Agenda Item
i. Service Agreements ~ Independent Contractor Agreements (ICA) ~ Strategic Environmental Solutions ~ Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) Inspection (Total Contract Not to Exceed $93,500)
Summary: Presented by: Mr. Erick Hofstetter, Chief Operating Officer, Division of Operations
Request: It is requested that the DeKalb County Board of Education approve the following Independent Contractor Agreements (ICA), to Strategic Environmental Solutions, that exceed $50,000 with a total contract value not-to-exceed $93,500.
Why: This request is to approve Strategic Environmental Solutions as contractor, to execute a three (3) year AHERA inspection and management plan for 110 DeKalb County School District (DCSD) facilities in support of the Facilities/Maintenance Department strategic goals.
Details: The request is for the approval of the above-listed vendor services for onsite inspection of asbestos-containing building materials, review of asbestos abatement, encapsulation or enclosure of asbestos-containing materials and records completed in the last three (3) years and review of the previous re-inspection and management plan for each school or facility.
An AHERA inspection is a federally mandated assessment of K-12 school buildings to identify, locate, and evaluate the condition of asbestos-containing building materials (ACBM). Required by the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), this inspection ensures that students and staff are not exposed to airborne asbestos fibers.
Core Components of AHERA Compliance
Initial Inspection: An EPA-accredited inspector must conduct a thorough visual and physical examination of all interior and accessible areas within school buildings to locate any ACBM.
Three-Year Reinspection: Once the initial inspection is complete, schools must have an accredited inspector re-evaluate the condition of any known or assumed asbestos materials every three years.
Six-Month Periodic Surveillance: Every six months, a designated school official must visually check the condition of the asbestos materials to ensure they have not degraded or become damaged.
Management Plans: The inspection findings are used to create an Asbestos Management Plan. This document outlines the location, quantity, and planned maintenance or removal of the materials-must be kept onsite and made available to parents, teachers, and staff.
On October 18, 2021, the Board of Education approved the revision of Board Policy DJE (IV) A.2 - Independent Contractor Agreements, to require Board approval for any Independent Contractor Agreements with a total cost of $50,000.00 or more.
Additionally, per Board Policy -Purchasing DJE III(C)(2) - Competitive Selection of Vendors for Non-Capital Projects - Purchases or contracts totaling $5,000+ shall require at least 2 written quotes and selected based on objective criteria (performance and execution).
The board policies can be found here:
https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Policy/ViewPolicy.aspx?S=4054&revid=IsVaB6Z2x9NPZkwqJm84zQ==&ptid=amIgTZiB9plushNjl6WXhfiOQ==&secid=y1ZW0qRGjEafuplusqEjNeK2Q==&PG=6&IRP=0&isPndg=false
Financial impact: General Fund Budget: 100.2600.543000.00011.7520.000.8013.040.0000
Contact: Mr. Erick Hofstetter, Chief Operating Officer, Division of Operations, 678.676.1483
Mr. Keith Ball, Executive Director of Capital Improvement & Facilities, Division of Operations, 678.676.1397
Effective: Upon Board Approval
Status: Approved by Office of Legal Affairs