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.