Board deadlocked on project

New Kent’s five-member Board of Supervisors is “somewhat divided,” board chairman Marty Sparks said at the start of Tuesday’s special session discussion, on how to proceed with renovating the county’s Historic School. Make that evenly split.

Two supervisors — District 5 representative Ray Davis and District 4 board member Stran Trout — favor proceeding with the process already under way, which follows guidelines found in the 2002 Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act (PPEA).

Sparks, who represents District 2, and District 3 representative Jimmy Burrell favor embarking on another route, meaning put the project out for competitive bids. District 1 board member Thomas Evelyn, for now, is straddling the fence, saying he is undecided.

Standing to gain from the renovation project are New Kent’s School Board and Heritage Public Library. The old school’s campus is slated to become the new home for both, specifically the main or 1930s building becoming a library and the 1952 building housing the School Board’s offices.

Representatives from both joined in on Tuesday’s discussion, expressing concern that delays in the project or a change of course narrows a timeline each faces. The lease on the School Board’s current rental home expires July 1, 2012. The library’s lease for its New Kent branch location runs out six months later on Jan. 1, 2013.

PPEA proposals already on the table, submitted by four firms vying for the job, indicate that architectural and engineering work followed by construction could take up to 14 months. And those are just estimates.

After Tuesday’s session, county administrator Cabell Lawton said if the issue on how to proceed is not resolved by the supervisors before next May or June at the latest, “the school board may have to look at other options.”

The special session, meanwhile, featured lively debate among Trout, Sparks, and Davis. Trout said the PPEA process should proceed, although issues over which group utilizes specific space at the old school must be ironed out first. A space use agreement with the School Board was signed in April 2009, he said, adding there is no such agreement with the library.

Davis urged the board to move forward with the PPEA process, saying, “We’ve got four distinct bids, a couple better than the others.” He later added, “I’m pretty comfortable with what I think should go in there.”

Sparks remarked he is also comfortable, but said, “I respect what you say Mr. Davis, but I still don’t think we’re getting a competitive bid for this project.”

Sparks pointed to what he labeled as “variables” including funding, an uncertain economy, and not knowing what effect any General Assembly or governor’s office action taken early next year will have on the county.

“I’m not convinced of the [PPEA] process, especially in this economic environment,” he said, adding the county could land a large number of competitive proposals if the project is put out to bid.

He also expressed fear the county could end up spending more money by continuing its present course. Davis, however, accused Sparks of “giving up on the PPEA process too soon.”

Of the four PPEA proposals on the table, two have revealed cost estimates. Marengo Management lists close to $3.4 million while Charles Moss Company puts the price tag at just under $2.2 million. Kenbridge Construction and Harlan Construction are withholding cost estimate release, citing confidential “proprietary” issues.

Evelyn, meanwhile, brought up that there is a $1.3 million difference between the lowest and highest proposal, prompting Sparks to question, “Am I going to get everything for the low price that I’d get for the high price?”

Afterward, Burrell said he prefers seeking competitive bids due to the economy, adding it’s uncertain if the county is getting the best price under PPEA.

The four PPEA proposals differ on respective visions for the Historic School project. Resorting to competitive bids, however, means the county must first come up with an architectural concept for the finished product.

“Put the proposal out there and everybody bids on exactly the same thing,” Burrell said.

Library officials already have in hand an architectural concept for the old school’s 1930s building after commissioning the task on their own over a year ago. Trout, however, noted that supervisors have not received drawings from the School Board detailing office space needs in the 1952 building.

“We need to know that before we do PPEA or anything else,” Sparks said.

But supervisors have no plans to further address the Historic School situation before the end of the year. The matter may not resurface again until the board’s next work session in late January.