Portland Public Schools staff updated the Facilities Improvement and Oversight Committee on Dec. 9 that the Grant Bowl athletic project remains on schedule and that bond-audit recommendations are being tracked and implemented.

Tom Odgers, who provided the Grant Bowl briefing, said the permit package has been submitted to the City of Portland and passed the city’s initial screening; utility coordination with Pacific Power is underway and Musco lighting lead times "are on schedule." Odgers said Parks review of conceptual plans for Powell Park is underway and the district and Parks will meet in early January to align next steps. Odgers said current risks are low and the district expects to meet its March 1 target ahead of the track season.

On bond-audit recommendations, Sarah Norman (senior director, OSM) and other operations staff described a consolidated document the internal performance auditor prepared to track outstanding items. Staff said many recommendations are already addressed or in process and that they maintain a tracking spreadsheet showing status and leads. The team described contract-language changes incorporated into CMGC agreements with approximately 40 amendments negotiated in recent contracts to close audit-flagged loopholes.

Staff told the committee they plan to present periodic updates on audit-recommendation implementation at each FIO meeting and pointed to quarterly Bond Accountability Committee reports available on the district website. No formal board actions were taken on these updates during the meeting.

Why this matters: Timely permitting keeps athletic and capital projects on schedule; clearer contract language and active internal-audit participation reduce cost and oversight risk on large construction projects.

What to watch for next: Staff said they will share updates on Pacific Power confirmation and Musco lead-time changes, provide the list of contract amendments upon request, and include audit-recommendation status in future FIO agendas.