The Policy and Long Range Planning; Audit, Budget and Finance; and Building, Grounds and Site Selection Committees met before the district's board of trustees Tuesday.
After voting to approve their March 13 meeting minutes, the Audit, Budget and Finance Committee brought three agenda items to the board, beginning with a presentation concerning the district's budget and finances.
To minimize reinvestment, interest and credit risks when investing $275 million bond proceeds, the committee recommended that the board approve for Hypo Public Finance Bank to act as provider, and U.S. Bank N.A. as the custodian, for a Flexible Repurchase Agreement.
Four bids were received March 19, Hypo Public Finance Bank's bid being the highest at a yield rate of 4.72 percent. The other three bids ranged from a yield rate of 4.6250 percent and 4.7030 percent. A bidding agent fee of $33,000 will be paid by Hypo Public Finance Bank to First Southwest Company, an expense which will reach the district as a somewhat lower fixed earnings rate.
The committee also recommended that the board award the Triennial Contract for Insurance Consultant Services to Marsh USA, Inc., a local company. The company will assess financial risks for the district to ensure that the best possible lines of insurance are purchased, General Counsel Martha McCabe explained.
"We may be suffering as a result of our deductibles," she said.
Twenty-five vendors were contacted in regard to the contract, five did not respond, and ranked just below Marsh USA, Inc., were RWL Group and Valley Risk Consulting. The first-year cost to the district for Marsh's services will not exceed $97,500; and the second and third year costs will not exceed $102,500. The total three year cost is not to exceed $302,500.
However, the committee anticipates paying only $50,000 for the first year of consultant services, and less than that for each of the following two years. They predict the first year will be much more labor intensive.
The Building, Ground and Sites Selection Committee presented to the board the status of the 2005 Capital Improvement Program, and the progress that has been made. The presentation included ground-breaking dates, updates on building permits, construction status and any energy efficiency measures included in design and construction of the projects.
A total of 49 projects are under way at the district colleges, 30 of which are in design phase, while 19 are already in some phase of construction, said John Strybos, district director of construction and facilities manager.
Some of these projects include a soccer field at Palo Alto College, a new challenge high school being built in collaboration with Judson Independent School District, a First Responders Academy at San Antonio College and tree rescuing programs at Northwest Vista and St. Philip's colleges.
This college's fire sciences program has taken a loss in enrollment since they no longer have access to a burn facility. The committee recommended that the board approve a steering committee, including President Robert Zeigler, to plan the First Responders Academy project to help alleviate the situation.
A steering committee for the Future Capital Improvement Program was also approved by the board. The committee will overlook planning for future projects that will lead to a CIP bond election. Dr. Gene Sprague, building committee chair, is one of the confirmed members of the steering committee.
An interlocal agreement between the ACCD and Judson ISD was approved, as required for the design and construction of the Judson ISD Challenge High School to begin.
The Guaranteed Maximum Price Construction Manager at Risk fee's for construction at Northeast Lakeview, Palo Alto and St. Philip's colleges were also approved by the board.
Austin Commercial, LP., is charging a guaranteed maximum price of $41,803,990 to begin construction of foundations and structural systems at Northeast Lakeview, including a 2.90 percent contingency totaling $1,179,266.
Spaw Glass Contractors will charge a guaranteed maximum price of $2,260,311 for improvements to the physical plant at Palo Alto College, including a 5.53 percent contingency that totals $118,444.
A new diesel plant at the Southwest Campus of St. Philip's College will be built by Skanska USA Building, Inc., at a maximum price of $3,996,524. A 1.86 percent contingency totaling $72,783 is included in that price.
According to a packet presented by Strybos, as capital improvement programs are completed at Northwest Vista College, additional servers will need to be installed to support them. The current primary server room at Northwest Vista is inadequate and must be expanded.
To do so, a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Accessibility Plan review is necessary for all building permits. The committee's recommendation that Alamo Architects Inc. perform the review was approved at a total consultant cost of $11,325.
To support the music education program at Palo Alto College, a multi-track recording studio is needed in the convocation center. This would require soundproofing and any necessary built-in recording equipment.
The Building Committee recommended that Rehler Vaughn and Koone, Inc., be paid a consultant fee of $14,850 to prepare construction documents for the recording studios construction.
District 9 trustee Jim Rindfuss expressed concern that money being saved by the guaranteed maximum price of construction was being spent on additional requests, something that is not being done at Palo Alto's sister colleges - but Strybos assured him and the board that the $14,850 would not come from the contingency set aside for the project.
Preventive maintenance, as well as code compliance issues, must be addressed upon completion of a new diesel lab at St. Philip's Southwest Campus. It was recommended that West End Design Group, L.L.C., be authorized to prepare the construction documents for a fee of $402,400.
The last item on the committee's agenda was the policy by which buildings will be named. Rindfuss suggested that one of Northeast Lakeview's buildings be named after the Costella family, who originally owned and donated the land.
However, the chancellor and administration are changing the naming policy, and a decision as to how the process is handled still needs to be made.
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