Lyon Township High's 'Wild Ride' With Asbestos Bids
LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School saw a big gap in the bids for asbestos removal for this summer’s construction projects.
That sparked questions from school officials.
The asbestos work drew eight bids. The lowest was from a 25-year-old Chicago company, Shane Brown Enterprises, at $209,000. Coming in second was Park Ridge’s Nationwide Environmental, at $300,000. The highest was $532,000, from Spectrum Environmental in Chesterfield, Missouri.
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At this week’s school board meeting, members asked Brian Stachacz, the school’s finance official, about the big variation.
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Stachacz said he had a couple of long conversations with the school’s consultant about the disparity.
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“Both of us were surprised when we saw the difference in the pricing,” Stachacz said. “The contractor was confident that they could do it for this pricing.”
Stachacz said Shane Brown’s references were contacted, with the consultant concluding it was a reputable company.
One of the school’s main concerns was whether the contractor would pay the prevailing wage, which is union-level pay in Illinois. That is a requirement for public works projects in the state.
The contractor confirmed it would, Stachacz said.
“They have done a lot of work in the city of Chicago,” Stachacz said. “I can’t imagine a contractor in the city of Chicago not having prevailing wage in their proposals.”
Board member Kari Dillon said the asbestos bids appeared to be a “wild ride.”
“Thanks for asking the questions and checking the references,” she said.
The board unanimously approved Shane Brown’s $209,000 bid, with board President Dawn Aubert and member Jill Beda Daniels absent.
Also at the meeting, members voted for Waukegan-based Happ Builders to handle $30.5 million in construction projects. Most of them are at South Campus, including the addition of a new cafeteria and renovation of the current one into a new music wing.
Earlier this month, members talked about how bids came in much higher than expected. The architect estimated the work would cost $24 million.
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