Hays CISD is planning to introduce new architects for future bond projects.
Claycomb Associates and O’Connell Robertons were approved Jan. 29 as the two architecture firms for future district bond initiatives by a 5-2 vote from the board of trustees. Trustee Holly Raymond and Teresa Tobias cast the two dissenting votes.
In planning for 2019 and possible future bonds, a committee put out a request for qualifications (RFQ) for architect services and 14 firms applied. Of those 14, six were singled out and interviewed. The committee eventually chose Claycomb Associates and O’Connell Robertson as recommendations as the top two architecture firms for the projects.
“Periodically we will go out and put in a bid for professional services. It ensures that companies, even ones that currently have our business, will put in proposals and that helps the tax payers get the best price and best quality service,” Hays CISD Public Information Officer Tim Savoy said. “It’s also about the capabilities of the firms and all those factor that go in when we evaluate.”
Stantec, which is the current architect for the district’s May 2017 bond projects, will continue working on building Moe and Gene Johnson High. Stantec had helped to build McCormick Middle School, which opened in 2016.
“We’re still good partners, and we still have a major project together. There’s not any hard feelings on our end,” Savoy said about Stantec. “This happens with school districts, it’s just how the evaluations work out when they’re looking at cost, types of services delivered.”
Claycomb Associates is already familiar with working on the district as the firm is building the elementary schools for the current bond projects. The architecture firm will continue working on bond projects in the future, along with O’Connell Robertson.
If the district finds that there are other firms that are more capable for projects, another request for qualifications could be re-submitted.
