Jefferson Parish schools committee hears complaints from architects, engineers

Amid complaints that architects and engineers on public school projects are not fairly paid for their work , a Jefferson Parish School Board committee is looking into revising the contract they sign when they accept a job.

Much of the issue centers on unreasonably low bids by some construction contractors, who later increase the budgeted amount through change orders. Architects and engineers typically take in 7 percent to 10 percent of the original construction budget, but on Tuesday they said their fees should be based on the actual cost of construction, including change orders.

"Oftentimes we are the victim of a contractor who bids a project too low," architect Russell Burgdahl of Burgdahl & Graves told the School Board's facilities committee. "All it does is increase our work level because he is constantly coming up with ways to add money to the job."

Governments are allowed to choose any qualified architect or engineer, regardless of price, and critics say this leads to politicians picking their campaign contributors for the professional work.

But state law requires public entities to accept the lowest qualified bid on construction work. While none of those appearing before the committee Tuesday suggested doing otherwise, Steven Graves of Burgdahl & Graves said, "Sometimes, it's our worst nightmare."

Graves suggested that professional service fees be based on an average of all the bids received. "That would make sense," he said. "Then you find the true value of the project."

Neither the professionals at Tuesday's meeting nor committee members gave examples of the change-order problem.

But a Feb. 1 capital project status report on Jefferson schools lists several projects with multiple change orders. Examples are six change orders on a roofing project at Harry S Truman Middle School in Marrero, five on two projects at Ella Dolhonde Elementary in Metairie and 11 for an athletic complex and other work at East Jefferson High in Metairie. In all three cases, contractors exceeded the budgeted amount by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Architects and engineers said change orders are often necessary, especially when they involve renovations to some of the school system's oldest campuses.

"When we are assigned a project, it may be a 50-year old building," said Rick Meyer of Meyer Engineers. "And we may find an unforeseen item that needs to be repaired. There will be change orders. We just hope they are reasonable."

Board member Etta Licciardi, who chairs the facilities committee, described the meeting as "productive and enlightening.

"I understand your concerns," she said. "And it is certainly my hope that the document we end up with will meet your needs and the needs of the school system."

Afterward, she and board member Larry Dale said revisions to the professionals' contract are long overdue.

Besides changing the fee structure, the committee is studying such issues as project schedules, professional liability insurance, liquidated damages and errors and omissions.

Licciardi said the committee plans to consult the American Institute of Architects and the Louisiana Office of Facility Planning and Control's contract to come up with the fairest agreement.

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Barri Bronston can be reached at bbronston@timespicayune.com or 504.883.7058.

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Jefferson Parish schools committee hears complaints from architects, engineers