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Updated 34 minutes ago
Franklin Regional officials have already begun to feel the effects of their still ongoing feasibility study, which last month projected that the district may need to spend more than $73 million in the next five years to keep its buildings in their current condition.
Facilities director Jim Heck began laying the groundwork this week for whatever decision the Franklin Regional school board makes once the study is complete.
Heck laid out a capital spending plan of about $1.2 million for the 2017-18 school year and said it is in part affected by the study, including more than a half million dollars each in capital maintenance and replacement. Several items, including sections of the middle and high school roofs and plumbing at the high school, were among those identified as “needing immediate action” by VEBH Architects, which is conducting the feasibility study.
“Depending on how far we'd want to stretch what they defined as ‘immediate,' it could range from a half million up to $1.3 million,” Heck told the board Monday.
Heck also proposed contracting for a traffic impact study of the district's campuses along with soliciting proposals for both a geotechnical study and a land survey, which he said the district does not currently have.
“We have bits and pieces (of previous surveys), but when you put them together, they don't make the whole puzzle,” he said.
All three are necessary for securing building permits, which the district will need if school board members opt for renovation or new construction.
“All three provide very useful information,” Heck said. “What we don't want is to pick an option, do the studies and then find out it's not possible or significantly more expensive.”
The board did not take a vote on any of Heck's proposals. A potential vote on the capital program proposal, which could come at its Feb. 20 meeting, would not officially authorize those projects, Heck said.
“I'm just looking to begin developing a plan for the future,” he said.
Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-2862 or pvarine@tribweb.com.
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