Minutes of the BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS COMMITTEE

FOR the Board of Education of

Deer Creek-Mackinaw Community Unit School District No. 701

Held at the District Office,

401 E. Fifth Street, Mackinaw, IL  61755

On TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.

 

The meeting was called to order by Chair, Jeff Miller at 7:04 p.m.

 

Roll Call

Members present:

Burmaster, Burr, and Miller

 

Members absent:

none

 

Administration Present:

Krause, Lamb, Yarnall

 

Old Business

a)      Athletic Facility Plan

A discussion was held regarding the status of our currently athletic facilities and needs.  The items are listed in order of priority.

Track – Mr. Yarnall shared information with the committee on the cost and dimensions of a track facility.  The committee agreed that this is the highest priority and directed the superintendent to meet with the district’s architect to design a practice oval for the practice football field.

Baseball – Members discussed moving baseball to Brock Lake and building a track/football facility on the ground north of the high school.  Mr. Krause reported that there was not enough room to hold high school games at the Brock Lake facility as the backstop is too close to home plate and the fences are not deep enough.  Also, there are trees and a ravine beyond the fences making it cost prohibitive to move to Brock.  The committee recommended that the superintendent proceed with cost estimates to replace fencing, including netting to catch foul balls, and build a concession/scorers area at the high school field.

Football – It was reported to the committee that the football team is using the practice field this year.  Mr. Krause reported that the IHSA has ruled that our press box needs to be moved back from the field approximately two feet in order to be in compliance.  Additionally, Mr. Krause reported that the light poles may have to be relocated at some point.  The committee agreed that it would be best if we could purchase a press box that was built into the stands for the home side, moving our current stands to the visitor side.  Although the committee saw this as the third priority, they agreed that repairs where necessary for this year.

 

b)      Construction Updates

Mr. Yarnall reported the status of the high school project and discussed plans for the start of the school year.

 

c)      Widening Green Street with the Village of Deer Creek

Mr. Yarnall and Mrs. Burr attended a meeting at the intermediate school with the Deer Creek Village Board on Thursday, August 7, 2008.  In addition to Mrs. Burr, Mr. Reliford, and Mr. Yarnall, Village President (Jim Hackney), Village Clerk (Lori Lewis), Village Trustees (Terry Bobell, Mark Rich, Karl Eschelbach, and Mark Smith), and Village Police Chief (Jim Edwards) were in attendance.  The Village has requested the use of the district’s four acre lot to the south of the school as a staging area when they build their water tower at Bradbury and Green Streets.  If permitted, the Village will have their attorney draft an intergovernmental agreement for our approval that would include a guarantee to return the property to its original condition after the project is completed.  Additionally, the village has requested $8,000 from the district for culvert and rock to widen Green Street. Directly south of the school’s property line.  The committee recommends that we allow the Village access to our vacant property (pending approval of the agreement), and that we gather additional information regarding the widening of Green Street.  Specific information required to make a decision is the total cost to the district and the village, timelines for the project, type of culvert materials being used, and dimensions of the proposed project.

 

d)     Open Items not known at agenda preparation time

None presented

 

New Business

a)      Presentation by Charles Welch on performance contracting with T.A.C.

Charles Welch, T.A.C. Sales Representative, presented a PowerPoint presentation on the use of performance contracting.  Performance contracting allows districts to use projected energy savings to offset the costs of capital improvements.  Should the Board decide they are interested, T.A.C. would send engineers to complete a walk through and provide an assessment of needs and projected savings.  The committee’s discussion lead to a recommendation for the superintendent to request and investigate references and surrounding school district’s successes with performance contracting and T.A.C. prior to allowing T.A.C. to proceed with their feasibility study.

 

b)      Open Items not known at agenda preparation time

Mr. Wiegand presented information regarding the sale of the apartment complex west of the high school on Webster (the one way street).  The property is listed for $260,000 and is owned by Cory Wiegand and Ron Brubaker.  The committee recommended that this be brought before the full board for possible purchase for future expansion or parking.

 

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m. with participants then touring the construction of the high school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Board Secretary

 

Board President