The Blanco Independent School District Board of Trustees held a special meeting on Monday evening, November 21, to review and consider the construction documents for the Blanco Elementary School additions and renovations project.

Troy Immel led the meeting in President Matt Herden’s absence. Also in attendance were trustees Charles Riley, Darrel Wagner, Kirk Felps, and Tim Nance. Superintendent Dr. Buck Ford was present as well.

Architect Randy Fromberg, with Bob Shelton and Drew Cummings from the firm Fromberg & Associates, presented the board with plans and specifications for the project.

“We’ve been working, getting drawings and specs put together,” Fromberg began. After compiling the plans from consultants and all areas of the project, Fromberg met with Tom Rehak with Vanguard Contractors, which the board had chosen for the project. Fromberg and Rehak went over last minute changes.

“We’re reviewing tonight,” Fromberg read from the current project schedule. “We’re releasing the final construction documents on November 28, tentatively scheduled opening bids for December 21, and Tom will be able to come to the board with a guaranteed maximum price on January 9.”

The document submitted to the board consisted of 94 pages of drawings and 600 pages of specifications. Bob Shelton and Drew Cummings reviewed the drawings for the board during the meeting.

The plans also includes bid alternatives: renovating the basketball courts, replacing windows in the music room, closing in the walkway outside the art room, and metal panels above the stone on the sides of the new classroom wings. Each project is included as a separate price, and can be decided as the project continues. The alternates would save the district money as needed.

The drawings covered the project from every angle–infrastructure, erosion control, demolition plan, paving and striping, and more.

Trustee Darrel Wagner and elementary principal Sue Ann Reininger both questioned the addition of the storm water retention pond on the east side of the block, in an area now used as a soccer field, created using a three to four foot berm out of material that would otherwise be removed from the site. The pond would have to be fenced off, Wagner noted.

“I know they’re not always full of water, but they’re full of some water, and it’s kind of yucky,” Reininger commented. She added that there would need to be a fence around it to restrict access when it was muddy.

“It is a neat project, and, really, it says a lot about your community and a lot about your history,” Fromberg added. “We’re really excited about it. Pretty soon, we’ll see some activity out on the grounds.”

Trustee Wagner moved to accept the construction documents with Nance seconding. The motion was approved and the meeting then adjourned.