Brighton Board of Education members approved contractors for the first phase of bond projects on both Brighton High School and Scranton Middle School during a meeting Monday night.
Brighton High School contractors were approved unanimously while Board Members voted 4-2 to approve Scranton Middle School contractors.
Board Secretary Nick Fiani and Trustee John Conely opposed the resolution to award bids for the middle school. Treasurer Jay Krause was absent from the meeting.
Conely made a failed motion to delay voting until a special meeting next week. Fiani also made a failed motion to approve the contractors with the exception of removing the eight planned tennis courts at Scranton that were originally approved in the design package in November.
Representatives from AUCH construction and SHW Group, bond construction managers and architect, told board members that to remove the tennis courts would delay the entire process so that the field would not be completed by the time school resumes this fall.
In order to remove the tennis courts from the bond projects at the middle school, SHW Group would need to do a redesign, then the project would have to be rebid. Bidding takes about four to six weeks, according to Brighton Superintendent Greg Gray.
"First off, I dont think the field will be done this fall, just to be honest," Fiani said. "And secondly, even if it's not done by this fall, it's okay because we're doing the fiscally responsible thing. We're looking at a $10 million deficit at the end of the next fiscal year."
Green Oak Townshp resident Brenda Goebbel said that the proposed ammenities for the Scranton athletic field were unnecessary expenditures while the district is facing a deficit budget, especially since she plans to insist on a negotiated deal between residents and the district to limit the use of the field, similar to that of Plymouth-Canton Schools.
Gray said such an agreement was "doable."
Board members told AUCH to work as much with local vendors as possible.
Of the direct contracts awarded for $12.3 million in bond projects at Brighton High School, almost $2.7 million or 22 percent was awarded to Brighton contractors. $814,000 or 24 percent of $3.4 million in projects was awarded to Brighton contractors for Scranton.
