Board authorizes King & King as architect for 2025 capital-improvement project; construction-manager procurement debated
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Summary
The Watertown board authorized the superintendent to execute the final contract with King & King architects for the district's 2025 capital project and heard questions about whether to issue a new RFP for construction management and about grant funding that could offset costs.
The Watertown City School District Board of Education on June 3 authorized Superintendent Dr. Larry C. Schmeichel to sign final contract documents with King & King architects for the district’s 2025 capital improvement project.
Board members also questioned whether to solicit a new request for proposals for a construction manager. One board member asked whether the district would open an RFP process after receiving a letter from a local proposer (Anthony Fiorentino). District staff said they were not recommending a new RFP because the current construction manager has historical knowledge of the district’s facilities and projects that staff consider valuable to the capital program and to ongoing FEMA and Department of Homeland Security mitigation work.
Why this matters: The architect selection advances planning for the district’s capital project. Board members expressed competing priorities: soliciting local vendors to support the community versus preserving continuity by retaining an experienced construction manager who knows the district’s project history.
Grant funding and schedule: Superintendent Schmeichel reported the district has applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security for mitigation funding tied to storm damage; those grants, if awarded, would reduce costs in the district’s larger capital project (the transcript referenced a $110,000,000 capital project figure). Staff cautioned that restarting a construction-manager procurement could delay project staging and potentially push the schedule by about a year.
Board action: The board adopted a resolution authorizing the superintendent to execute documents to approve the final contract with King & King architects in a form approved by legal counsel. Board members indicated they will have another opportunity to review any construction-manager contract when it is presented to the full board.