School board rejects demolition bids for Orchard facility

The future of the former Orchard school hit a potential hurdle last Tuesday, as board of education members rejected bids submitted to demolish the former building and move the heating, ventilating and cooling system.

Bids received were from OCC Builders, of Wayne, $398,510; O’Neill Transportation and Equipment, of Grand Island, $468,000 and Rutjen’s Construction, of Tilden, $568,040.

Board member Nate Schwager said called the increase in bids “mind blowing.”

“It’s extremely frustrating,” he said.

President Ed Nordby agreed, noting he thought other companies would submit bids.

“I know fuel costs and labor shortages are making things tough, but when you look at that one, it’s two and one-half times more,” Schwager said.

Superintendent Kyle Finke said he sent a list of bids to each of the companies.

“The HVAC would be on top of those numberss I read to you,” Finke said.

The board’s Building and Grounds Committee was slated to meet with representatives from the Village of Orchard to discuss options.

Village of Orchard Chairperson Stephanie Cleveland agreed it would be beneficial.

“We’re more than willing to meet,” she said.

When asked why village officials had not been at previous school board meetings for discussion, Cleveland said the village was waiting on bids.

“We’ve bid it twice at this point,” board of education member Steven Thiele said.

Cleveland said she had multiple discussions about the project with Schwager.

“To us, with the situation we were still in, this building was still coming down. There was no real discussion needed. Now we’re at the point where the bids are still coming in high and there has to be future discussion” she said.

Orchard village trustee John Ferguson said village officials discussed heating costs during several meetings.

“It looks like it’s going to cost a lot to heat that place,” he said. “It may be a real burden on the village. It would be a shame to lose that building, for the gym and a community center,” Ferguson said.

One of the village’s goals is to improve Orchard, according to Ferguson.

“If you live in the village, you’ve got to try to make it better,” he said.

According to Thiele, the Summerland board has had conversations since before bond talks began, about “doing the right thing by our communities and not leaving an eyesore.”

Cleveland said village officials want to make the project work.

“We want to get it and make it happen for the right thing for the community,” Cleveland said.

School board member Jeremy Wagner said prior to that evening’s discussion, he was prepared to make a motion to go to auction.

“We can meet. We can’t continue to kick the can and kick the can. I’m not blaming it on anybody. The bids took a long time and like Nate said, two and one-half times of what it was. We can’t burden the school district with that number,” Wagner said.

During public participation, Cleveland addressed the board.

“I think there were expectations when everything was done with Summerland coming to ground that there would be help with the building so that the village could take it over so it wasn’t a burden on the town and on the people.”

What options are available if the old structure does not come down?

“Is there a way we can do something and meet somewhere, relieving some of the burden the village would take on if we were to take this over?”

According to Cleveland, the heating system does not work. The temperature in the building was 42 degrees. In the past, heating costs for the building have run between $4,000 and $6,000 a month.

“A normal person can’t afford it,” she said “If you put this to auction and someone else takes it, it’s going to be a complete burden on the town eventually.”

Village officials plan to meet with Orchard stakeholders, Monday, March 28, at 7 p.m., at the gymnasium, to receive input and gauge which direction the project will take.

“We don’t want it to become a burden to the village. We’d just like to meet somewhere in the middle,” Cleveland said.