Board approves Capital Program Management contract to run district construction program

The Newark Unified School District board voted to approve a contract with Capital Program Management (CPM) to serve as the district’s owner’s representative for its capital and bond projects.

CPM leaders introduced themselves and the firm’s approach. "We exist to help public entities plan and implement their capital building programs," said Mike Wasserman, CPM president. Vanessa Rodriguez, program director, described the firm's emphasis on transparency, accountability and regulatory compliance; senior project manager Matthew Estes explained CPM's focus on constructability reviews, schedule management and cost controls.

Trustees stressed continuity and communications. Several asked how CPM would prevent turnover in assigned staff and keep the district informed of emerging issues. CPM representatives pointed to high staff retention, a collaborative team approach and a commitment to frequent stakeholder updates, including electronic project-management platforms and monthly board presentations.

After discussion, Trustee Hill moved to approve the RFQ program and construction management services; Member Jones seconded. The motion passed with 6 ayes.

What the vote does: CPM will serve as the district’s owner’s representative for the bond program and will be contractually responsible for program controls, constructability review, schedule oversight and monthly stakeholder communications. Staff said CPM will coordinate onboarding and may require use of standard project-management software to manage information flow.

Next steps: District staff will finalize contract documents with CPM and begin onboarding the CPM team; CPM said it will schedule initial planning meetings and provide a communications plan to the board and bond committee.