The Española School Board awarded a local construction company a multi-million dollar contract to construct a new central office building.
The District lost the existing building in a settlement agreement with Cariños Charter School.
The Board chose, Sept. 7, Alcalde’s R&M Construction, LLC, for the approximately $2 million no-bid contract to build the new central office and warehouse. Board members picked the contractor even though the architects have not completed the project’s design.
District Facilities Director Adán Cordova told the Board during a Sept. 19 update, that R&M personnel were collaborating with Albuquerque’s FBT Architects to complete the project’s design phase.
Cordova said most of the preliminary work at the proposed Hunter Street site, where the old middle school used to be, has been completed, or is in the process of being completed.
“The general contractor is working on the design,” he said. “Once the design is 95-percent complete, we will put the general contractor’s agreement in place and commence to breaking ground.”
Board members agreed, on Aug. 24, to pay the architectural firm $177,122 to design a two-building project, also through a no-bid contract, that would house the District’s headquarters. It is unclear if the District is paying R&M for their work on the building’s design.
Board President Pablo Lujan said the District chose the no-bid route, through Cooperative Educational Services, as opposed to seeking competitive bids, to streamline the process.
“We wanted the process to be as fast as possible,” he said. “So we can get everything moved back into central office and get central office to function the way it should.”
He said he expects R&M crews to break ground shortly after Jan. 1, 2017. They should be finished with the project sometime in April or May.
According to the professional services agreement signed by FBT’s design professional, Sanjay Engineer, the maximum construction cost for the new central office is set at $1,428,700 and the transportation and warehouse portion of the project is capped at $564,120.
Lujan invited Cooperative Educational Services Executive Director David Chavez to give a procurement presentation, at the Nov. 2, Board meeting.
The Board president said the impetus behind the invitation was to educate both, the Board and the public, about how the District acquires the goods and services needed to educate the approximately 4,025 students they serve.
“We have been hammered in the local media for the vendors we have been choosing,” he said. “But, they have all been vetted by your organization.”
The Cooperative’s process involves each construction contractor going through two evaluations before getting approved.
“When our vendors apply, we evaluate them 60-percent on qualifications and 40-percent on price,” Chavez said.
Lujan’s Board colleague, Vice President Lucas Fresquez, attempted to have Chavez get on board with the District’s widespread practice of awarding no-bid contracts to companies previously approved by Educational Services evaluators.
“Recently, we approved a substantial project for a football field and track,” Fresquez said. “There were some concerns because there was no bid, that we didn’t get the best price.”
Fresquez was referring to the three-phase track and field project the Board approved, Oct. 12, which could run as high as $2,227,211, depending on the athletic lighting package the District chooses.
The Board agreed to award Bosque Farm’s Lone Mountain Contracting a $1,535,543 no-bid contract for the track and field project and School Equipment, Inc., a $372,265 no-bid contract to build bleachers and a press box. The lighting package has not been awarded.
Chavez said although his organization exercises due diligence to make sure the vendors they approve are above board, he believes customers like the District, are ultimately responsible for making sure they get the best price.
“I recommend you call at least three vendors, because not all vendors are equally skilled with a project,” Chavez said. “So, I encourage our clients to call three vendors not based on price, but based on qualifications.”
Cooperative Service vendors add a one-percent administrative fee to each job.
That is how organization officials pay for the services they offer the school districts and the governmental agencies that use their services.