Schools

Facilities Rental, Repair Addressed at Board Meeting

District 99 meeting approves creation of new position, awards emergency contracts.

During its Tuesday night meeting, District 99 board members approved the creation of a district facilities manager position to oversee the coordination of facility usage by the community and outside rental groups.

The discussion item regarding the position, which was initially removed from the agenda for additional conversation before being voted on and passed, aims to be filled by the end of September, said Superintendent Mark McDonald.

Some board members wanted the additional discussion because they wondered if there would be sufficient demands from community and other external groups to use the facilities, especially the swimming pools.

Find out what's happening in Downers Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

McDonald said that groups within the community had been vocal with regard to their interest renting the facilities. Still, he remained realistic in his approach to the experiment.

“Am I absolutely certain this is going to work? No, I'm not absolutely certain,” McDonald said. “I certainly believe it will, but if it doesn't, and we can't support the [facilities manager] position, then I think we need to go back to the drawing board and relatively quickly.”

Find out what's happening in Downers Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The salary range for the position is anticipated to be between $40,000 and $60,000.

The board also approved the issuance of emergency contracts for repairs to facilities at both North and South high schools, bypassing the typical public bidding process.

Damage from the heavy storms in June left both campuses in need of roof repair. South High School's tennis courts must also be replaced.

Marty Schack, the director of physical plant and operations, said emergency bids for the repair jobs were necessary to hire contractors as soon as possible. With the board's approval of the contracts, Schack said they could have contractors on the job by the end of the week. This will allow the repairs to be finished before winter when construction often slows, he said.

Aside from the $5,000 insurance deductible and repairs to tennis court net posts, which weren't damaged in the storm but still need to be replaced, the repair costs will be covered by the insurance company. 

Despite not seeking public bidding, Schack said there would still be multiple bids to choose from, ensuring competition and pricing options.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here