Building project updates and some resignations were among items handled by the Mount Ayr Community school board at its regular meeting Monday, March 8.
Other details of the meeting are included in the regular edition of the paper.
Building project updates
Discussions on the progress of the building projects, approval of some change orders and approval of a reduced pay application took a good deal of time early in the meeting.
Nick Bruck from Construction Services Inc. was on hand for an update on the building project.
“The focus of work now is to complete the punch list at the elementary school and start demolition,” Bruck said. Plans are for the demolition to begin Monday, March 15, contingent on getting the salvage items out of the building and all the asbestos cleaned out.
Bruck said that contractors had until April 1 to get the punch list items completed but hoped to take advantage of the days when there would be no school.
Board members asked questions about the drainage problems that plagued the elementary school the first two days that the building was used.
The first day’s problem was fixed by jetting out the sewer lines at a cost of $4,000 that the district will not be billed.
The next day’s problem was found to be rags shoved into a drain line causing a blockage that had to be “snaked” out.
Since those two efforts the district has not had anymore problems with flooding from stopped up sewer lines. Again the work will not be charged to the school, Bruck said.
He noted that all the garbage was being put down the disposal in the first days of school and that he system was not designed for this.
The board briefly discussed the slab warranty for the high school addition. Jordison Construction has agreed to lengthen the warranty time from five years to six years for structural concrete problems that might develop because the concrete slab was not poured to specifications in all areas.
Board member Duane Schafer is still pushing for a seven year warranty and the matter will be discussed at a future board meeting, it was determined.
Board members still had question about the sealing of the concrete in the elementary school bathroom floors and the caulking of joints in the middle school gym wall.
Bruck brought three change orders to the meeting. Number 56 had to do with a sidewalk at the high school that has to be redone because of state inspection issues with the ramp.
Number 60 is for an additional exit sign at the elementary school that was required by the state fire marshal.
Number 61 is for revised door hardware at the main electrical room at the elementary school.
The board approved the three change orders.
Bruck also brought a new pay application for funds to pay contractors for work completed.
The project architects suggested that the district not pay Direct Office Solutions the money listed because of problems with lockers which do not close, are beat up or need paint touch up.
The architects also suggested that the school district withhold $12,000 of a $52,000 payment to Jordison Construction.
After some discussion, the board decided to follow the recommendations of the architect and reduced the pay application amount by the amounts suggested.
A pay application in the amount of $188,711.74 was approved by the board after a lengthy discussion.
A motion to hold the amount for the lockers but to go ahead and pay for the concrete work because there is enough other work left with the firm to take care of any problems lost on a 3-2 vote with Larry Giles and P. J. West voting for the motion and Rod Shields, Jim Uhlenkamp and Duane Schafer voting against.
When the amount was lowered to include the deduction for the concrete firm, the measure passed unanimously.
In other building discussion it was noted that the stage floor in the 1936 building was being taken up to be used in the Princess Theater building.
Other salvage items from the building will be held for an auction to be held later in the spring, it was noted.
Personnel items
Two resignations and a change in resignation for a third employee were brought to the board Monday night.
Dana Morris, who has been the fifth through eighth grade band instructor, co-choir director and marching band flags director, has resigned her position at the end of the current school year.
Morris has been a teacher in the school district for the past four years. She plans to move from the area. The board accepted her resignation with regret.
Bethany Knox, who has been speech coach for the past two years, has asked to resign from this portion of her contract. She is an elementary school special education instructor.
The board accepted the resignation with the stipulation that a replacement be found. Otherwise Knox will need to serve another year in the position.
The board also approved a change in the date of the resignation for R. B. Davenport, who is resigning his custodial position.
The resignation will take effect April 16 instead of an early date in March originally approved.
The new date will put Davenport in a different quarter for his retirement and will mean less time that a substitute bus driver is needed in the district this year.