$123,000 Change Order for School Demolition

    The Central Community School Board called a Special Board Meeting for 11:00 AM last Friday at Superintendent Faulk’s office to approve $123,013 in additional asbestos abatement work that was overlooked in the original bid request.
    The asbestos abatement portion of the original $328,754 bid was approximately $178,000.  However, due to an oversight in the site survey used to prepare the bid documents, the removal of the asbestos in the auditorium ceiling was not included in the bid.  This change order will increase the abatement expense to approximately $300,000.
    At the Facilities and Equipment Committee meeting earlier in the week to consider this change order, School Board members expressed that their biggest concern is that if this change order were approved it would mean that this price was being paid without the benefit of going out for competitive bids.
    School Board members also expressed during the meeting that it was common knowledge that the auditorium ceiling contained asbestos.  The building was ordered closed down more than 30 years ago when the asbestos problem was recognized.