Posted: 4/2/03

ISD 831 office staff will move to CLC during mold abatement work

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Employees at the ISD 831 District Office Building will be moved to temporary quarters during a two-month repair period to abate water and mold problems.

Work on the $650,000 repair project is slated to be completed by June 15, consultants told the school board Monday night. Meeting in regular session, the board awarded contracts for a vast array of projects at the office, 6100 N. 210th St.

The project has been under review since last year. In October, the board granted approval for the administration to plan and bid the abatement work. Indoor air quality issues are also being addressed.

The office building, built in 1984, has suffered from serious water intrusion problems and related mold problems that have led to employee health issues. Two District Office workers have been relocated because of health issues.

The project will include replacing damaged interior and exterior surfaces, replacing windows, installing a new roof and replacing the heating and cooling system.

The two-month relocation of the 25 District Office employees will mean new quarters at the Central Learning Center, 200 SW 4th St. The media center at the former junior high school will be converted to temporary offices and work areas.

District officials said they expect no change in telephone or e-mail capabilities during the two-month occupancy.

Regular school board meetings will be shifted from the District Office Building to the media center at Forest Lake High School.

Board work sessions on the third Monday of the month will take place in meeting rooms at the Central Learning Center.

The boardís meeting to interview the three candidates who have applied for appointment to the vacant board seat will be at the Central Learning Center at 6 p.m., Monday, April 21.

Project details

Consultants told the board this week they face an ìaggressiveî work schedule that will be a challenge. But Terry Hart, a vice-president with Kraus-Anderson Midwest Division, was confident all factors were considered in setting a June 15 completion date.

Hart said the $650,000 improvement project would deliver a building that could last for many years. He said estimates for construction of a new building on the school-owned site range from $1.3 million to $1.9 million.

The study and abatement plan was shaped by consultants from The Institute for Environmental Assessment, Kraus-Anderson, Inspec and KKE Architects.

The school boardís 5-0 vote on Monday approved a series of bids totalling $644,247.

Mechanical work will entail $138,555 in cost. Demolition and carpentry will cost $115,000 while concrete and masonry work will be a cost of $106,942.

Gypsum board work is an $85,000 project cost while roofing and flashing will utilize $74,857 in project costs.

Funding for the work will come primarily from health and safety funds as approved by the state Department of Children, Families & Learning. Additional district funds will come from the operating capital-facilities repair budget.

Comments

ìSteps taken by the school district to remove mold, improve the building envelope, and replace the ventilation systems will ensure a safe and healthy workplace,î said Arif Quraishi in a district press release. He is an environmental expert from the Institute for Environmental Assessment.

He was a lead expert in the plan formulation and went before the board Monday.

The most recent water intrusion problems have included leaking windows, a deteriorating roof and mold growth. The intrusion problems are the result of spring snow, heavy rains and high humidity in the spring and summer of 2002.

A poorly functioning ventilation system and a series of construction problems compounded the issues.

ìThe health and safety of our students and staff is our number one priority,î said Lynn Steenblock, superintendent of schools, in a release.

ìOur district has a long and consistent history of responsibly dealing with health and safety issues as they have surfaced.î

The districtís air quality management plan is available for review online at: www.forestlake.k12.mn.us.

Board members, acting with assurance that the project will provide a long-term fix, moved ahead unanimously to award bids and start the project.

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