CBOC

Item 8.1

July 11, 2005

As we have approached the summer months the difficulty in bidding always begins to increase. Elevated cost and reduced participation in the bids are key indicators of the effect of shortening time frames. The impacts of school consolidation in concert with already heavy work loads at the State Agencies providing oversight and approval of construction documents have created delayed bidding of some of our most significant projects and getting good participation by bidders and reasonable costs has been a difficult feat this year. In general we are doing well overall, but we have had to re-bid some contracts, repackage or reschedule others, and otherwise move forward where appropriate. Kitchell will present more detailed information regarding budget, scope, and schedule of these various projects and these impacts.

A few positive points deserving mention are the following;

1. The new permanent classroom building at Schallenberger was completed in June ahead of schedule and under budget. The staff has been allowed to move their materials into the building and instruction will begin in the fall.
2. The new slab for the Gardner Fire Replacement project is complete, paving the way for unfettered progress through the next 5 months to completion.
3. The Anne Darling site is well into the scheduled work and all existing buildings excluding the media center/classroom pod and one row of portable classrooms have been demolished including the County ‘s Special Ed. facility which will be reconstructed on a different portion of the site. This school is scheduled to be complete and ready for instruction in Fall 2006.

And they’re off and running…. as the students and staff prepare to leave the school sites and begin their greatly deserved vacation, the second shift is gearing up to begin the difficult task ahead. The plans are complete, the bids received, and the contracts let, labor and materials stand at the ready and there are 70 days until the students return and that includes weekends. Ah, yes….another summer construction period begins.

70 days is an incredibly short period of time to complete any kind of a construction project, not to mention some of Measure F’s more complex projects. The veteran team of architects, construction managers, and district personnel are prepared for the hectic season ahead. Previous experience gained through many previous summers has prepared them with a full understanding of the fast paced nature of the work, the need for immediate response to field concerns, and the necessity for ongoing coordination between consultants, the district, and the field personnel. Time is already short and any slip along the way can be a tremendous impact to the eventual success of the project.

We, the CBOC and the SJUSD, have come together approximately every month for three years, and we have discussed the projects, the scopes of work, their associated budgets, and the schedule for completion. We have gone over internal procedures, public contracting codes and regulations, and bidding strategies. As a group we have discussed, debated, resolved, shaken hands and celebrated. Much work and great effort has been expended in and for these meetings just to get us to this point each year, but now the work truly begins. I don’t know if many people truly understand the magnitude of this effort on the part of everyone involved, but it is tremendous, and it takes it’s toll on the participants during the summer like no other period. The incredible stress, the long hours day after day, the daily demands exceeding resources, and the responsibility and the accountability each takes on are a tremendous load to bare. The unreasonable expectations and impossible outcomes are daunting and yet somehow it is managed. Come mid-August the sites are being cleaned, the trucks loaded with tools and materials, and things begin to return to normalcy. As the students return the sites are safe, and functional, albeit with a good amount of touch up and fine tuning to be done, but the students are in their seats and the staff is able to teach in an appropriate educational environment.

And still, few people truly know the toll it took on those who performed and helped in some way to bring this day to pass. I for one want to express my gratitude to all these folks regardless of discipline for the efforts to be expended and the pride they take in the work they do. If it were not for these individuals and their sacrifice of time these projects could not be done and this program would be considered a failure rather than the success it has been. So, to the San Jose contracting community, the site staff’s, and to our team of consultants and district personnel; a heartfelt "Thank You."