Costs to Retrofit Ouzinkie School Are Rising

Mary Donaldson/KMXT

The status of the contract for the Ouzinkie seismic renovation and gymnasium expansion was on the agenda during Wednesday’s special school board meeting. The project is one of the many that the borough has lined up during the summer construction period.

So far, four bids have been received for the project, and the lowest bid was about 42-percent higher than the borough’s budget estimate.

Scott Williams, the director of operations for the school district, says that the project is important enough to move forward with, before costs for the construction rise even more by next summer.

(Ouzinkie 1 :35s “…justifiable, good bid.”)

Woody Koning, the director of Engineering and Facilities for the borough, says that because of time constraints, there is a slight error in the percentage the bids are over.

(Ouzinkie 2 :37s “…and the bids.”)

Some of the changes not included in the original engineer’s estimate were the need to add sprinklers to the Ouzinkie School because of new building codes, as well as the increase in the cost of fuel.

Incoming Superintendent Stuart McDonald says that although the current bids are over budget, there are possible solutions to fund the extra costs for the Ouzinkie School gym seismic project, such as a bond adjustment.

The building in Kodiak where the district’s business department is currently located was scheduled to receive renovations, but McDonald says that money could be reallocated.

(Ouzinkie 3 :34s “…very responsible with the public funds.”)

The school board will discuss the Ouzinkie School gym renovation bid issue at their next meeting. Following the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development guidelines, a letter to the Kodiak Island Borough is needed to request a bond adjustment to transfer funds from the business office renovations project over to the Ouzinkie School gym seismic project.

I’m Mary Donaldson.

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