Board to issue RFQ for construction manager; trustees discuss interview participation and bookkeeping needs

District staff told trustees the district will issue a request for qualifications (RFQ) to hire a construction manager to serve as the intermediary between the district, architects and general contractors on large projects.

Speaker 3 said the construction manager role protects taxpayers by ensuring projects are built as specified and recommended the district create a pool of qualified firms. Trustees asked whether board members or external advisors could be invited to interview panels; staff said yes and said the district invited city staff and neighboring districts previously to provide perspective.

Staff also warned that bond administration work — bookkeeping, schedule of values, conditional waivers and closeout tasks — will create extra workload for the accounting team. Speaker 3 said the district will not charge bookkeeping costs to the bond and suggested examining a currently frozen accounting position to handle the added burden.

No procurement decision or contract award occurred at the session; staff will issue the RFQ and return with a recommended process for interviews and selection.