The Board of Trustees of Rocky View Schools (RVS) unanimously approved staff’s recommendations on four large-scale maintenance projects, which had recently gone out to tender, at its April 21 meeting.
Approval from Alberta Infrastructure is required before the projects can move ahead, however, RVS Superintendent of Business and Operations Darrell Couture said he was confident approval would be received.
The largest project involves re-roofing of École Airdrie Middle School.
“We went out for tender for that project. The budget was $600,000,” Couture said. “The bids we received were evaluated by both staff and a roofing consultant we hired. The RVS evaluation team and Baxter Roof Consulting recommend Western Weather Protector to be on board with the project.”
The bid from Western Weather was $560,217, the lowest of the six that were received.
Trustee Sylvia Eggerer asked if the work would be completed throughout the summer months while students are not in class. Couture said he hoped that would be case, but added, “Whether or not they’ll complete it is weather dependent. It’s hard to tell you when exactly they’ll be done. Staff and the children could be dealing with tar smell just like some schools last summer.”
Three other projects involve upgrades to the mechanical systems at two schools in Cochrane – Glenbow Elementary School and Elizabeth Barrett Elementary School – and R.J. Hawkey Elementary School in Airdrie. The mechanical upgrades vary between the three schools and include items such as refurbishment of the ventilation systems, cleaning of all duct work and ceiling space, and replacement of water boilers.
The tenders are evaluated by an internal evaluation team, including the RVS mechanical engineer, a staff member from the maintenance department and someone from the purchasing group, according to Couture. Bids are evaluated for cost, project experience and capacity of the bidder company, the warranty offered and the innovation of the proposal.
Staff recommended the same contractor, MJS Mechanical Ltd., be hired to complete the work at all three schools, raising some questions from trustees.
“MJS has the capacity to do all three projects,” Couture said. “They’re a large firm and have a substantial number of staff.”
The projects fall under RVS’ Infrastructure Maintenance Renewal (IMR) budget, which Couture said was $6.2 million for 2016/2017. Approximately $3 million of that total is carried over from 2014/2015.
Trustees approved the bids from MJS Mechanical for $316,153 for the work to be completed at R.J. Hawkey Elementary School, $308,853 for the work at Elizabeth Barrett Elementary School and $209,192 for the work at Glenbow Elementary School. According to Couture, the work could be completed over the summer months, resulting in little or no disruption to classes or students and teachers.
