Board Approves $2.6 Million For New Complex

It’s official, work can now begin on the long awaited Hurricane athletic complex as a quorum of Board of Education members approved some $2.6 million for contract bids for phase one to begin the project.

During a called meeting last Wednesday, Jasper County Charter Schools Superintendent Dr. Mike Newton said that the bids presented to the board were from the first phase of the vast project to include the baseball field with the goal of having it complete by Spring 2019 for use by the team.

Also included in this phase of bids acceptance was the awarding of the site work for the entire project which would be the largest line item by far of the project, said Dr. Newton.

Only one grading company, Russell Bennett Contracting, submitted a bid for the site work at a cost of $2,080,157. Perry Hyde, Maintenance Supervisor, noted that a few grading companies had inquired about the project but that only one actually submitted a bid for the work.

Board members present Bobby Norris, William Schilling, Lewis Rice and Shannon Barton seemed astounded by some of the bid figures but also professed to knowing very little about construction costs.

Mr. Norris questioned some of the bids submitted for the completion of the baseball field which included $18,528 for bleachers, $19,182 for a scoreboard, and some $48,000 for other field equipment. He asked for an itemized list of costs for the baseball field.

“I am not trying to skimp on the project but I want us to be cost effective too,” said Mr. Norris. “The important thing is being prudent with our money.”

Money that will come from taxpayers’ pockets as the project is being supported with Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds.

“I agree with you Bobby. I don’t know what the cost of these things run now but the cost does seem a bit high,” said Mr. Lewis.

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Mr. Lewis was concerned that only one grading company had submitted a bid and that the board had employed that company before on a project where some issues had been raised.

Mr. Hyde also noted that a new greenhouse will be built because the current one could not be relocated. Other items approved in this phase included trash services for $17,500; brick work for $10,329; two block packages for $135,000; concrete for $196,200; and greenhouse for $99,652.

Mr. Hyde noted that the metal structures for the baseball field house are still needed and the bids for that will come later.

Dr. Newton said that all of the bids for the project should be in by the end of September and ready for review by the board members. He reiterated that the board will not likely see another bid in the amount of the grading bid.

The bids selected were approved 4-0 by a board vote.

Also, approved by the board Wednesday were the cost of living funds granted to the Head Start program in the amount of $20,000.

The next meeting of the Board of Education will be a work session Thursday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m.