Practically Speaking
Kyle and her husband moved to Brookfield in 1986. She became active in local politics and started blogging in 2004. Her focus is primarily on local issues but often includes state and national topics, too. Kyle looks at things from the taxpayers' perspective in a creative, yet down to earth way, addressing them from a practical point of view.
To Spend All of the Referendum's $62.2 million or Not? That Is The Question
http://www.brookfieldnow.com/watch/?watch=14&date=5/28/2008&id=40282 District urged to contain referendum costs may 28
The entire $62.2 million authorized by a voter referendum to upgrade
Elmbrook's two high schools included more than 10% in contingency funds
and every last penny should not be spent, a key referendum backer
warned construction managers and architects.
Roger
Johnson, a member of an Elmbrook steering team who helped develop the
successful referendum, said he did not want to see major changes or
additions to the specific building plans presented to voters.
Those
plans included sizes and numbers of all school spaces, from classrooms
and gyms to cafeterias, libraries, administration and teacher planning
areas. Johnson, who has a background in construction, helped develop a
plan to squeeze the district's needed rooms into the existing buildings
through renovation, except for new construction of gyms and some small
areas.
Since the April 1 referendum passage, architects and
construction officials have been meeting with administrators, teachers
and others to move from a conceptual plan to detailed construction
drawings.
At a weekly meeting of a new district committee to
oversee the building projects, Johnson warned that as changes may be
presented in the next two weeks, the district should not assume it can
spend all of the contingency funds to add amenities to the conceptual
plans approved by voters.
John Foster of CG Schmidt said he
could guarantee that when he brings in a project budget it will be
"over budget." But then the district will need to whittle it back to
its desired level, by making choices.
Johnson frowned at that,
saying the target should not be $62.2 million. The goal, he said,
should be to build the program of specifications approved by voters and
if it costs less than $62.2 million, due to the contingency funds built
into that amount, that cost should not be increased with additional
work or equipment.
Schematic designs will be presented to the
High School Building Committee and the School Board in the next two
weeks, followed by a project budget.
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