Vermilion Parish School Board looks at putting architect on retainer to inspect completed small projects

When the Vermilion Parish School Board completes a project less than $30,000, it lets Kerry Richard, the school system’s maintenance supervisor, inspect it. Now, the school board is looking at having an architect check the finished projects.
School Board member Laura LeBeouf brought the issue up at the Properties Committee on Monday. LeBeouf asked Richard how does the school board know when small projects are completed.
Richard told the board that he is the one who is inspecting the smaller projects once they are completed.
LeBeouf said she does not want anyone, other than a supervisor in the maintenance office, signing off on a completed project, especially without someone inspecting it.
School Board Member Kibbie Pillette explained to fellow board members that the school boards in other parishes have contracts with an architectural service to inspect large and small completed projects.
“The architect certifies a project under $30,000,” said Pillette. “The board pays the architect an annual fee. We should find out if architects are interested in working with the school board to inspect projects. They would say the work is done and done correctly. To have Kerry do everything is a stretch.”
School board member Jason Roy was not too thrilled in having the school board hire someone on retainer when they are getting the work done by a school employee.
“Most of these projects under $30,000 are minor things,” Roy said. “I do not know if we have a major issue. We are putting someone else on retainer? If we keep hiring people on retainer, we are going to run out of money.”
Pillette said he is trying to take a load off of Richard’s shoulders. The school board member said the projects might be small, but they need to make sure they are doing it right.
“Other school boards have a school board architect on retainer,” Pillette added. “You tell the architect what is being done and he checks to see if that is being done. At least we will know a project is done accurately and complete if an architect inspects the finished project.”
Pillette wants to research to see how expensive it will be to hire an architect on retainer.