Contracting Method Provides a Substantial Fiscal Benefit
After successful bond passage, the District and its Program Management/Construction Manager (PM/CM) and Architectural Design Engineer (AE) teams analyzed options to deliver the entire bond program with the best possible outcome for the community and the District. Construction research and outreach with the District, contractors, and the 2020 and 2022 construction project forecasts in Central and Eastern Washington reveal that local and regional subcontractor availability will be taxed and allow for selective bidding projects within the subcontracting community. The District desires to begin early marketing of the projects to subcontractors via local Associated General Contractors (AGC) chapters, presentations, and mailings to maximize subcontractor visibility, availability to bid the project, obtain favorable construction commodity volume buying power, and get ahead of projects that bid in early and late 2020. This approach is a fiscal benefit to the District. Subcontractor involvement and outreach lessens the element of surprise with greater predictability of results within the budget.

The use of GC/CM allows for early subcontractor involvement in identification and resolution of post bid design/construction value engineering solutions. When necessary, having subcontractors at the table to ID, recommend, or solve issues with the District, PM, Designer, and GC/CM is a very powerful team approach that works on behalf of the District's best interest and negotiates in good faith. This management approach results in less claims, delays, and is a fiscal benefit to the voters of Ellensburg community.

Fiscal benefits & Meeting Desired Quality Standards
Engagement of the GC/CM early in the design process increases the likelihood of developing a realistic phasing plan, cost estimation accuracy, strategic materials selection, long lead procurement, and subcontractor buyout. Estimating the actual cost of difficult projects is challenging and may result in unpleasant, late-in-the-schedule surprises as experienced for Design-Bid-Build projects.

If in the best interest of the project and critical to the successful completion of the project, the District and its GC/CM may conduct Pre-bid determination of subcontractor eligibility. Selecting and retaining subcontractor teams of professionals through a qualifications process provides the best available construction talent for the project over Design-Bid-Build.

Allocation of Risk & Open Book Accounting
Team organization permits the integration, collaboration, and accountability in risk identification and mitigation/management of risk. This includes ongoing management of budget and contingency risk. Early involvement of the GC/CM allows to understand the issues up front, to work issues to resolution, as well as fix any price associated with risk.

Open book accounting and clear identification of requirements in the Request for Proposal (RFP) for negotiated support services and reimbursable costs in the terms and conditions of the contract allow for clear and easy auditing of contract reimbursable costs or bid procedures and results.

Selection is Based on Qualification & Experience
OAC Services and Integrus Architecture have actively interviewed and marketed this project to Western and Eastern Washington General Contractors prior to solicitation of services. They received very positive comments, ideas, and suggestions regarding the contract delivery, collaboration on scheduling the work, priorities, and being ‘at the table at the start of schematic design’. Their forecasts for the construction market in the next two years makes this project a very viable project that qualified and experienced GC firms will likely pursue.

Broader Reach of Qualified Subcontractors
The use of GC/CM delivery is much more likely than not to result in predictable costs and broader subcontractor bid coverage. The GC/CM and the District project team can work together to develop a subcontracting plan that meets strict project requirements with local or specialty contractors resulting in increased competition, and if needed, pre-qualified subcontractors.

OAC Services, Inc. GC/CM Qualifications
OAC is the region's premier project/construction management firm that possesses unparallel GC/CM consultant services to its clients desiring to use and become GC/CM practitioners. Their unique K-12 EDU practice contains over 40 skilled program/project/construction managers, educational and facility thought leaders, project engineers, and coordinators of which 30+ are experienced in Washington State GC/CM project delivery. OAC program/project managers and principals have submitted more Project Review Committee applications and worked on more alternative procurement projects (50+ GC/CM and 30+ DesignBuild) more than any other PM/CM firm in the State.

Jeff Jurgensen, Sr. Vice President, CCM, DBIA
Role on this Project: Program Support
Jeff has over 27 years of construction experience. He has worked on over 15 major capital GC/CM projects in the state of Washington and assisted in getting the Spokane Public School District agency approval. He also has worked on six major capital Design Build projects, one Design Build project at Spokane International Airport as well as one K12 Design Build project with the Paschal Sherman Indian School in Omak, Washington and led the City of Spokane through their first Design Build project with the Nelson Service Center. He holds the DBIA certification from the Design Build Institute of America. He is very experienced and knowledgeable in the state of Washington and Spokane local construction market. He is also a current sitting member on the Project Review Committee.

Rusty Pritchard, CCM, DBIA, Program Manager
Role on this Project: Program Manager
Rusty will lead the GC/CM procurement process, GMP negotiations, and administration of the GC/CM contract through design to closeout. Rusty has over 40 years of managing the planning, design, and construction of public facilities at the federal, state, and local level. He reports directly to the Executive Director, Business Services and supports the Superintendent and District Board of Directors with information for Board action, decisions, and community engagement.

He is a seasoned Washington State alternate public works GC/CM, Design-Build and Design-Bid-Build practitioner for K-12, higher education, and municipal owners. He served six years as a member of the Project Review Committee (2010-2016).

Rusty was involved in one of the first K-12 GC/CM demonstration projects (Clovis Point Intermediate School) and has been the Owner’s Representative on four previous K-12 GC/CM projects. He is the GC/CM Advisor on two City of Spokane GC/CM heavy civil projects providing the City with GC/CM procurement, Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) negotiations and GC/CM contract administration, and internal audit services during construction and closeout. Both heavy civil GC/CM projects are in their final stages of construction. He served as a GC/CM quality assurance technical advisor on Mead School District’s two PRC approved and completed GC/CM projects (Northwood MS and Midway ES). He is a Certified Construction Manager (CCM) (CMAA) and certified DBIA professional (Design Build Institute of America).

Damon Gardella, PMP, Associate DBIA, Program Manager
Role on this Project: Program Manager
Damon Gardella has over 22 years of experience in public project and construction management. Damon recently joined the Ellensburg School District Capital Projects team after the passage of the 2018 bond. Previously, Damon worked as the Program/Project Construction Manager for the Mead School District 2015 bond program. The bond consisted of one new Middle School (GC/CM), and two Elementary Schools that were both modernization and additions (one GC/CM and one Design-Bid-Build (DBB)). Damon has managed several alternate delivery projects and has completed the AGC GC/CM training. He is the lead Project Manager on the Mt. Stuart Elementary School and will support the Program Manager during all phases of the project until completion. He is a certified Project Manager Professional (PMI) and Associate, DBIA practitioner.

Kristine Keller, Project Manager, AIA, CPTED
Role on this Project: Project Manager
Kristine has over 16 years in the design and construction industry, with involvement in a variety of alternative delivery contract methods. Her experience includes educational, government, commercial, and financial type projects. She is the current Project Manager on the Central Valley School District’s Horizon Middle School GC/CM project. She completed the AGC GC/CM Winter Training in January, 2019. Kristine is the lead Project Manager on the New Elementary School and will support the Program Manager during all phases of the project until completion. She is a licensed Architect in Washington, Montana, and Wyoming. She holds a certification in CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design), which is used to focus on School Safety for her clients.

Chris English, Project Manager, PMP
Role on this Project: Project Manager
Chris has spent seven years working in project management in the construction industry and over 12 in the construction industry. He graduated with a construction management degree from Brigham Young University. His experience has been working on infrastructure and tenant improvement projects ranging in size from $50k to $17 million. Chris’ ability to identify risks and opportunities and implement effective plans while keeping constant communication with clients makes him a great addition to our team. Since joining OAC in October, 2016, Chris supported the Lake Washington School District Bond program work. A year later, Chris relocated to the Spokane area. Since being in Spokane, he has worked on several major alternative delivery projects; Mead School District Bond Program and the Spokane International Airport Security Upgrade Project.

Kathryn Getchell, CCP, PSP, Project Controls Manager
Role on this Project: Project Controls Manager
Ms. Getchell is a highly skilled project controls professional with more than 32 years of experience in scheduling, budget development and cost controls, and all phases of project planning, from inception through completion. Kat’s GC/CM experience began in 1999 when WSU was one of the first public owners to deliver capital projects using GC/CM. Her GC/CM project experience includes over 23+ projects in higher education and K-12 markets. Kat provides project controls management services to support client programs and projects on large-scale projects up to $200 million dollars from various funding sources. Her vast areas of controls expertise include CPM scheduling services, baseline schedule development, budget development, cost management, monthly update reporting-budget versus actual, trend report, change order/risk management reporting various costs, estimate to complete, contract management, and invoice administration. She is a Certified Cost Professional (CCP) and Certified Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP).

Todd Smith, Project Manager
Role on this Project: Project Manager
Todd has more than 18 years of construction experience as a project and a senior construction manager, on public and private projects up to $215 million. Todd is an additional OAC resource for the program who can backfill either Damon or Kristine during any phase of the program. Todd clearly communicates with individuals working in varying capacities on a project. He is a third-generation contractor who worked his way to be a PM/CM consultant. He is proficient with industry-standard project controls software including Oracle Expedition, Primavera P6, P3 and Sure Trak, Microsoft Project, CostWorks, MC2 and AutoCAD

Stacy Shewell, Director, DBIA, AIA, PMP
Role on this Project: Program Manager
Stacy has nearly a decade of experience in the construction industry and is proven to bring tenacity and spirit to her projects. As a leader and active problem solver, Stacy has skills in design and construction services procurement, design and construction management, Design-build project delivery, and project planning and cost control.

Cynthia Balzarini, Project Controls Specialist
Role on this Project: Program Controls
Cynthia is the engine behind the projects, keeping budgets, schedules, funds, and contracts detailed and up to date. She has over a decade of experience in the construction industry, including significant bond programs, new constructions, renovations, and tenant improvements.

Elizabeth Rosenbeck, Sr. Project Coordinator, CPSM
Role on this Project: Program Support
A creative problem solver, senior project coordinator Elizabeth support with construction and contract administration, fee proposals, tracking RFIs and submittals, project documentation, and maintenance. For more than 32 years, Elizabeth is passionate about guiding education clients through the FF&E procurement process and finding ways to streamline productivity.

Brian Carter, AIA, ALEP, LEED AP
Role on this Project: K-12 Educational Planner
As CEO and leader of the K-12 Education group at Integrus Architecture, Brian has extensive GC/CM experience, most recently on Salish Coast Elementary School for Port Townsend School District, Alderwood Middle School for Edmonds School District, three middle school projects in Montana, Vashon Island High School, two elementary school projects on Joint Base Lewis McChord for Clover Park School District, Rush Elementary School in Redmond for the Lake Washington School District and previously Meadowdale Middle School in Lynnwood for the Edmonds School District. He is responsible for overseeing the production of all projects phases and has led many large, complex, and phased occupancy school projects in recent years. Brian is familiar with the issues involved in alternative delivery methods outside of the usual design-bid-build process and understands the benefits of GC/CM such as early collaboration between the owner, the design team, and the construction team. Brian also is a longstanding executive member of the Technical Advisory Committee at OSPI and has participated actively in efforts to integrate the GC/CM model into OSPI’s school construction assistance funding process (D forms, etc.).

Mark Dailey, AIA, NCARB
Role on this Project: Principal-in-Charge and Design Lead
Mr. Dailey is a Principal and owner at Integrus Architecture, in Spokane. As lead design principal, Mark has been responsible for the design of many of the firm’s most successful recent projects. His talent and design sensitivity, enhanced by his ability to translate client ideas and concerns into building designs, have contributed extensively to the firm’s achievements. Mr. Dailey’s work has been consistently recognized by his peers and industry organizations with local, regional, and national design awards.

Ty Miller, LEED AP BD&C, Associate
Role on this Project: Project Manager
Ty Miller has extensive experience in all phases of architectural service. She believes that design professionals have the responsibility to create environments for their clients that reflect the unique culture of the users and satisfy programmatic requirements, while retaining a healthy quality of living. Her knowledge and passion for sustainable design technologies allows her to lead design teams and clients to develop integrated design solutions. Ty holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Master of Architecture from Washington State University and is a LEED AP BD+C professional. She is also active in the Inland Northwest Chapter of the Cascadia Green Building Council, a Board Member of Communities in Schools, and a member of the Washington Association of Maintenance and Operation Administrators. Ty’s engaging personality and collaborative spirit is a great asset to our team. Ty was recognized in 2013 with the Outstanding Branch Collaborative Leadership Award from the Cascadia Green Building Council.

Steven Clark, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Associate
Role on this Project: Project Manager
Steven brings an extensive background in all phases of architectural services for educational clients and projects. He provides technical research and detailing to the designer during the design process and coordinates systems into a fully integrated design solution. A versatile member of the project team, Steven works closely with all disciplines to coordinate and produce documents of high quality and he is an active participant in the construction process from the initial design phases through construction administration. Steven is a Board Member for the Washington Chapter of Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) and stays actively engaged with issues that affect the funding, design process, and successful construction of K-12 public schools in Washington State and beyond. He received his Master’s in Architecture from the University of Idaho and is a LEED Accredited Professional.

Brian Piippo, AIA, NCARB, Project Architect
Role on this Project: Project Architect
Brian has extensive experience in all phases of architectural service. His interest in each client’s needs and attention to detail contribute to the spirit of service provided by Integrus. Brian believes that a quality learning environment can influence students, educators, and communities. As a Project Architect, Brian displays a knowledge of the architectural principles, practices and methods uniquely for each project. A versatile member of the project team, Brian works closely with all disciplines to coordinate and produce documents of high quality. He is an active participant in the construction process from the initial design phases through construction administration. Brian prepares schedules and establishes benchmarks to identify critical path elements. While in the field Brian documents field notes, sketches, code interpretations, drawing and specification decisions, drawings, and technical instruction.

Andrew Greene, Partner
Role on this Project: Legal Counsel
Andrew Greene is a Partner in the Seattle office of Perkins-Coie, LLP and chair of the firm's nationally recognized Construction practice (ranked Tier 1 nationally for Construction Law in U.S. News "Best Lawyers and Law Firms" and Band 1 in Washington by Chambers USA). He has been retained as project legal counsel and is the main point of contact for the District for legal issues that arise during the project. Andrew has served as project counsel and drafted RCW 39.10 compliant agreements (construction, architectural, construction management, etc.) for numerous school districts and other public owners. Recent GC/CM experience include projects for Metro Parks of Tacoma, The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Spokane International Airport, City of Spokane, Washington State University, and numerous school districts (Highline, Vashon, Clover Park, Cheney, Olympia, and Edmonds, etc.). He is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for construction law.

Kristine Wilson, Partner
Role on this Project: Legal Counsel
Land use and real estate attorney Kristine Wilson guides developers in a range of projects, from large-scale, mixed-use, high-density urban retail centers to energy projects in remote rural areas and coastline zones. Whether managing the demands of transit-oriented projects and landmark renovations, negotiating high-profile, public-private partnership (PPP) agreements, or managing environmental due diligence, Kris leverages her local and federal government experience and network of regulatory agency and consultant relationships to support strategic, efficient, and successful project development.

Megan Lin, Counsel
Role on this Project: Legal Counsel
Megan’s practice blends comprehensive, strategic problem solving and strong attention to detail to advise clients on a range of public and private matters. On environmental and land use matters, she has extensive experience navigating complex regulatory and permitting schemes to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local environmental and land use laws. She assists clients at all stages of development, including obtaining permits and entitlements from government agencies.

Resolution No. 01.11.19 — Repeal of Resolution No. 22.09.19 confirming the construction of the two new elementary schools for the District, on separate sites; and providing for related matters

Resolution No. 22.09.19 — Approving the construction of two new elementary schools on one site

Resolution No. 21.08.19 — Adopting the Study and Survey

Resolution No. 20.08.19 — Survey of space availability in contiguous districts

Resolution No. 17.07.19 — Review and Approval of the Schematic Design for the New Elementary School and New Mt. Stuart Elementary School

Resolution No. 11.03.19 — Approval of New-in-Lieu replacement of Mt. Stuart Elementary

Resolution No. 10.03.19 — Certifying who may sign documents on the Board's behalf for the District's 2018 Capital Improvement Bond Program and individual projects

Resolution No. 09.03.19 — Certifying the New Elementary School and Mt. Stuart Elementary projects will not create or aggravate racial imbalance

Resolution No. 08.03.19 — Authorization of use of alternative public works GC/CM and RCW 39.10 compliance

Resolution No. 07.03.19 — Alter of the specific expenditures from bond proceeds and state assistance

Resolution No. 05.02.19 — Consider whether state or local circumstances should cause alterations to expenditures

Resolution No. 17.07.20 — Acceptance of Constructability Review and Implementation Plan for the Mt. Stuart Elementary School project

Resolution No. 16.07.20 — Approving the Maximum Allowable Construction Costs (MACC) for the Mt. Stuart Elementary School project

Resolution No. 15.07.20 — Intent to Construct Project for the New Elementary School project

Resolution No. 14.07.20 — Acceptance of Constructability Review and Implementation Plan for the New Elementary School project

Resolution No. 13.07.20 — Approving the Maximum Allowable Construction Costs (MACC) for the New Elementary School project

Resolution No. 04.01.20 — Approving the Value Engineering and Accepting Implementation form for Mt. Stuart Elementary School project

Resolution No. 03.01.20 — Approving the Value Engineering and Accepting Implementation form for New Elementary School project

Resolution No. 01.09.21 — Certification of 5-Year Continued Use and 30-Year Extension of the Life of the Building for Portions of Lincoln Elementary School

• New Mount Stuart Elementary to be Open for Start of School in Fall 2021.01.25
• Cutting the Ribbon, Tying the Bow on Mount Stuart School Construction 2021.08.28

• Kittitas Elder Talks to PBS Documentary Featuring His Mother Ida Nason Aronica 2020.11.14
• Ellensburg Narrows Names for New Elementary School Down to Three Options 2020.11.05
• Final Steel Beam Ceremony Held for New School 2020.10.12
• Construction for Ellensburg Schools on Schedule 2020.08.26
• School Construction Continues During State Shutdown 2020.06.01
• Ellensburg School Construction Not Slowed by Virus Outbreak 2020.04.14

• Editorial: School District Moving Forward 2019.11.06
• Letter: School District Should Choose Seats Over Streets 2019.11.06
• Ellensburg School District Solves Budget Problem for New Elementary Schools 2019.11.05
• School District Moves Forward with School Plans 2019.10.28
• School Board Listens to Public Concerns Regarding the New School Plans 2019.09.19
• Letter: Providing More Information on School Property Purchase 2019.09.17
• Continuing the Conversation, Why the North Site Can't Be Used 2019.09.12
• Editorial: District Needs to Slow Down 2019.09.10
• Ellensburg School District Must Change School Construction Plans 2019.09.06
• Ellensburg School District All In on New Mt. Stuart 2019.04.04
• New School Finds Heavy Community Support 2019.02.28
• Letter: Looking at Building New, Rather Than Remodeling Mt. Stuart 2019.02.09
• School Bond Progresses Forward in Planning 2019.01.31
• Ellensburg School District Board Starts the Process of Picking a Design Team for School Bond 2019.01.23

• Year in Review: No. 5: Ellensburg Passes Elementary School Expansion Bond 2018.12.28
• School District Authorizes Bond Sales, Selects Architecture Firm 2018.12.05
• Letter: District Should Not Heat New School with Natural Gas 2018.11.17
• In Final Count, Ellensburg School Bond Passes at 62 Percent 2018.11.16
• Editorial: Bond Passing is Good News 2018.11.14
• Elementary School Bond Crosses 60 Percent Needed to Pass 2018.11.12
• Elementary School Bond Falling Short of 60 Percent Needed 2018.11.07
• Letter: Bond Would Help District Meet Elementary School Needs 2018.10.17
• Editorial: School Bond Deserves Support 2018.10.09
• Ellensburg School District Selects Construction Company for Elementary School Project 2018.08.24
• Ellensburg School Board Approves Purchase of 29 Acres North of Mt. Stuart Elementary 2018.06.28
• School Board Puts School Bond on the November Ballot 2018.06.14
• Ellensburg School District Explores Grade School Options 2018.01.17
• Ellensburg School District in Talks with CWU About Partnership, Land 2018.01.11

• Year in Review: No. 4: Ellensburg School District Looks at Overcrowding 2017.12.28
• District to Post Signs at Mt. Stuart School 2017.12.16
• School District to Talk with CWU, City of Ellensburg About Land 2017.12.01
• School Board Gathering More Information About Mt. Stuart Land 2017.08.26
• Ellensburg School Board Considers New Option for Lincoln 2017.08.19
• School District to Find Land to Resolve Mt. Stuart Property Dispute 2017.07.27
• Ellensburg School Board Discusses Options to Resolve Mt. Stuart Land Issues 2017.06.28
• School Board, Committee Discuss Possible Solutions to Crowding 2017.05.31
• How many kids? Ellensburg School District Takes a Hard Look at Enrollment Projections 2017.05.12
• Committee Recommends Two Elementary School Options 2017.04.20
• School Committee Narrows Options to 4; Adopts Class & School Size Targets 2017.04.10
• Committee to Back Fourth Elementary School 2017.03.06
• Community Members Help Brainstorm Ideas for School Overcrowding Fix 2017.02.20
• Ellensburg School Committee Drops 8-9 Campus Idea 2017.02.03
• School Officials All Options on Table to Improve Facilities Ease Crowding 2017.01.30
• 8-9 Campus Float as Way to Reduce School Overcrowding 2017.01.21
• Elementary School Bond Might Need to Wait Another Year 2017.01.05

• Change of Plans: Local District Says It Can't Build School on $750K Land It Bought 2019.09.09
• $60M Bond to Ease Ellensburg School Crowding Narrowly Passing 2018.11.12
• Ellensburg School Bond Just Shy of Passing 2018.11.09

School Board Members Address Bond Measure on Nov. 6 Ballot 2018.10.12

Ellensburg School District Construction Plan for New Elementary School Changes 2019.09.10