The Liberty County Board of Education tackled a full agenda that included construction, personnel and policy issues during its Tuesday work session.
Early on, the board and staff tensely discussed two personnel items on the agenda requesting approval of job descriptions.
During discussion of a sites and grounds manager position, Chairwoman Lily Baker asked about the difference between a job description and job announcement.
Deputy Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Conley said job announcements are summarized versions of job descriptions. Baker asked whether the job announcement had been filed yet, when it closes and whether potential applicants would see the description in the announcement.
Superintendent Dr. Judy Scherer said the announcement is posted with no closing date, and that there is a pool of about seven or eight applicants right now.
“If I want to apply for a job, and I don’t know what a job description is, why would I apply for the job?” Baker responded.
Board members Carol Guyett and Marcia Anderson both said that job advertisements seldom include the detailed listing of duties. Members and staff volleyed their opinions on how jobs should be advertised for another eight minutes before approving the item.
Next, they discussed a Division for Exceptional Learning secretary description, and board Vice-Chairwoman Verdell Jones asked why the two descriptions were presented in different formats.
That prompted discussion on who compiled the descriptions and which format to use, with Scherer asking personnel director Delilah Norris to make description formats uniform.
Both items were approved despite the discussion.
Also at the meeting, engineering consultant Matthew Barrow explained a request to authorize execution of Highway 84 access easement deeds for the construction of a second entrance to Liberty County High School.
Much of the road’s easement is owned by the Georgia Department of Transportation, with the board of education owning four 20-foot access easements spread along the road frontage. To accommodate the second entrance, the board will need to consolidate the four separate easements into a single 80-foot easement, which is done through a deed swap with GDOT, Barrow said.
The board authorized him to move forward with the documentation. However, the exchange will not be finalized until both parties have completed the necessary paperwork, which will be filed simultaneously to ensure neither party gives its land in exchange for land.
BRPH Architects-Engineers architect Barry Sallas and Matt Walsh explained a change order request for work at the Liberty College and Career Academy under construction on Airport Road in Walthourville.
The change is a result of communications with the state fire marshal and the Liberty Consolidated Planning Commission that require modifications to the project design.
Order No. 1 adds $94,633 to cover costs of adding drainage culverts under an access road from Dorsey Road.
Currently, drainage from nearby residential culs-de-sac run into a drainage pond on county property adjacent to the LCCA site. Without the culvert, the access road would affect the movement of the water, Walsh said. He reminded them that drainage from the site will also run into the same pond, which is saving the board from having to construct a pond on its own property.
Order No. 2 adds $29,190 to accommodate the fire marshal’s review comments.
The two change orders add $123,823 to the guaranteed maximum price of the project, bringing it to $9,617,802. The request documents estimate “substantial completion to be July 27.”
The board also approved a change order for deduction of $10,750 from the guaranteed maximum price of phase four, step one renovations at Bradwell Institute. The work brought the band, choral and art areas to modern standards, addressed some drainage issues and converted one classroom into a computer lab.
The change order reduces the close-out price for this phase from $3,683,699 to $3,672,949.
In other news, the board also:
• approved a $61,400 bid from Lavender & Associates for replacement of a canopy over the parent pick-up entrance at Joseph Martin Elementary School.
• approved changes in graduation requirements that reduce the number of total units required from 26 to 24, the number of social studies units from five to four and the electives required from five to four.
• approved moving a totaled 2006 Ford Freestar van info surplus; with a second vote, they approved the purchase of a 2012 Chevrolet Impala. The district will pay $6,628 toward the vehicle, while $10,726.25 in funds from insurance for the Freestar will cover the rest of the cost.
• heard summaries of the staff’s budget recommendations for the 2012-2013 school year, which the board discussed Wednesday at its Savannah retreat. See Sunday’s Courier for more on the retreat.