Library Opens Bids For Foundation, Drainage Work
September 13, 2016 at 7:16 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Milestone’s bid was $23,400, while D&C Construction Inc.’s bid was over $34,000. Board President Barbara Beck opened the bids.
Library Director Ann Zydek reported to the board that a bid packet was put together by SRKM Architecture. Four contracts and bid packets were sent out requesting bids, with two bids returned.
SRKM Architecture co-owner Jeff Kumfer said all the drawings were self-explanatory and were given to all the contractors. “They all had the same basis of information to begin with,” he said.
Heavy rain spanning two days in June backed up and caused a crack in a wall of the library, allowing water into the building’s technical services and cataloging work room. The older portion of the building did have water proofing, but it had pulled away from the building and allowed water to get in behind the material and into the building. The library board in August approved the expenditure of Rainy Day Funds to fix the issue.
Because the difference in the two bids Monday was about $11,000, board member Rick Paczkowski asked if one of the contractors was doing something different.
Kumfer responded, “We do not know the difference. That’s just the way their numbers came in.”
He said D&C is more familiar with the library and project so “it could be they’re foreseeing things Milestone didn’t, but they’re still basing their bids on the same set of drawings. They’re both proposing to do the same amount of work.”
Paczkowski asked if Kumfer if they knew the companies, and he said they did and have worked with both in the past. Paczkowski then asked if there was any reason not to go with Milestone, and Maintenance Director Bruce Hively said there was no reason that he knew.
The motion to award the bid to Milestone was made by Paczkowski, and it was unanimously approved.
Zydek also reported the library’s heating and cooling system is working, but it’s been experiencing some issues due to the recent thunderstorms.
Hively said a contractor was at the library Monday.
“As he is finding out, a lot of issues came from Thursday’s storm, so he’s tracked it back and we’re running a test. We’ll know more in the morning. But I believe we’re back online with everything,” Hively stated.
Before the regular monthly meeting, the board held a public hearing on its 2017 budgets, with no members of the public present.
The general budget for 2017 is being proposed at $3,270,000, and the Rainy Day Fund at $260,355.
Renee Sweeny, WCPL business manager, indicated during the regular meeting the board will adopt its 2017 budget at its October meeting.
A policy change on food and drink in the library was approved by the board. The change eliminates the sentence “Snack food and drink are permitted on the lower level of the library only. The upper level is designated as ‘No Food or Drink’ area.”
Zydek said snack foods and/or non-alcoholic drinks in spill-proof mugs or juice boxes with screw caps and pop-up sports bottles are permitted in designated areas only. She said library employees have been told by some people that for health reasons they need to have some water with them.
Assistant Director Joni Brookins reported the library is looking at purchasing a 3D printer, and hope to have it ordered by the end of October. It wouldn’t be made available for the public’s use until the beginning of 2017.
“We need to get totally familiar with how it works,” she said.
Paczkowski asked how much a 3D printer costs, and Brookins said it can vary but “we’re looking at around a couple thousand dollars.”
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Milestone’s bid was $23,400, while D&C Construction Inc.’s bid was over $34,000. Board President Barbara Beck opened the bids.
Library Director Ann Zydek reported to the board that a bid packet was put together by SRKM Architecture. Four contracts and bid packets were sent out requesting bids, with two bids returned.
SRKM Architecture co-owner Jeff Kumfer said all the drawings were self-explanatory and were given to all the contractors. “They all had the same basis of information to begin with,” he said.
Heavy rain spanning two days in June backed up and caused a crack in a wall of the library, allowing water into the building’s technical services and cataloging work room. The older portion of the building did have water proofing, but it had pulled away from the building and allowed water to get in behind the material and into the building. The library board in August approved the expenditure of Rainy Day Funds to fix the issue.
Because the difference in the two bids Monday was about $11,000, board member Rick Paczkowski asked if one of the contractors was doing something different.
Kumfer responded, “We do not know the difference. That’s just the way their numbers came in.”
He said D&C is more familiar with the library and project so “it could be they’re foreseeing things Milestone didn’t, but they’re still basing their bids on the same set of drawings. They’re both proposing to do the same amount of work.”
Paczkowski asked if Kumfer if they knew the companies, and he said they did and have worked with both in the past. Paczkowski then asked if there was any reason not to go with Milestone, and Maintenance Director Bruce Hively said there was no reason that he knew.
The motion to award the bid to Milestone was made by Paczkowski, and it was unanimously approved.
Zydek also reported the library’s heating and cooling system is working, but it’s been experiencing some issues due to the recent thunderstorms.
Hively said a contractor was at the library Monday.
“As he is finding out, a lot of issues came from Thursday’s storm, so he’s tracked it back and we’re running a test. We’ll know more in the morning. But I believe we’re back online with everything,” Hively stated.
Before the regular monthly meeting, the board held a public hearing on its 2017 budgets, with no members of the public present.
The general budget for 2017 is being proposed at $3,270,000, and the Rainy Day Fund at $260,355.
Renee Sweeny, WCPL business manager, indicated during the regular meeting the board will adopt its 2017 budget at its October meeting.
A policy change on food and drink in the library was approved by the board. The change eliminates the sentence “Snack food and drink are permitted on the lower level of the library only. The upper level is designated as ‘No Food or Drink’ area.”
Zydek said snack foods and/or non-alcoholic drinks in spill-proof mugs or juice boxes with screw caps and pop-up sports bottles are permitted in designated areas only. She said library employees have been told by some people that for health reasons they need to have some water with them.
Assistant Director Joni Brookins reported the library is looking at purchasing a 3D printer, and hope to have it ordered by the end of October. It wouldn’t be made available for the public’s use until the beginning of 2017.
“We need to get totally familiar with how it works,” she said.
Paczkowski asked how much a 3D printer costs, and Brookins said it can vary but “we’re looking at around a couple thousand dollars.”
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