VWCS Board OKs pair of school projects

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Board of Education unanimously approved resolutions related to the district’s construction of a new grades 1-5 elementary school, as well as an energy conservation project that would center mostly on the S.F. Goedde Building.

The board first voted 4-0 (board member Ken Mengerink was unable to attend the meeting) to approve construction documents for the elementary school project during a special meeting held Wednesday in the Goedde Building. Board members also authorized seeking bids on the project.

Architect Kraig Beilharz of Defiance-based Beilharz Architects Inc. attended the special meeting and explained the project and what steps would be taken next, including a review of the documents by the Ohio School Facilities Commission.

Beilharz estimated that the school project would cost $19 million, with only three alternate bids included with the project. Although often such projects contain a number of alternate bids – items that are included in bidding, but are only funded if there is sufficient money in the budget – but Beilharz said he like to keep alternate bids to a minimum.

“We think it’s confusing and creates a lot of turmoil with the bidders,” Beilharz said of the reason for having relatively few alternates.

One of the main alternates would be inclusion of a bid for concrete paving around the building, instead of using asphalt, because of the “heat island” effect caused by asphalt. Beilharz said his firm had looked at including concrete in the base bid, but felt that, because of the budget, it would need to be an alternate instead.

The other alternates involve flooring in the elementary building. One alternate would involve the installation of marble-like terrazzo flooring in high-traffic areas – something that was done in the high  school-middle school complex and was also installed in several other district school buildings. Terrazzo is popular with school districts because it lasts a long time and needs relatively little maintenance, compared with other types of flooring. However, it needs to be included as an alternate because the OSFC will not authorize inclusion of the flooring in base bids.

The other alternate involves installation of a wood floor in the elementary gymnasium. The OSFC only authorizes composite flooring in base bids for elementary schools, but Beilharz said wood is a better surface for gyms.

“Wood is an outstanding surface for kids,” the architect told board members in recommending the addition of that alternate.

Beilharz said bid opening is planned for March 16.

The school board also unanimously approved a resolution approving participation in an energy conservation project linked to House Bill 264.

Ray Robinson of HEAT Total Facility Solutions also attended the special meeting to present his company’s recommendations on what can be done to reduce energy use, while also reducing utility costs for the district.

The proposal recommends the following:

S.F. Goedde Building

• Replacement of lighting in the gym with new high bay fluorescent fixtures that would reduce wattage by half.
• Replace T-12 and T-8 older generation fluorescent light fixtures with newer generation T-8 lighting that would reduce wattage 20-27 percent.
• Replace “eggcrate” light fixtures in classrooms in the Goedde Building with new lay-in fixtures that would provide better lighting as a lower cost. Suspended ceilings would also be needed for the new lighting.
• Install occupancy sensors in classrooms and other areas of the building that would automatically turn off lights when no one is in the room.
• Replace fluorescent exit signs with LED signs, which would reduce wattage 92 percent.
• Inspect and service the building’s existing mechanical system, including coil cleaning, lubrication, damper adjustment, filter replacement, motor/bearing inspection and replacement or rebuilding valve/damper operators as needed.
• Furnish a new web-based direct digital control energy management/temperature control system.
• Install carbon dioxide sensors in the gymnasium for demand-controlled ventilation.
• Repair or replace a section of roof on the three-story portion of the building.

Van Wert High School-Middle School

• Replace metal halide light fixtures in the gymnasiums, wrestling room, weight room, shop area and two hallway locations with high bay fluorescent fixtures, which would reduce wattage between 21-50 percent.
• Retrofit second-generation T-8 fluorescent light fixtures with low ballast factor electronic ballasts and 28-watt T-8 lamps. Wattage reduction estimated at 20-27 percent.
• Retrofit 146 exterior shoebox and wall-pack light fixtures with pulse start metal halide lamps.
• Retrofit 12 metal halide fixtures in the library with pulse start ballasts and natural white lamps for better lighting and energy savings.

Robinson said his company would use local contractors wherever possible in the project and also answered a statement by Board President Mike Morrow, who noted district residents might not understand why lighting was being replaced in a four-year-old building.

Robinson explained that newer generation lighting products have been developed since the building was constructed that could lower energy consumption and utility costs in the building.

The total project cost is estimated at $573,916, with financing costs increasing the cost to $774,280. Robinson said AEP, which is offering rebates to spur replacement of inefficient lighting to conserve energy, would provide a rebate of $22,300 on the project, while he also recommended creating a $10,000 contingency fund for the Goedde Building in case additional work would be needed on the building’s aging HVAC equipment.

Although HEAT also looked at replacing some windows in the Goedde Building to provide more energy savings, the high cost of new windows would not meet the requirements of HB 264, which requires that a school be able to use energy savings to pay off the cost of such projects within 15 years.

Also Wednesday, the board went into executive session to discuss personnel issues, with no action taken afterwards.