Mtg.%20Min..pdf