The consultant hired to oversee hundreds of millions of dollars in bond money for the Santa Monica-Malibu school district will make $420,000 in the first year of a 3-year contract, documents show.
The local Board of Education, which confirmed the hiring of Massetti Consulting LLC at its July 15 meeting, is expected to give official approval of the funds when it reviews the consent calendar during tonight's meeting at SMMUSD headquarters.
Money for the contract comes from Measure ES, a $385 million bond for school improvements that voters backed in 2012. The board has already set aside $180 million of the sum for upgrades at Santa Monica High School, $77 million for Malibu projects and $34 million for technology updates.
Massetti Consulting will oversee Measure ES expenditures as well as ongoing upgrades covered by Measure BB, a $268 million bond that voters passed in 2006.
With the help of Heery International, a professional services firm, SMMUSD chose Massetti Consulting from a field of more than 30 applications, according to a district press release.
Steven Massetti has more than 17 years of experience in civil engineering, construction and project management as well as claims resolution and litigation, according to the release. He recently served as a program manager for the San Bernardino City Unified School District and previously oversaw bonds at Santa Barbara City College and Rio Hondo College in Whittier.
Massetti's contract with SMMUSD makes up a majority of the $735,000 in facility improvement costs listed in the current consent calendar.
The proposed list also includes more than $188,000 to Meridian IT for technology hardware, software and support services; more than $35,000 to Main Electric Supply Co. for heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment; more than $33,000 to Intelli-Tech for computer equipment; and more than $21,000 to Korade and Associate Builders for installation projects at Santa Monica High School and Edison Language Academy.
Up for approval
The school board will also weigh approval of an additional $440,000-plus in new purchase orders.
The list includes $20,000 to industrial supply company W.W. Grainger for maintenance and fans. The item arrives for board consideration following complaints from teachers, parents and students about classroom conditions as hot weather continues into October.
Also up for consideration are $45,000 to Art Meets Technology for website design consulting, $40,000 to Los Angeles-based Gale Supply for custodial supplies and $17,670 to Hazelden Educational Materials.
The district is prepared to set aside more than $28,000 for PlanetBravo for tech instruction and support at Webster Elementary School, more than $23,000 for Lynn Kleiners for music services at Will Rogers and McKinley elementary schools and close to $22,000 for Heinemann for literacy intervention at Will Rogers.
A $20,000 tab for microfiche digitalization will be paid to Japanese technology company Konica Minolta.
The agenda also includes a contract for up to $60,000 with Mayor Kevin McKeown, a technology consultant who helps the district with Macintosh computer repairs.
McKeown's employment became a source of contention in June, when SMMUSD board member Oscar de la Torre recused himself from a vote on a district consent calendar that included a payment to McKeown.
The recusal came a day after City Council stripped funding from the nonprofit Pico Youth and Family Center, of which de la Torre is executive director. McKeown recused himself from that vote, he said, after hearing that de la Torre had asked a district employee about his job.
Of note
The school board is expected to discuss employee retirement benefits, review the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation's current fundraising campaign and hear an update on the implementation of the district's Local Control and Accountability Plan.
The board is also scheduled to review summer school programs from this past summer to help staff plan for next year.
jeff@www.smdp.com
