The Kalispell Public Schools elementary-school expansion project remains on budget although architect and engineer fees have been increased by $61,250.

On a 5-2 vote March 12 — with Frank Miller and Dave Schultz dissenting — school trustees agreed to pay $317,000 to Morrison-Maierle.

The firm had requested $338,000.

Engineer Tom Heinecke of Morrison-Maierle said he originally expected the fees to be $255,750 when a project directive was written, but as the project evolved, it became clear there was more design work involved.

Even with the higher fees, Heinecke said, the projects are within budget.

“It took a bunch of hard work to keep that budget even though the projects got bigger, the budget stayed the same cost-wise,” Heinecke said during the board meeting.

The $3.35 million elementary project includes a four-classroom addition, multipurpose room and kitchen area at Peterson Elementary, four-classroom addition at Edgerton Elementary and a new central kitchen near Kalispell Middle School.

The project primarily “got bigger” with the required addition of new restrooms at both elementary schools.

As originally planned, the school additions totaled 16,000 square feet, but with additional restrooms — three at Peterson and four at Edgerton — the project grew to 19,910 square feet.

When preliminary schematic designs and specifications for the elementary project were created, it was thought that existing restrooms were sufficient.

Later it was discovered that more restrooms were needed to meet building codes due to the additional number of people in the new classrooms.

The restroom oversight concerned some trustees.

“The bathroom thing — you guys should know that better than us,” Miller said. “We relied on you. That’s, I think, what sticks in my craw a little bit on this thing.”  

Heinecke agreed and said he would see the project through regardless of the board’s vote, but he said he owed it to his staff to make the request.

Some trustees noted that Morrison-Maierle has been fulfilling its obligations in getting quality materials, staying within budget and compromising on a final fee.

“What Tom has done is give you a better building,” board chairman Tom Clark said. “As a whole, he’s giving you a lot better building than what we originally looked at.”

Trustee Don Murray added: “We can either say, ‘No, Tom [Heinecke], we’re going to dig our heels in and not approve this, or we can approve it.”

Murray continued, “I’m sure there are some of our constituents that would say, ‘Hey they made their bed and we need to take a advantage of it save money for the district,’ and others would say, ‘that’s inherently unfair — we need to pay the fair value of the services we get.”

The increase in fees also includes hiring a kitchen designer at $23,400 for the central kitchen project.  

“This was not anticipated when we budgeted, but as we got into the project it was abundantly clear we needed an expert who really understands the scope of a commercial kitchen like that,” Heinecke said.

Construction is already under way at Peterson. Excavation will begin at Edgerton Elementary during spring break next week. The work at both schools is slated to be completed by August.

Construction on the central kitchen is slated to begin sometime in April and be completed by July 2014.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.