a little bit. played at hand. the agenda discussion. >> Good to go. >> Great. We're ready. >> All right. Well, welcome to the Friday, September 11, 2026 operations committee meeting. Let's do a roll call. See who's here. >> Um >> Karen Kger, present. >> Hi, Karen. [laughter] Charlie Martin, I am also here. >> Charlie's here, too. I'm Tony Sidowski. I'm here as well. So, that's all three of us. Full house. >> And move on to the approval of the agenda. Be it resolved that the Centennial School District operations committee 3.1 approves the September 11th, 2026 operations committee agenda as per the attached. Are there any corrections that need to be made that are allowed by Pennsylvania law? I have a second. >> Seconded. >> Any changes from anyone? >> Hearing none. All in favor? Hi. >> And moving on to approval of minutes. 4.1 approves the minutes from the operations committee meeting held June 12th, 2026. We have a second. >> Seconded. >> Um I will have to abstain from that because I was not here. [clears throat] But everyone else Okay. >> Approved. >> Good. >> I >> they passed two 2011. And community comments. Seeing no one here, but we'd love to invite the community if you want to come out and hear about all the great things we're building, fixing, and doing here in Centennial and working toward. This is a great chance to do it. So, please do come join us. We'd love to see some smiling faces out there in those seats because there are seats for you. And on to presentations. >> All right, that's my key. Well, happy Friday, everyone. Um, just a few updates. Uh we're still waiting for the public school grant that we did for Clinger's uh roof. That should be back in October. I had an update. October is when they're going to award those. So, we'll know something next month. Um we completed a lot of work and I believe some of it's not even on here. It's as we go. Little things we did over the summer to move a lot of things around and to benefit our students with better situations. Uh the spirit program moved uh to Swanway from the high school and switched spots with uh Cisco. Cisco went over to the high school, but we redeveloped a whole new area for Cisco at the high school. And we also redeveloped this whole area back here for spirit program with additions for what they needed. So I welcome you to uh check those areas out. Um, we also updated some uh special needs room or special needs rooms at uh improvements for Klinger Middle School for our students to uh for them to better, I guess, have access to them and more improvements and things that they need. So, we added a couple offices to Swan Way also for our uh administration here. And uh the FCS rooms passed their final inspections on Wednesday from the township. They are up and running and ready for our our uh students to uh cook and learn. So I'll show I have some pictures for that for you here. If you haven't seen them, if you remember what they used to look like, this is what they look like. I also welcome you to go. They they'll have furniture in them now like their tables and furniture and appliance, you know, all their additional appliances and things are in for them for use. >> So, I they really turned out well. Both of our teachers are extremely happy. >> Photos look great. And this has been for anybody who doesn't know, this has been several years of conversation and planning and expensing this out and hard lifting to figure out how to make it work financially, too. So, thank you all for the work you've put into getting this done because it's been a long time coming and it definitely was a needed renovation at both the middle schools. >> And I will report that the budget was almost $700,000 that we only and I think this is a good grab because of electrical problems in the walls when they opened it up only went over top of our budget by $12,000 out of that. So, I mean, it was just some unforeseen things that they obviously could not leave once they opened walls. >> Given that amount, that's as pretty as close to spot on as you're getting for a project like that. >> Really did a great job with uh planning and preparation and and execution on this. And >> awesome. >> Our contractor did a great job. >> Those rooms, as Mr. Sidowski said, right, hadn't been touched since the buildings were built, right? And I know when I started here in 19 uh walking through them, they still had the beds that would lean down from the walls where the women would go and learn how to make a bed. And it was, you know, shocking to see that go. So these really have come a long way. And great work, Jim. >> When I saw it, it reminded me of my home rooms from 1968, junior high school. That's when they were there's a reason because [laughter] they were the home room. >> They were the same same cabinets. >> Yeah. But it's it's great to have these really refernished and updated with working appliances, everything the students need to learn. So very excited to have that there. >> So >> all right, on to our next. So you know we went out for RFP. Obviously you're aware for uh engineer record and there is a spreadsheet in the back of your pamphlet. It lists the 12 companies that replied the RFP. [clears throat] I kind of went through the whole RFP. every package uh did an average cost per engineer firm and I'll show you I ranked them here by the top five and I did a experience in public school their amount of experience they have in a public school because a lot of them that applied didn't have much school experience if any at all and maybe had some uh municipality experience but they had a lot of other you know just contract stuff so I kind of just they didn't I kind of filtered those away. Obviously, if you would like to see the full reports and everything, I can email them to you. They're large, so I didn't want to print them all out, all 12 of them. Um, and anything like that that more than available. So, if you have questions, I can take notes and provide you with any information you need. But as you look at it, we would like to recommend that we pull three or four, the top three or four that you decide in to do inter personal interviews to ask them questions and we would like the operations committee to do that interview process if that's you know so we and so we just have to figure out a date that works and bring in those three or four whatever you would like. So that's and as you can see these are the things I went based on when I ranked them and things like that and then obviously submitted to the board for approval. So as I went through our qu K12 experience some of them are really close uh I would say the top three are really close in experience level just the number of projects they've done or the size of the projects kind of bump some above the others. So you'll see Gilmore, Barry Isizette, Dumac, CHA, and Baron are the top five for experience. And then I also ranked them for uh or that was uh and then ranked them for qualified firms. I'm I'm sorry, C by cost in the second one. So I took their average cost from their top engineer to their bottom person making copies, what they provide from us, and averaged that cost across the board. And this is how they came out for average cost, what it would cost us per to do work with them. Obviously, we could dive into that a little better and say, "Hey, do we use their middle engineers 70% of the time?" And the Yeah, we could do that and I could break it down further for you if you would like that, but I just figured that was a good basis to start on and then ranked them overall on average on on [snorts] the on the right. So, Gilmore, Barry, Isizette, Dumac, CHA, and Baron. >> Question if I might. Um, if you have what you're calling an engineer of record, does that mean that if you have a large project, you cannot still solicit separate proposals? For a little project, I would say you call the engineer of record. They're here. They, you know, can do little jobs. But if you have a major job, >> would it still be possible to go out and solicit separate proposals even though there is quote an engineer of record? >> I don't see why we could not. You are correct that we could, but that's going to add additional cost to the RFP obviously because we're going to have to go out do RFP, have them do the development of the project. I mean it it it's not much more, but yes, we could. you. I mean, I set a dollar limit by by which that would happen. Not for every little job. That's what this is for. >> Yeah. >> But if you have a major job overx dollars, >> then it might make sense. I'm I'm just suggesting it might make sense to do separate proposals. They wouldn't necessarily be the lowest cost to do a renovation of some major building or something. >> No, I I you certainly can, right? You can do it with an RFP anytime you want to do one, right? It's not you're not contracted to to utilize them. But one of the benefits of the uh architect of record is is experience inside of the buildings that we have, right? And while the newer buildings that's easier, right? There is value in in you know log and clinger uh having some experience with those even with the experience that we have. Um those projects are still a bit of a challenge but we can absolutely you know when doing that right we used uh Isizette for the review of the family and consumer science classrooms right I think that was a a benefit because they've been in those buildings they know uh they know the the the variations that have happened right um those rooms at Klinger were two separate rooms we brought them back together again so they were aware of all of those uh configurations early on >> if you're building tennis courts or redoing parking lots or things of that sort. That has absolutely no bearing on it whatsoever. I think I I I mean to your point, I mean the the reason that we're we're undergoing this is in our ongoing efforts to really make sure that we're not leaving any stone unturned and that we're doing our diligence and looking at every contract that's out there to see if there's any way we can cut expenses or if it's just time for a change on any number of qual, you know, uh qual or qualifications, then it's good for us to look through this again and make sure that we're keeping it up to date. And to your point, Mr. Martin, if it's we we probably should have conversations about, you know, a project of a certain size amount, >> a large project. >> Yeah. Like similar to the responsible contractor thing, but if there's a if there's a limit that we, you know, we feel comfortable or uncomfortable going over, um it's probably a good idea to put RFPs out just to make sure that we're again doing our diligence, even if we end up going with whoever the engineer of record is, at least we can say, "Yep, we put out bids and you know, this is the one we chose. Back it up." So, yeah, that makes sense. But I think interviewing the top candidates and it makes sense to me. So, >> so guess what I'm looking for you from operations is who would you like to interview? >> Okay. >> And let's come up with a date that we're all available and we can set that up and we can I can develop questions and I can share them with you so you have you know and you can have insight on those and if you would like any additional questions or take any away whatever I would I'd love to you know. So >> who are the who are the what is the cost ranking be like just without their experience in the school world is I assume that the list changes >> just if you take out the the the course ranking >> the cost ranking >> that's just okay this is just experience this is a combination okay got it of the two >> okay have a recommendation of how many you want to see. >> Yeah. How many? I mean, we can go as many as you'd like. I think three or four. >> Yeah, probably a top three is probably good. We can narrow that down and figure it out. >> Are we good with this top the top three here >> or would you like sleep on it a little bit and then we can figure out >> and if you need more information, if you'd like to see the full submittals, I can send those to you. It's up to you. >> Yeah. >> Awesome. >> All right, moving on. Can I just ask in terms of the people that were four and five, were there big disparities between the top three and the bottom two in terms of um you know whether it be cost or experience that just really pushes them far down. Um, so I would say in experience level, the top three are definitely the most experienced and cost is really not that much of a variance, you know, overall. And again, we're going to you we could break it down into the middle sector that we're going to use most of the time. If you'd like, I can take the top engineers out because some of the top engineers are paid more in one firm than the other, and then some of the middle people are paid more in another firm than they are in that firm. So it's really a it's it's really a hard and there they list like 12 different levels of people. So it's a really hard you know to not just cost average the whole thing. >> I mean I think the right answer is whatever you see as being practically what we would actually use >> is what that analysis should be. >> I know if Patty were here she'd say who is the cheapest. [laughter] >> We have to make sure that we're getting the quality. We got to see make sure we're getting the quality that we want as well. So I think it'll be important. I I'm glad that you're doing a combo of cost, but also, you know, fitness for the >> somebody that's not experienced in the K12, they could get us in trouble. I'm >> sure. >> You know, there's things that they would not be aware of that could cause cause us problems. >> Absolutely. No, makes sense. >> So, that those were the top three as you saw. >> Yeah. And I think I I hesitate to decide right now, but I you know, that make that certainly makes sense based on the criteria that you have. So, we'll we'll figure it out. >> All right. And then back to capital updates hasn't changed much. We're looking out, you know, we're we're moving those around. Obviously, we've uh completed a few of those FCS rooms. 27 are completed. I just like to show that. And capital projects for um you any questions for it on any of that or any updates? [snorts] >> Just looking at that. I just look at that. What what what is the reason we need an electronic sign at the entrance to the McDonald's school? I mean, why why does it have to be electronic? We go to do sell ads on it or what? >> Every other school >> says McDonald school. >> Every other school has an electronic sign. They've just requested one and so I put it on a project. I'm not say these are a lot of these are liked to have, not always have to have. >> One on a main road. The rest of them are kind of >> Maple Avenue. So, >> I know they still have to old school handletter their their signage up front, but if there's something if we're going if we need to replace the sign, then certainly we, [laughter] you know, we can look at a a [snorts] better model. >> I mean, some of these are >> all right. Items to be presented to the board. Um, it you're up first. Um, so I may be jumping the gun a little bit with the be it resolve. So let me open this for a little bit of discussion first if you want. Um, I hope you are enjoying our new microphones and how crisp you all sound during. >> It does sound nice. >> Thank you. I think so too. Um, so when we um got into our tririccaster project this past summer, we were able to replace two biamps which is causing the better sound around the dis. The tririccaster itself we had thought we could fix with spare parts. Send it out, get it back, fix. Unfortunately, it does not look like that's going to be an option. So, what we're doing right now is patching it through for a year. I met with Dr. Luca over the summer. We agreed we can apply a software patch to it for the year, keep it running on Windows 11, and get you through one more year. If we want to continue to live stream board meetings, committee meetings, then we would need a new equipment and this work would take place next summer. I guess of course the the leading question is do we want to continue to live stream meetings? We're not required to do so. Um but it is a nice service and I certainly heard Mr. Sidowski you invite the community in even to our operations committee as we started. So I don't know if there's really a discussion here to be had or not. Maybe it's just to move forward, but it feels like in in due diligence I have to present to you that there is the option to not live stream the meetings and then we don't need a tririccaster and this whole be it resolved goes away. >> I personally think live casting is very important and that is because transparency to the community is key to trust >> and therefore more information and communication out there the better off we are. If you were to tape the meetings and then advertise on the TV thing, which we don't do currently, if you're interested, these will be shown Monday night at 7:00 and 10, Tuesday night at whatever. You'd have the same transparent. I don't think people are going to rush up from their homes and run in here because we're talking about something, but they need to see it. I agree. Is there any difference in cost if we did it that way versus having to be live? >> Yeah. The tririccaster is what's allowing you to do that live stream portion of it. So to your point, Mr. Martin, again that if we do not want to live stream, this cost goes away. We could still record meetings and then post. >> They would have to change so they people would know if they were interested in watching these when they were going to be shown. >> Correct. >> That's important. >> Right. Right. And then there's there's still a video record of the meeting having having happened. you can still attend in person, but if you're watching online, I'm glad that we're able to do that, but I don't can't really interact or anything. It's just to keep tabs on it. So, >> I guess it's worth discussing to see how the board feels about it. >> Is this a product that only is sold by one vendor? >> So, the reason we're only giving you the one quote for AVT is they've done all the rest of the room. So, at this point, we are a little bit locked into their product, unless you want to take on a 40 or $50,000 project to replace everything. I did not think the appetite for that was there. So I sorry I didn't I didn't even provide that option. [laughter] >> Makes sense. Okay. >> We have time on this. So this is not something that we need to put forth, you know, the second meeting of September. If this is something we want to think about. >> Um so maybe even though it's be it resolved, maybe we don't move forward. Not that it's a no, but it's a we're we're still thinking and and marinating. >> Our recent meetings aren't generating the interest that they used to a couple of years ago. >> Your live stream views are virtue of what's happening at the meetings. >> That might be a good thing, Mr. Martin. [laughter] >> It is. >> Yeah. >> Great. >> So, we're going to hold on that one. >> Yeah, I would hold off. >> Sounds good. >> What's the trigger on doing it or not doing it? So, if we we put it off, right? I just What does that look like? >> So, honestly, nothing right now. I have this quote because it's it has to be a summer project. We're not going to tear the boardroom apart in the middle of the school year. There's just not enough time between board meetings to get all the work done. I have the quote because one of the options in the summer was just to move ahead, get the appro sorry, get the approval of the superintendent in absence of having board meetings and we decided because we could patch the current solution. Let's not push ahead. >> So there really is no impact, Mr. Greenwood. I the only timeline we have is that by June 2027, I would need to know what direction you need to go in. That cost will probably be affected a little bit. I mean costs don't stay at quoted cost past 30 days but we can certainly keep you informed of what the cost is and I don't anticipate it to be wildly different. >> It's something that we can you know we can chat with other board members and we'll know you know well before June if everybody's on board or not. That's that's fine. >> Sounds good. >> All right. So the next one is an upgraded sound system. The sound system at Clinger Middle School in their gymnasium is absolutely awful. It sounds like like you can't hear when people are talking with a little bit of noise. Um, so we went out for RFP for this, but Tom, this money was put in the school fund from one of our parent organizations. Correct. So the money that's provided for this was placed into the school fund and that's why we if they would have kept it separate obviously a different they could have just so since it was put into the school fund from the parent organization we had to go out for RFP. >> Okay. >> So we're bringing this forward obviously to be approved but we have not funded it. >> Okay. Did the organization approve what you're spending the money for? >> Yes. Okay. >> Exactly what they put it forward for. >> No issue with that one. Yeah. >> So, and that's it. So, >> awesome. Moving that one forward. >> Questions, additional comment. >> I would like to add something that be put on the horizon. So Steve Sisero um had grants out there for $5 million for work um that could be done to improve and fix some of our infrastructure. Um, we had a conversation with regard to the pools in Clinger and L College and with the advent of bringing in a new engineer and the fact that the costing for fixing those items was done eight years ago, what I would like to do is at the point in which the engineer is chosen is to redo the costing for fixing the two pools. There were several options. one was fixing, one was converting to classrooms. I think the classroom one is just, you know, it's a bond issue that would be, but I think we should look at it because when Steve Sisero's grant comes out again and the fact that we have to cover, I think 25% of these things, we should at least have the financials available >> to be able to make a decision whether this is something we want to do or not. I think Steve Sosaro would catch hell for giving a grant to a district that's not in his jurisdiction. >> That's all right. Well, >> we'd certainly take it if you wanted to. >> Politically, >> I'm not going to I'm not going to stop him. [laughter] >> I just think we should I just think we should know. I mean, I went to look at the the gym during the summer and frankly, I was horrified >> at what's in there. I mean, there's furniture. There's >> everything under the sun is stored in the stands and in the actual pool. um you know and part of me feels there's two things that we need to do which is one is be fiscally responsible but on the other hand invest in our school system where we can and for me I I don't know whether people agree or not but swimming is a vital skill um you know so I think we should at least have the information on on hand um when when and if that opportunity comes up and to update the financials from 8 years ago. I do I mean I remember the last time it came up it's been a while uh and a lot of the conversation hinged around is it really an investment right how what is the ongoing expense there is it worth making the the upfront you know expense at the time given the cost that was going to be to renovate those >> it also could be a revenue producer though >> if yeah if we have a full like an ongoing plan for it and you know it it makes sense it pays for itself on some level that's a different conversation I think uh [snorts] last time folks were >> folks kind of turned their nose up at the cost upkeep. >> I did a little research on this and I will just put out each the the high school pool costs us almost $40,000 a year just to maintain. >> So you're not just renovating pool, you're talking chlorine, you're talking chemicals, you're talking, you know, repair, you're talk it's we have to have an outside company come in and test it every week, you know, everything. So, it's about $40,000 a year just to maintain a pool to be used. >> So, >> I mean, I think my point is just understand what it costs and when the opportunity comes up, if there is a way to get grant money for it, we're ready because it there was a one in August, the deadline was the 7th and we didn't have the information, so we had to pass on it >> 100%. Okay. >> Okay. >> Any other questions, comments? Oh, back to you. Did you that that same grant was the one that we're do we applied for with Clinger, right? That was same window. Exactly. >> You can apply multiple times. >> Right. Right. Right. >> Obviously, they didn't get enough applications cuz they only opened it up for a 7-day period. Again, >> it was quick. >> And we obviously didn't have we would have had to have engineered drawings, everything to go into that just like we did for the roof. We had testing, drawings, everything for that. And we just couldn't make it happen. I can't imagine why politicians would want to announce grants right before November like what what is it about October that like why would they why would they pick right before November to to announce those grants? It's strange. >> Spending your money strange random, right? [laughter] >> So, [snorts] >> one one request in this capital updates list very helpful. I appreciate it. Is there a possibility that you could put arrange to put an asterisk using a a template of wants versus needs by what would be an absolute need to to be done with an asterisk and then the ones that are nice but we don't have to do them that would be the rest >> I will give you a three color code on priority >> I don't need three color code just an asterisk was I found an asterisk >> yeah I think I think we've read yellow We've occasionally done this previously where we look at the list and go we can't do all this and kind of figure out where what our priorities are as the group. >> There are things we have to do and I just would like to separate them from >> and then the things that we want to do want to work and plan toward but it's >> find some money for and we can do >> Yeah. No, it makes sense. >> Thank you. And and part of the thought behind that capital project plan is to >> spend a certain amount every year. So when we get down to year seven, we have an offset $10 million worth of stuff. >> So that's some of the reason some of that is yearbyear. [clears throat] >> Oh yeah. >> Otherwise, we offset it so long and then we don't have >> nearly the amount of money we need. >> And I I appreciate that because I know we we've worked over the past couple of years to really start looking ahead and plan for projects coming up so that isn't all just a surprise when something hits. We are working proactively on some things too to avoid future bigger costs. So that's you know an important bit of detail to give to taxpayers and the board as well. But we you know we do a pretty good job of that now. But >> I agree sometimes it's good to re revisit the pri the priority list and make sure we all have our an understanding of what what's there and why. >> But otherwise anyone else any other questions comments before we wrap. >> All right. Motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> Second. The next operations committee meeting will be held October 16th, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. right here in this room. Thank you all. >> Thank you.