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Kalispell firm wins school renovation bids

by Alan Lewis Gerstenecker Editor
| June 5, 2011 10:25 PM

Libby School Board members, during a special meeting Wednesday, unanimously awarded school renovation bids for both the middle and high schools, to Meredith Construction Co. of Kalispell for $496,500.

The bids, which include alternate restroom upgrades at both schools, were $251,000 for the middle school and $245,500 for the high school.

Meanwhile, the district on Wednesday bid farewell to Asa Wood Elementary School during a ceremony at 11:30 a.m. in which Principal Scott Beagle read from Asa Wood’s building dedication speech 57 years ago.

Bids were opened at the district office at 2 p.m. and two hours later — after board members researched references — the motion was made by Lee Disney and seconded by Les Nelson to accept the bids from Meredith.

Three contractors presented dual bids for both jobs and a seventh offer came from a local contractor — Kevin Miller Construction — for only the middle school project.

   School Board President Tracy Comeau and Corey Johnson, the project architect with CTA Architects and Engineers of Kalispell, conducted the bid-opening process.

   The bid process is necessary as the district streamlines its schools, downsizing from three schools to two — a new elementary school campus for kindergarten through sixth grades at what was the middle school and a new high school campus for grades seventh through 12th.

   Bids were received from three out-of-town contractors: Meredith Construction of Kalispell; Sletten Construction of Great Falls, and Martel Construction of Bigfork.

All three contractors submitted bids with addendums for both school renovations.

   The lone local contractor — Kevin Miller of Libby — said he is grateful the district split the bids between both schools.

   “It made a difference in my ability to bid,” said Miller, caught after he left the district conference room. “No, I wouldn’t have been able to bid this job had they not split the bids. …

   “I’m confident in my numbers. I know what this job is going to cost,” Miller said.

   Miller’s bid of $282,190 was the highest of the four offerings for the middle school. The other bids by Meredith Construction ($223,000), Sletten ($240,000) and Martel ($281,000) came in less.

   Bids for the high school renovation were lower than that of the middle school, Meredith ($207,000), Sletten ($240,000) and Martel ($281,000). All bidders offered 10 percent performance bonds on the projects.

   Superintendent K.W. Maki, asked whether the local bid of Kevin Miller Construction was considered, and Maki said it was, but the difference of $63,000 was too much to award for the sake of awarding the job to a local contractor.

   “It’s $63,000,” Maki said. “Sixth-three thousand dollars is a lot of money. If the bids had been closer, perhaps.”

   Board President Comeau explained there is a stipulation that allows awarding bids to a local contractor that is not the low bidder. However, that difference, Comeau said, cannot exceed 5 percent.

   At the Asa Wood School closing Wednesday, Principal Beagle likened current events of today to references from then Superintendent Asa Wood’s speech 57 years ago.

   “Has it occurred to you, my friends, that while there is confusion and mistrust in many places, high and low, while we are beginning to wonder if we can ever solve the problems crowding in on us, economic, social political, world tension and the Cold War — that while all these things make headlines and are felt about us, we are in a quiet, sheltered spot tonight where we can take each other by the hand in perfect trust. … Here instead of suspicion and ill will, we have a community united on the peaceful project of dedicating a fine new building to the use of their children.”

   Beagle displayed two framed documents — one signed by the teachers and students 57 years ago at the school’s opening and another, larger document signed by the students and faculty of 2011 at the school’s final days.

   “I was a student and a teacher here,” Beagle said. “This is bittersweet, but we will have a new K through sixth complex, and that will be great.”