ELY – Following the Ely School Board’s decision to utilize the services of Architectural Resources, Inc. for the district’s new facilities project, board members agreed this week to consider a professional services contract with ARI.

They will meet with the firm’s designer, Katie Hildenbrand, at their Nov. 26 study session to plan the next steps to get the project, which will include connecting the three campus buildings and other potential improvements, off the ground

Earlier this fall, the state preliminarily awarded the Ely School District $495,000 toward the connection of the three campus building through a School Safety grant program.

That amount is just one-third of the estimated $1.5 million that it will cost to connect the Memorial High School, Washington Elementary School, and Industrial Arts buildings. Adding a gymnasium and other proposed improvements to the project would cost significantly more.

Detailed pre-design plans will likely need to be submitted by March 2019 in order to qualify for the grant award, according to Superintendent Kevin Abrahamson, so time is of the essence in hammering out details.

In a draft proposal for professional services, Hildenbrand outlined her firm’s process to help lead the school district in making appropriate decisions. “This will incorporate long-term planning as well as immediate planning,” she wrote, “for the (grant) money received to complete the secure entry to the existing (buildings).”

She called for a facilities committee to be formed to serve as a “sounding board” with decision makers to help move the project forward. “This committee should be comprised of 10-12 people including school board members, teachers, community members and district employees,” she said.

Board member Scott Kellerman, who did not seek re-election and is leaving the board at the end of the year, encouraged students to be included on the committee.

Phase One of the process will include the development of an existing facilities condition report, to include a review of the building envelope, finishes, mechanical, electrical, building code, accessibility and technology. “The report will prioritize necessary repairs and provide recommended timelines for replacement,” Hildenbrand said.

ARI will also prepare an educational adequacy report as part of the first phase’s data-gathering process. “ARI will compare the existing spaces to the recommended guidelines by the Minnesota Department of Education to provide clarity to the school district on the quantity of square footage that exists now and how it is being used,” she said.

The second phase of the decision-making process will involve the development of a community engagement plan, including meetings, surveys or other means to engage public input and opinion. ARI will provide a summary of the involvement.

Phase Three will develop prototypes for multiple options (renovation, additions, new construction) based on the information gathered in the first two phases. ARI will “develop projected costs for each option for further consideration and review funding sources and tax implications“ for each plan.

Phase Four will include the refinement of the selected options and the development of the selected option for the school district to use in engaging the community.

Hildenbrand set the timeline of completion of the process at about four months. The proposed cost is $28,500 for the professional services. “If a project moves forward into the design phase and ARI is selected to continue working with the district, a percentage of this fee will be credited toward the design phase,” she said.

“Last month, you agreed to work with ARI on the project but we have no contractual agreement with them,” Abrahamson said. “This could be the first step in that (contract).”

Hildenbrand will attend the study session to discuss the proposal and other facility renovation topics with board members.

Members of Molly Olson’s eighth-grade STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) class presented to the school board the results of their project in renovation planning for the girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms and improvements to the hallways.

Other business

In other business, the school board:

Approved the annual senior class trip to Washington, D.C., planned for March 28-April 1, 2019;

Adopted a resolution canvassing the vote returns of the school district general election held Nov. 6 (Rochelle Sjoberg, 1,721, Anthony Colarich, 1,637, Ray Marsnik, 1,533, write-ins, 96);

Accepted the resignation of Tim Leeson, from his full-time custodian position, and hired him as the Director of Facilities and Transportation, effective Nov. 13;

Hired Jeff Johnston for the Bus Maintenance Diesel Mechanic position, effective Nov. 1;

Hired Warren Carlson for the permanent full-time custodian position, effective Nov. 13;

Hired Holly Sherman for the part-time Media Center Clerk position, effective Nov. 6.