The first phase of the athletic complex project for the West Liberty Community School District is getting ready to be sent out for bids.
Clay Schneckloth, landscape architect from Snyder & Associates, for the project spoke to the Board of Education at its meeting Monday, July 18, about the grading bid package.
Groundwork and utility work would be in this first phase, Schneckloth said. The goal is to get started by late summer or early fall on this.
A public water main would need some updating and a retention basin would be installed, Schneckloth said.
“There is a sanitary manhole kind of right in the middle of the softball field,” he added. “As part of this first phase we’re proposing to relocate it out of the softball field.”
Troy Culver, project manager, also of Snyder & Associates, said another bid package would be sent out separately for the bleachers from what he was told.
Superintendent Shaun Kruger said Culver that was correct. The school district was working on getting the final specifications for the bleachers ready and then would be ready to send it out for bid.
Board of Education member Rebecca Vargas asked if the school district needed to get permission from the neighboring property owner for the groundwork to be done.
“She’s asking Troy if we infringe on their property, I believe we do but right now there’s just a lot of brush and wild growth there so this will actually clean it up it sounds like,” Kruger said. “And the two we talked to from the Heritage Foundation were very supportive of that area being cleaned up. It will cut that bank down a little closer to the sidewalk but it still won’t infringe upon the sidewalk.”
Kruger asked Culver if he was correct by saying this. Culver said this was and the east side of the Heritage Foundation’s property would be affected. They would try not to affect anymore than they have to.
Board of Education member Ed Moreno asked what the size of the water main was.
Culver said it was an eight-inch water main but wasn’t sure how old it was.
Moreno also asked Culver if there were any concerns with purchasing the bleachers since they weren’t in the groundwork bid specifications but in a separate bid.
Culver said he didn’t have any concerns with this. He also added if the district wanted to have the bleachers by the time the athletic complex construction was done they would need to send the bid request out for those out soon due to possible production delays.
A motion was made to approve the bid packet. The motion passed unanimously. Board of Education members Jeff Laughlin and Carla Shield were absent.
Other items covered at the board of education meeting included:
•Approving a resolution to set the public hearing on the proposed use of SAVE Revenue for Aug. 1, at 6 p.m.;
•Approving 2022 Iowa Association of School Boards legislative priorities;
•Approving the increase of activity tickets due to the increase of admission to events in the River Valley Conference;
•Approving resignations from Shawna McLeod – middle school art; Molly Hood Brandt – elementary Title 1 teacher; Lindsey Forbes – elementary special education paraprofessional; Mikayla Heick – ELC office secretary; Ashley Smith – assistant show choir director; and Yoana Moran – elementary paraprofessional;
•Approved the hiring of Elise Charles – middle school art teacher; Asminda Diaz – night custodian; Greg Smejkal – assistant varsity football coach; Mikayla Heick – ELC paraprofessional; Courtney Joens – head varsity girls basketball coach; Nicholas Frenz – co-head coach for the cross country team; Maria Galvan – elementary/middle school resource navigator; Natalie Green – third grade English teacher and adjusted Natalie Green’s contract to 1.0 TAG teacher.
The next West Liberty Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Aug. 1, at 6 p.m. in the boardroom at 1103 North Elm Street.