Update on Park City School District Master Planning Committee

The Park City School District Master Planning Committee met on Thursday. The topics they discussed included:

• They received two responses for their request for a planning company to assist with the New Treasure Mountain School. They felt they received a limited response because of tight deadlines and the need to be licensed in Utah. The companies who applied were VCBO and IBI. Both are architectural firms that brought in an outside planner.
• $50,000-$100,000 is approved for a planner
• Committee chairperson Rory Murphy is concerned of a conflict of interest if the planner also bids for the construction work. No other committee members seem to share the concern at his level.
• The Master Planning Committee was trying to hire a communications firm to help educate the public on the upcoming bond (that’s the most politically correct way we can put that). Firms applying were too expensive and they’ve decided to rely in the planner to run meetings getting public input. They will then pay a local communications firm to work with local media to educate the public about the need for a new Treasure Mountain School (and a bond).
• The Committee has reached out to financial services firms (like George K Baum) to begin the process of selecting a financial advisor to help with financing a new school.
• The Committee seems to be trying to decide what big ticket items like a fieldhouse or baseball bleachers should be accounted for as part of the master planning process. There are items some items related to safety, like sidewalks that perhaps should be done now, even though they will be thrown away when Treasure Mountain is rebuilt, that perhaps should be done now. There are other items like fixing the gym floor in the high school that may warrant immediate attention. The School Board wanted the Master Planning Committee’s takes on what items perhaps should receive immediate funding.