Concerns over the size configuration of the gymnasium inside the new Johnson Elementary School were put to rest this evening as Bridgeport City Council agreed to a memorandum of understanding with the Harrison County Board of Education to provide funding for the gym portion of the project. The BOE is expected to sign off on their portion of the MOU at their meeting Tuesday.

 

After a 20-minute executive session that included members of Council, Johnson Elementary administration (Vicki Huffman and Heather Holbert) and a member of the architect for the project, Council re-adjourned and announced their decision.

 

“We came together to formalize an agreement that will provide for the City of Bridgeport to return to the Board of Education, or refund, up to $500,000 of the collected B&O (business and occupation taxes) on the construction of the new Johnson Elementary School,” said Council member Diana Marra.

 

The funds will be provided to the BOE on the back end. What that means is that the funding will not be provided to the BOE until after the city collects the B&O tax dollars from the project.

 

What will the $500,000 provide as far as the gymnasium goes?

 

“This will cause to be created an extended gymnasium, which will separate the gymnasium from the cafeteria dining area,” said Marra. “It has long been a want and a need to do away with the ‘gym-a-cafetorium’ (the combined space in the existing Johnson) and I hope at some point in the future we get to partner again to get rid of it at Simpson Elementary so that we never hear that term again in Bridgeport.”

 

What will the city get in return?

 

Marra said the city will be able to utilize the gym for Bridgeport Parks and Recreation programs in conjunction with the administration at JES and school activities will take first priority. However, with Johnson Elementary not fielding after-school athletic programs the gym space should be available for Parks and Recreation frequently.

 

The agreement also calls for the gym to be utilized, if needed, as an emergency shelter. She said that infrastructure additions may be put in place to run a generator there to further meet that need.

 

City officials say the roughly $16.7 million new school, which Dr. Mark Manchin said will be open in August of 2018, will likely produce $500,000 or maybe more in B&O tax collections.

 

On May 3, City Construction was the only general contractor to bid on the entire project. The company bid $16,989,000. The amount did not include any of the alternates in the project, one of which involved the gymnasium, as well as more than $500,000 in new furniture and equipment for the school.

 

It’s likely the bid package with the BOE and City Construction has been modified as Manchin said following the early May bid opening that some alterations could be made. Value engineering likely has brought the number down and the BOE is anticipated to address the bid Tuesday with the City of Bridgeport’s MOU as part of the package.

 

More from this Council meeting later on Connect-Bridgeport.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Council member Diana Marra, right, and Council member Jeff Smell as Marra explains the MOU between the City and the BOE. Bottom photo shows City Manager Kim Haws, left, with Finance Director Monica Musgrave during Monday's executive session.