By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The 2022-23 school year has yet to begin but already, some blockbuster moves are being made. At Monday's USD 428 Great Bend Board of Education meeting, the board voted 7-0 to move forward with a $4.82 million renovation plan to the support services facility located on east 10th Street. Once complete, the building will house both the district's food services and maintenance departments.
The project opened with a budget exceeding $6 million. Assistant Superintendent John Popp said the project was scaled back to the essentials but will still provide district employees with a comfortable and functioning work environment.
"We don't need to do all that much to the maintenance-transportation side," he said. "It's got more space, it's got more bays. It has room to store things. It does need heat. It doesn't have a good system at this point, so we do need to put some heat in there. We're trying to keep the cost to the bare minimum on that side of things, and yet still put in a, not the deluxe-model kitchen, but something that will be very functional and able to expand in in the future."
The project will be paid for from the district's capital outlay fund, which had approximately $9.1 million as of July 1. To help replenish capital outlay, the district has proposed a mill levy increase from 6.492 mills to the maximum eight mills for capital outlay, and increased from 41.124 mills to 41.840 for the entire 2022-23 budget.
"We've been building capital outlay for a few years for this project and other projects," Popp said. "One of the things we heard from the bond campaign is that we try to pay for more things out of the money we generate, without having to do a bond. That's one of the things we've been trying to do is build up our capital outlay so we can do things like this."
Renovations are scheduled to begin in January 2023 with a finish date in May. McCownGordon Construction received some 70 bids from local contractors. Project Manager Todd Dumler said local contractors will complete the earthwork, site utilities, fencing, masonry, overhead doors, glass and glazing, flooring, fire protection, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing.
"As you can see from that list, those are all people with a Great Bend address who would be doing work on this building," Dumler said. "We're proud of the fact that we can keep those local dollars in this tax base."
Wichita-based SCFJ Architecture drew up the plans, and Vice President Matt Hamm said the finished drawing was pared back considerably. An original rendition included polished floors and glass doors to display some of the district's vehicles. The final plans are more practical.
"We always start high with the bar," Hamm said. "It's just natural to have a wish list and start high. We really cut that way back, only to the bare minimum now. I still think it's going to be a fantastic building even with the savings that were trimmed out."
Part of the costs involves a new HVAC system since the building currently does not have heat. The maintenance and kitchen facilities will have separate HVAC systems to prevent cross-contamination. But Dumler said the most significant costs came from kitchen equipment.
"I know the $4.8 million is big, but that kitchen is a sophisticated, modern kitchen like you'd see in a lot of new districts that are building brand new buildings," he said. "You guys are making use of an existing building and inserting that kitchen."
USD 428 Maintenance Director Davis Dirk and Food Services Director Kristy Alvord both said the new facility will meet their needs. Director of Grounds and Transportation Cody Schmidt agreed and said district staff may be able to save further money by handling some of the concrete work after the renovation.
"I'm a grounds guy so site work is a little iffy for me, just outside with parking lots and things," he said. "I think that's something we work through after it's established, and I think that's stuff we can do internally to save us a lot of money. We may not be able to complete it as fast, but we can definitely pour concrete with some of the best of them.
"This building is probably what we need if not a little more, in my opinion."
The board also approved 7-0 a pair of additional alternatives to the plan. It approved the purchase of three compartment sinks and a 60-quarter mixer for $39,426, and a revised electrical gear line for $9,315.
Renovations are set to begin in January and be completed by May. Kitchen equipment will be moved from the current facility on Broadway to the new facility during the summer months to minimize disruption to the summer lunch program.