The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Board requests more transparency in spending decisions
By Kendra Walker
Last week, the Gunnison Watershed School District board approved increasing the total budget of the school facilities expansion and improvements project from $115,189,000 to $120,481,000 to accommodate recently awarded BEST grants and include certain design elements originally removed to cut costs. The increase in budget will not impact taxpayers due to bond premiums and interest the district has secured.
However, the board was split in a 3-2 vote on the decision, with board treasurer Mark VanderVeer and board member Mandy Roberts voting against and requesting more transparency for how design spending decisions were being made by the project’s executive committee.
The school board in February of this year already approved a higher budget of $115 million from the original conceptual budget of $101 million, when the district received higher returns on its bonds than anticipated. The district also recently received two BEST grants totaling $5,292,000 from the Colorado Department of Education to be used for HVAC and security improvements. In order to receive the BEST funding, the district must increase its budget to include specific renovations required by the grant.
The district’s owner’s representative, Artaic Group, also recommended approving approximately $1.6 million in funding for priority design alternates that were previously removed from the design scope.
“We are happy to inform the board that the total budget has not changed for the scope of work presented in the schematic design budget,” Artaic representatives explained in a letter to the board. “However, there are many critical improvements that were not included in the schematic design budget due to limited funding alone. With the award of two BEST grants from the state, the district can work to include these improvements back in to the districtwide project.”
The priority alternates have been determined by the project’s executive committee, which includes district superintendent Leslie Nichols, board president Tyler Martineau, district business manager Tia Mills and transportation manager Paul Morgan. The school board last year approved a resolution giving the committee power to make decisions in order to move the project forward without waiting for school board meetings.
VanderVeer expressed concern over not knowing how the executive committee determines which design elements will be included, and requested more transparency about how they were making those project spending decisions.
“I think we’ve given them a lot of power. I’d like the executive committee to explain the $1.6 million and how those items were picked,” he said. “I’m not opposed to the $120 million, I do believe it’s in the best interest of the program. What I’m not sure about is all these items getting added…How are decisions being made? I feel like I don’t know how those items were picked…I need more transparency. I would like the executive committee to present to the board how they are going to prioritize.”
“We are making decisions all the time,” said Nichols. “There is a level of trust that this resolution embodies. That’s the structure the board designed when this bond was passed.”
Martineau also noted that the resolution giving the executive board power to make decisions states that any major decisions must be brought for board approval at their discretion.
“My hang-up still is the ability to move in alternates in there without board approval,” said VanderVeer.
Former board treasurer Dave Taylor spoke during public comment, addressing VanderVeer. “You are going to drive yourself crazy unless you force yourself onto the executive board and get the answers that you want and the community deserves,” he said. “You have the financial talent to analyze numbers to ask questions.”
Roberts also expressed concern that one of the items listed as a possible priority alternate is a synthetic turf field, noting the potential health risks. “I will not be okay with that. I care about children’s health,” she said, pointing out that health is one of the project’s driving principles. “If you do the research, synthetic turf should not be on here.”
Nichols assured Roberts that a decision around a turf field has not yet been made and the executive committee will not decide on synthetic turf without bringing it to the board first. “I share your concerns,” Nichols said.
“It makes me a little nervous to raise the budget again,” stated board member Anne Brookhart. “I will vote yes to keep moving the project along. I wouldn’t mind transparency of how this list was decided. I appreciate Mark’s concerns.”
“I ask that we honor the request for more transparency,” agreed board member Jody Coleman. “But I’m also going to say I respect and trust the people on the executive committee. It’s a huge commitment and I honor that and trust them. These representatives have served us, and I think it’s my responsibility to meet with them and make time to educate myself.”
Nichols addressed the board. “I’m hearing that you need more transparency and am committed to that.” In a 3-2 vote, the board passed the new project budget of $120,481,000.
