Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center working on animal vet science program
March 28, 2017
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A North Canton company has been hired to do building renovation work for the new animal veterinary science program that will start in the fall at the Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center. The Career Center board of education voted at its regular meeting March 16 to award a $493,980 contract for the work to CCI Commercial Construction LLC, which had the lowest figure of four companies after school officials decided on options.
The project involves turning the former resource conservation area into space for the new animal veterinary science program. Conceptual plans presented last month by SoL Harris/Day Architects of North Canton included a large multipurpose area for instruction and animal treatment demonstrations, six kennels and an outdoor area for dogs, shelves to accommodate cages for small animals, a laundry, and a new locker area.
Studer-Obringer Incorporated of New Washington submitted the apparent low figure for the base project when bids were opened March 10. However, CCI ended up with the lowest overall cost when officials added in alternate bids for a surgery suite and small freestanding barn.
We were pleased that we received base bids well under our $500,000 budget, which allowed us an opportunity to consider some of the alternates for the project that we had requested quotations on, Career Center treasurer Julie Smith said.
Other alternatives that the board considered included an epoxy floor for the kennels, plastic casework in the treatment area, stainless steel countertops, an aluminum store front to replace a garage door on the east side of the lab and a larger pole barn.
Ashland City School District representative Brian Lefelhoc was concerned that the concrete floor in the kennels could be quickly stained without the epoxy coating. Fellow Ashland representative Rick Ewing, who helped review the bids, said the alternates that were accepted were bigger parts of the project that would be less convenient to do once the base work was complete.
Its not saying that we dont want to do some of those other things, Ewing said. We hope to be able to add them back in if the project contingency is still there, or we can value engineer some other things out.
Career Center officials have set aside $500,000 in school funds to pay for the renovation. The work is expected to be complete by Aug. 1.
In a program-related move the Career Center board voted to create a second instructor position for the animal veterinary science program. Superintendent Mike Parry said 29 students already have applied for the program and that he expects more after an upcoming second look school-wide open house.
The board also decided to take a long-term look at the entire Career Center facility and voted to apply to enter the active planning process with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.
Parry told the board that officials recently learned that the school will have its first opportunity in 2019 to apply for Vocational Facilities Assistance program funds if it has a long-range facilities plan ready. He said the OFCC program for vocational-technical districts is similar to the program that helped many area school districts fund new building projects over the last several decades, although it is not expected to require old buildings to be torn down. Currently the state would cover approximately 27 percent of the cost of any Career Center project.
The resolution will allow us to move into an active planning process to see if we can use those funds, Parry said. It creates no obligation for us to take those funds. It doesnt cost us a dime. The only thing it allows us to do is to begin a discussion with the OFCC about what a renovation of this building would look like and cost.
Parry said a facilities plan will be important as enrollment and the number of programs continue to grow because the Career Center does not have enough room for academic programs that support the career-technical side.
We have to compete with the offerings that we have, with the facilities that we have and the amenities we offer students to make us as attractive, if not more attractive, than our neighboring schools, he said. I would like to see us maximize facilities to have 21st-century education technology and workplace technology to reflect what the actual workplace has.
The Career Center board also discussed whether to ask voters in November to renew a one-half mill permanent improvement or to put it on as a continuing levy. The board was asked last month to consider a change because the levy has been in effect at its current rate since 1986.
The deadline for filing issues with the board of elections is Aug. 9. Officials emphasized that the permanent improvement levy would be separate from any funding issue that would need to be passed under the Vocational Facilities Assistance program.
