BaldwinCity.com

With its May deadline approaching, the Baldwin School Board is taking steps to make the bond issue decision easier.

The first step is choosing to hire a general contractor or construction manager. However, that decision has been placed on hold until the school board's joint meeting with the Baldwin City Council Monday night.

After the meeting, the school board will return to the District Office to discuss its facilities' committee recommendation. Supt. Paul Dorathy is aware of the urgency that must be exercised by the board members.

"At the last meeting, you discussed the pros and cons of construction management versus a general contractor," Dorathy said to the board members Monday. "If we are going to reach that May deadline, we need to make that decision soon, because a construction manager will need to come in before we approve that bond issue and assess the architects' costs on the buildings."

Monday's meeting with the city council and board of education will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the American Legion. The main topic of the meeting will be the district's facilities and how the city will assist the district if a future bond issue is approved by voters.

"The main purpose is for us to jointly discuss issues that are of interest to both of us," Dorathy said. "Most specifically are some of the facility questions that we have right now. It's going to really take a combination of both groups together to get the answers that are needed."

Several facility items will be on the agenda Monday for both parties to discuss. Dorathy outlined what will be talked about at the joint meeting.

"We are going to be talking about city streets and the ball fields," he said. "We are going to be talking about annexing some property of ours into the city. We are going to have that discussion. I think those are the main topics of discussion between the two groups."

After the two parties are done with their portion of the meeting, the school board will return to the District Office to further talk about facilities. There will also be a presentation made by a general contractor to the board at the D.O.

This past Monday the school board briefly discussed facilities at its regular monthly meeting. Several board members expressed their feelings about using a construction manager or general contractor. Most board members were undecided about which to choose.

"I was pretty convinced, but I am naive about this compared to some of our other board members," Board Member Ande Parks said about his experience at the March 24 special meeting.

Dorathy was asked about which way he is leaning. He said he doesn't have a preference yet, but he did offer a piece of advice.

"I would prefer to have someone that is overlooking the construction all the time," Dorathy said. "I think that gives us the opportunity to keep the project where it needs to be and the taxpayers investment is being looked after on a more consistent basis than say myself trying to check it when I can or the architect occasionally coming down to see where things are at. I just think it's to the benefit that the projects are done the way we want them to be done."

The facilities discussion will continue Monday at the joint meeting and then pick back up at the District Office.

"I think we've heard the construction manager benefits, but we haven't fully understood the general contractor," Board Member Scott Lauridsen said. "We are going to talk to other districts and learn from our latest experience."