Middle school elevator project stalled

The Fairfield Middle School elevator project has stalled.

The Fairfield Community School District Board of Directors was set to approve a construction contract for the project during a special meeting Monday evening, but tabled it instead, at auxiliary services director Fred McElwee?s request, after contractors? bids came in nearly twice as much than FEH Associates? cost opinion of $217,000.

McElwee said three bids were received: Jean C. Wiley and Sons Building Contractors of Mount Pleasant, $406,780; Schaus Vorhies Contracting of Fairfield, $410,897; and Zlogar Construction Inc. of Ottumwa, $447,200.

?There is no way we can bring this to the board,? said McElwee.

?We need time to get on top of why the bids came in so high,? said superintendent Don Achelphol, pointing out there could have been something in the architects? project specifications that was misinterpreted.

McElwee said representatives from the school district and FEH Associates are to meet with low-bidder Wiley to discuss the bid and determine why there is such a big difference between the bid proposal and the cost opinion. Once that has been done, the information and a recommendation can be brought back to the board as to how to proceed with the project.

Tyler Riley, an architect from FEH Associates, has explained a vestibule, where the elevator will be located, will be built facing north at the fifth-grade entrance on the east side of the school. Some remodeling on the first and second floors will be necessary to accommodate the elevator, which has stops at the first floor, the vestibule and the second floor.

The project, which will make the building more compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act, will be paid for with the district?s S.A.V.E. funds.

Riley had said about 25 percent of the project cost is the elevator itself. The elevator will have a magnetic drive instead of a hydraulic system. He said it costs 5 percent more, but will be more economical in the long term because it is operated by a computer and goes into a ?sleep mode? if not used.

The Pence Elementary School elevator is a hydraulic drive. The Pence project, also designed by FEH Associates to bring the school into compliancy with the Americans With Disabilities Act, was completed in 2008. It included installing the elevator in the foyer to provide access to the second floor and remodeling the foyer with new floor and wall covering, doors, windows and stairs. A lift also was installed to provide access to the music room/stage. The contract for that work was awarded in December 2007 to Bi State Contracting of Burlington, which submitted the low bid of $299,658.

Riley has said the FMS elevator would be a newer style elevator than the one at Pence. He explained that instead of using a hydraulic system like the Pence elevator, the FMS elevator would use a ?rope and pulley system ? which is a little bit better system, we think. ? We?re trying to be more efficient.?

Board member Doug Flournoy asked how the timeline for the FMS project would be affected; the plan had been for the work to start this spring and take about five months to complete.

?My guess is we won?t be doing it this summer,? replied McElwee.