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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 1976)
THE BATTALION FRIDAY, APR. 2, 1976 Page 7 mow Bond tored more EXCERPTS FROM THE 69 PAGE REPORT OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE !. Cost Estimates Committee (authors of extensive report -“Proposed Building Program! Costs Estimates of Projects started by Year") Spencer Buchanan George Kunze Dempsey Seastrunk loth sub-committees presented their findings to this Com- ^ nittee. i. MOTION: That we recommend that the Board of Educa- ion study the acquisition of a future school site. 1st: Wes Harper 2nd: Lonnie Jones Vote: Motion carried unanimously XI *7 cellent tilized by the y Mrs. e pre- vhen Ed." Iding. dlities HIGH SCHOOL 1. Vocational Building MOTION: That we accept the $1,545,600 (year 1977) for he Vocational Building. 1st: Bill Ledbetter 2nd: Charles McCandless Vote: Motion carried with 14 ayes 1. MOTION: That we delete the parking ($126,000 and 152,000) 1st: Lonnie Jones 2nd: Fred Klatt Amendment: That we delete the $152,000 for existing parking and leave the $126,000 for parking and leave the $126,000 for parking at the Vocational Building. 1st: Walter Dorsey 2nd: Elliot Bray Vote: Amendment passed with 8 Ayes and 6 Noes. MOTION AS AMENDED: 7l> ,985 .°tlc ?2S' That we delete the park ing in the amount of $152,000. VOTE: Motion carried with 10 Ayes and 3 Noes; 1 Abstention SOUTH KNOLL 1. P.E. facility 3. MOTION: That we accept the P.E. facility, changing the ame to "Multi-Purpose and Classroom Facility". 1st: Vi Burke 2nd: Alvin Jones 300 2 00 IOO a. zoo h no D6 Amendment: That we include the $25,000.00 for air-conditioning (1) 1st: Bill Ledbetter 2nd: Charles McCandless Amendment: That we vdelete the covered walk from the P.E. facility. (2) 1st: Walter Dorsey 2nd: Alvin Jones Vote: (2) Amendment to delete covered walk passed with 8 Ayes and 6 Noes. (Member previously not present for roll call, then present, now absent) (1) Amendment to include air-conditioning passed with 10 Ayes and 4 Noes. (Member previously not present for roll call, then present, now absent) MOTION AS AMENDED: That we accept the P.E. facility, changing the name to "Multi-Purpose and Classroom Facility", delet ing the covered walk, and adding the $25,000.00 for air-conditioning. VOTE: Motion carried with 11 Ayes and3 Noes. Heating and Air-conditioning in Main Building 2 ha s tiseS’ ne^ of all nusi' 3 sd ■ dby 19. MOTION: That we accept the figure of $19,200 for heat ing and air-conditioning in the Main Building. 1st: Fred Klatt 2nd: George Kunze Vote: Motion carried unanimously. Drainage System 24. MOTION: That we improve the drainage as shown ($57,700.00) 1st: Spencer Buchanan 2nd: George Kunze Vote: Motion failed. 25. MOTION: That we recommend the Board find an alter nate system for correcting the drainage system at a much reduced cost. 1st: Benny Leeth 2nd: Lonnie Jones Vote: Motion carried unanimously. MIDDLE SCHOOL - 5&6 28. MOTION: That we accept the recommended amount of $1,785,600 for the Middle School 5&6 as presented. 1st: Elliot Bray 2nd: George Kunze Amendment: Delete the word "demolition" plac ing the razing of 5 buildings and the relocation of one building under "site improvements" making the amount for site improvements $168,000.00 1st: Stewart Brown 2nd: George Kunze Vote: Motion carried with 8 Ayes and 4 Noes. Vote: Motion as amended, carried with 9 Ayes and 2 Noes. 33. MOTION: That we recommend $6,428,100 as what is necessary for the development of the school in this district, however there is a concensus on the part of this committee that it is too large. 1st: Bill Ledbetter 2nd: Walter Dorsey Vote: Motion failed with 2 Ayes, 12 Noes. MOTION: That the Gtizens Advisory Committee rec ommend to the Board the approved amount of $6,428,100 as the amount required to meet the needs for the E>istrict Building Program. 1st: Benny Leeth 2nd: Elliott Bray Vote: Motion carried with 14 Ayes, 0 Noes. 39. MOTION: That we recommend a strong maintenance program. (Text of motion not provided at time of printing by Fred Klatt) 1st: Fred Klatt 2nd: Spencer Buchanan Vote: Motion carried with 14 Ayes, 0 Noes. 1. A. The first several meetings of the Citizens Advisory Com mittee (C.A.C.) were devoted to hearing presentations by the Administrative staff and the architect about the needs of the system and the proposed building program. Then, for the purpose of gaining some close-up know ledge of these needs and for providing the whole com mittee some familiarization with them, the Committee divided into sub-committees campus by campus. B. The encompassing and final recommendation to the Board of Education was a proposed bond election total of $6,428,100.00 which includes all the necessary build ings requirements to house the operational and proposed educational program for all students in all schools at all levels. It is understood that passage and implementation of this bond election would serve the building needs of this community including projected student population increases through the year 1980. MY COMMENTS You, the Voters, owe the people of the Gtizens Advisory Committee a big "Thank You" for discovering that many of our present buildings suffer from neglect and need immediate repairs and maintenance to preserve them for continued use. Sec. Item 39 (opposite & below) FORGET THE BULLDOZERS And save over a million dollars worth of buildings for ued use. Item 2: In carefully reviewing the "Cost Estimates" of the earlier proposals and those in the C.A.C. report, it appeared to me that while the C.A.C. carefully sorted out Items, they would delete or add; they retained the original "Cost Esti mate" of the retained items without reviewing the estimates independently. I must add that it is possible to spend the amounts listed as costs, but not necessarily by any means. Item 7: From memos marked in the margin by someone, the Vocational Building seems to be proposed as 40,000 square feet; this comes to about $38.00 per sq. ft. I found similar facilities on the A&M Campus which I am certain were con structed for half that price. Item 11: The parking lot which was kept in the report for $126,000.00 has the area of about 1,000 linear feet of city street. In comparing bids for parking lots and streets by local paving contractors, I find that this lot could be built for less than $40,000.00 Item 13: Speaks for itself. Item 19: See Photo of duct work installed in the building where the board room is now. This building was planned for destruction and replacement in the original $7.2 million proposal but was saved along with the old Middle School gym by action of the Board in reducing the proposal to $5,150,000.00. I was told that this new system was not working because the City had not connected the electri cal system. I could not determine: A. Why it was being air-conditioned if also considered for demolition. B. Why the City would not connect the electricity; it's getting close to summer. C. How did it get paid for if it is part of a proposed (but not passed) Bond issue. Item 24: $57,700.00 for drainage. The C.A.C. obviously needed no professional advise to zap this: This equals the approximate cost for an eight acre subdivision (exclusive of land) complete with: Streets, water, sewer, drainage, and street lights. Item 25: Good for the C.A.C. Item 28: Speaks for itself, but who will know what site im provement means in the final proposal? Item 33, 34: Take your pick. Item 39: See first paragraph above; AMEN. I would like to congratulate the Battalion Reporting Staff for their coverage of this public interest issue. One reporter told me that she had interviewed some people who were so clearly biased on one side of this issue that she then proceeded to seek out persons advocating the opposite side in order to assure that the public was informed on both points of view. RETRACTION: In the "Battalion" of Tuesday, March 30, 1976, I was paraphrased very well in the story as written, except on one point, my reluctant support of this Bond Issue. My reluctance is caused by my dislike of having to vote no. We are getting short of time to get going on some badly needed items beginning with an extensive repair and maintenance program for this summer, but I am afraid that if this large issue is approved, it will be construed by the Board and the Administration as the blessing of the voters for this amount, and they will spend every bit of it. I did not find a single building that was not now being put to good use and fully suitable for continued use with repairs in the amount of 20% of the cost of New Buildings. The C.A.C. added money for this purpose. My apologies are hereby extended to your reporter for not having made this point clear in our telephone conversa tion; I accept full responsibility for this error and am paying for publishing this restatement of my position. THE CANDIDATE: W. D. Fitch Resident of College Station since 1946 30 years experience in the building business and Subdivision building in College Station Thoroughly dedicated to the continued enhance ment of our City and its School System I SOLICIT YOUR SUPPORT AND INFLUENCE TO ELECT ME AS YOUR: TRUSTEE PLACE FOUR Please take the time to read this information before you vote and then VOTE SATURDAY, APRIL 3.