WORTHINGTON — Preparations for the demolition of West Elementary are underway, as the Operations Committee of the District 518 Board of Education on Tuesday recommended an asbestos abatement bid for board approval.
“We had seven bidders, which was great,” said Dave Skog, director of operations for the district.
The low bid, of $242,234, came from Twell Environmental, Brooklyn Park, and the full board will vote on the bid award during its next meeting, which begins at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday in the band room at Worthington High School.
Of the seven bids, Skog said, four were “pretty good,” one was consistent with the estimated cost of $350,000, and two were “quite a bit higher.”
Asbestos abatement is expected to begin March 20.
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The committee also agreed to send a request to declare surplus property to the full board, as West Elementary will need to be emptied before asbestos removal begins.
Needed items will be kept, and representatives from the other schools will check to see if there are things they need, but after that, items will be consolidated in West’s gym so the public can purchase them.
While District 518 generally doesn’t make a lot of money from surplus property sales, it does save staff time and landfill costs when buyers remove unwanted items themselves, Skog said.
“We’re trying to take what we can,” he added.
A more specific list will be developed, but most likely, tables, chairs, lockers and shelving will be on it.
In other news Tuesday, the committee:
- Approved replacing District 518's copiers and printers. Copiers will continue to be leased, and printers will be purchased, saving approximately $16,000 over five years. The matter will go before the full board for approval.
- Accepted a quote for replacing District 518's phones for $246,160, pending full board approval. The business running the current system was purchased by another company and is phasing out the district's current system.
- Discussed its pond project in collaboration with the Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District, and agreed to ask for water sampling before and after the project, to better gauge its effectiveness in keeping phosphorus and sediment out of Lake Okabena.
- Considered changing the daily meal allowance for District 518 personnel attending conferences or meetings to $75, up from the current $50, due to inflation, recognizing that prices are higher in many locations than they are in Worthington.
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