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OCN > 2304 > Monument Academy School Board, March 9 – MA building corporation executes construction documents; board extends interim COO contract

Monument Academy School Board, March 9 – MA building corporation executes construction documents; board extends interim COO contract

Monument Academy School Board, March 9 – MA building corporation executes construction documents; board extends interim COO contract

By Jackie Burhans

At its March 9 regular meeting, members of the Monument Academy Building Corp. (MABC), which owns Monument Academy’s (MA) West Campus property, signed documents executing contracts for its recirculation construction. Also, the MA board extended the contract of its interim chief operating officer (COO).

Recirculation road contracts executed

President Ryan Graham noted that the project to build a recirculation road around MA’s West Campus had been two years in the making. The road will go around the building and field on the West Campus and recirculate the traffic, so it comes in and goes out on Village Ridge Point instead of using Highway 105. He introduced Eric Norwood of Wilson & Co. as MA’s owners’ representative and construction manager along with David Kunstle of Sparks Wilson PC as MA’s legal counsel who helped to navigate many of the third-party approvals required.

Next, he introduced the MABC board, Chris Dole, Mark McWilliams, and Joe Buczkowski. Dole and McWilliams are former MA board members, and Buczkowski is on both the MA and the MABC boards as per board bylaws. MABC, Graham explained, owns the West Campus land and building.

Each board member had access to a binder containing the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with El Paso County to acquire a small portion of MA’s West Campus land along with a non-exclusive permanent easement and two temporary easements for the county’s Highway 105 Project A widening project. The agreed-upon just compensation for this agreement is around $89,900, which is more than MA’s own appraisal. The MA board unanimously consented for the MABC board to execute the MOA with the county.

The board also considered and unanimously approved a Trade Contractor Agreement with Wildcat Construction. Graham noted that MA had received two bids and that because the project is being funded by Pikes Peak Regional Transit Authority (PPRTA), they selected the lower bid. In concert with the county, MA’s legal counsel and MA’s owners’ representative the board is advocating that this move forward. The MA board unanimously consented for the MABC board to execute this agreement.

The board also unanimously approved an indemnification agreement with Woodmoor Water and Sanitation (WWSD) to allow for the construction of a road over a conservation easement that WWSD controls on MA’s land. WWSD had approved this agreement at its own board meeting. The MA board had also previously approved an owner-engineer agreement with Wilson & Co. and added a resolution for the Board of County Commissioners to authorize MABC to execute the agreements adopted by the MA board.

McWilliams then called to order the MABC board meeting to unanimously approve the MOA with the county for the acquisition of a right of way and easements, the trade contractor agreement, the WWSD indemnification agreement, and the owner-engineer agreement. Graham asked that the MABC resolution be added, which McWilliams agreed to do. MABC recessed its meeting to sign the documents and returned to adjourn its meeting, returning control to the MA board for its meeting to continue.

Graham said that now that the agreements were signed, if all goes well the hope is to start the project by mid-May and conclude in three to four months.

Interim COO contract extended

After a lengthy executive session to discuss details of security arrangements and for negotiations regarding the COO contract, the board resumed and board member Craig Carle moved to approve interim COO Kim McClelland’s contract for the next fiscal school year, subject to contract negotiations. The board unanimously approved the motion.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include:

  • Board member Carle spotlighted teacher Debbie Kappel, who was nominated by her peers for her excellent instruction in the classroom, contributions to the curriculum committee, and always being willing to help. Kappel was not present to receive her certificate.
  • The board held a budget workshop on March 21 at the West Campus.
  • Carle reported that the Lynx Fund was currently at $75,000 of its $500,000 goal with an additional $23,000 if proceeds from the Gala are included. He said MA had started filming for a commercial to show the community where the fundraising is going.
  • Financial consultant Glenn Gustafson reported that the FY21-22 financial audit from independent auditors CliftonLarsonAllen LLP was online and received a clean, unmodified opinion. The document includes a long-term view called the statement of net position as well as a short-term statement of activities. He noted recommendations on the segregation of duties and regular reconciliation of accounts between MA and D38.
  • The board unanimously approved resolutions authorizing a change of authorized signers for Integrity Bank and First National Bank.
  • Board member Emily Belisle reported that the School Accountability Advisory Committee (SAAC) East had seen an in-depth presentation on NWEA (formerly Northwest Evaluation Association) results for middle school math from Principal Collin Vinchattle, which resulted in a decision to stay the course with MA’s math curriculum for the next school year. Moving forward, MA is looking at increasing testing for middle school core subjects at the beginning, middle, and end of the year so it has data to make decisions.
  • Vice President Lindsay Clinton noted that the board election applications were due March 31, and there were two applicants at the meeting: Matt Ross and Ryan Graham.

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The MA School Board meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The next regular board meeting will be on Thursday, April 13, at 6 p.m. at the East Campus. See more information at see https://bit.ly/ma-boe.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

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