MONROE — After extensive discussion during the Finance Committee meeting prior to its regular meeting Monday, the Monroe School Board agreed to accept the lowest bids for each project in updating Parkside Elementary School and Monroe Middle School as directed by planning company CG Schmidt.
Dan Chovanec, general manager for the company’s western region in Madison, reviewed the bids from companies for plumbing, heating and cooling ventilation, ceiling demolition, electrical improvements and installation of updated fire protection systems at Parkside.
Board president Dan Bartholf said talks over the presented bids took some time during the committee meeting, and that the board decided to accept the lowest cost offer on each segment of the project with the exception of CG Schmidt performing the ceiling demolition. The total cost is just over $64,000.
The overall budget for mechanical, fire, plumbing and electrical work is roughly $3.3 million, Chovanec said. And while the HVAC work of removing the ceiling, replacing lights and converting the controls for the heating and cooling system to a digital system went “a little bit over budget,” he noted that the company was able to find savings elsewhere. By using less expensive bathroom fixtures for instance, he said.
Three bathrooms will be updated at Parkside. At the MMS, six will be remodeled to address accessibility issues as well. As part of the bid package, the work at MMS will be just under $610,000. Total work for the sprinkler system will be over $140,000, bathroom costs at Parkside will reach nearly $200,000 and general maintenance costs at both schools will be an estimated $68,000, bringing the total costs to $28 from the amount borrowed in the 2018 referendum question.
There were three bids for the fire protection system work, four for plumbing, three to replace the HVAC system though one dropped out and three electrical bids. Chovanec said Rufer Refrigeration & Heating withdrew its bid because of a workload conflict.
For electrical work, which includes energy efficient LED lights in the library of the school, H&H Group Holdings of Madison came in with the lowest bid of nearly $314,000. Other bids included Precision Drive & Control Inc with a total of just over $413,000 and Pieper Electric Inc. of New Berlin with just under $412,000.
The three fire protection bids included Monona P&FP, JF Ahern of DeForest and H.J. Pertzborn Plumbing and Fire Protection Corporation of Madison. Ahern was recommended at the lowest bid of roughly $133,000. Monona P&FP and H.J. Pertzborn came in at higher numbers of over $184,000 and $186,000, respectively.
Of the four bids for plumbing work, H&H Group Holdings claimed work again with a low bid of nearly $47,000. North American Mechanical Inc. bid slightly higher at more than $67,000. Monona P&FP also bid, but had an even higher final bid of over $72,000. H.J. Pertzborn was the highest of the group with a bid of more than $94,000.
Chovanec reiterated that the goal of CG Schmidt was to receive roughly three to five bids in order to have the best numbers and the plan succeeded.
HVAC will be the most expensive component of the work. NAMI succeeded in the bidding process with a final budget of roughly $1.49 million. The other bid, from 1901 Inc. of Madison, was higher at $1.61 million.
Chovanec said the companies were interviewed and that they had different methods for heating work. For 1901, the plan was more traditional, an air handling system with forced air and a boiler to heat 55 degree water which then warms the air. NAMI proposed a variable refrigerant flow system, a two-pipe system which heats and cools the building with fam coil units in each classroom. There would also be dedicated outdoor air systems, ensuring fresh air comes into the building.
Board members agreed unanimously to each of the lowest bids as well as the CG Schmidt bid for ceiling demolition.