Horry County Schools seeking project managers for new schools

Horry County Schools is still trying to decide whether to hire additional staff or an outside management firm to serve as project managers over the construction of five new schools.

The facilities committee wants to hire more district staff to lift the burden on current project managers, but the facilities director suggests hiring a management firm to oversee everything.

The facilities committee met Monday to discuss the need for more project managers but once again pushed the topic for a few weeks.

A project management firm would cost the district between $1.5 million and $3 million, according to Mark Wolfe, director of facilities.

“I really don’t see using my overburdened current project managers on five more concurrent projects,” he said.

The district may need to hire several more project managers to oversee the schools’ construction because facilities staff is swamped by current construction projects, said Mark Wolfe, executive director of facilities.

“My project managers are loaded, which is why I was hiring another manager – to assist with projects already going on,” Wolfe said.

The district posted a job application for a project manager last month and received about 37 applicants, but only seven of them “met the minimum requirements,” Wolfe said. Only one person met the specific requirements of the job, Wolfe said, and that applicant was out of New Jersey.

The committee tabled the discussion of hiring mangers last month until Wolfe measured the quality and quantity of applicants, but none were up to district standards, he said.

“I did not feel like they appeared to be the quality of the individual and the experience we’re looking for,” Wolfe said.

The cost to build the five new schools by First Floor Energy Positive, a firm based in Raleigh, N.C., is $220.6 million, but emergency and work funds brings the total up to $240.3 million, according to documents from the district. The new figure comes from including “owner’s contingency” costs and estimated off-site work costs, which must be factored into the final price.

The renovations at Myrtle Beach High and North Myrtle Beach Middle schools – as well as other projects – has left the current four project managers without enough time to oversee the new school construction. The facilities committee, however, is still uneasy with hiring a project management firm, which adds to the building plan’s already inflated budget.

“I cannot, in good faith, see spending $3 million to hire people when [the public] had a problem with us spending $40,000,” said Holly Heniford, board of education member.

The district paid $40,000 to consultant Louis P. Batson to review proposals from three architecture firms last year, but the selection committee voted against the consultant’s advice.

Wolfe said the only option is to hire a project management firm because it would take too much time to train new employees just to oversee the construction of five new schools. A management firm is an independent contractor who reports to the district, but is not technically on the district’s staff, Wolfe said.

The district is building five new schools: Carolina Forest, Myrtle Beach, Socastee and St. James middle schools; and Socastee Elementary School. All five schools are expected to open by August 2017.

“We’re already too far down the road. A project management firm already has trained people who can hit the ground running,” Wolfe said.

Joe DeFeo, board chairman, said the best solution is to hire more district staff to oversee the projects.

“I can’t see spending $3 million to $6 million on what we should be able to do with just three people,” DeFeo said. “The problem is people on the street in Horry County do not know that these positions are out.”

DeFeo suggested listing three project manager positions – just like district staff did last month – but advertise the position better through phone calls and local media. DeFeo also said district staff should “search out” people qualified for the jobs so the best candidates are gathered.

Rick Maxey, superintendent, said the district is in a “dilemma.” Horry County Schools needs to make sure the schools are constructed properly and on-schedule, but staff should also keep the budget in mind.

“We certainly don’t want to be wasteful with money, but we also want to take care of the money we’ve invested,” Maxey said.

The committee tabled the discussion until district staff receives applications for the new project manager listings.

This story was originally published January 25, 2016 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Horry County Schools seeking project managers for new schools."