Bond Oversight Committee Workbook
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Houston Independent School District BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WORKBOOK August 13, 2019 Bond Oversight Committee Meeting | August 13, 2019 | 8:30 a.m. Table of Contents Bond Program Oversight Committee Charter 5 Executive Summary 11 Project Update Report 15 Bond Phasing Schedule 16 Project Update Report — Group 1 19 Project Update Report — Group 2 37 Project Update Report — Group 3 47 Project Update Report — Group 4 53 Districtwide Projects 65 Supplier Diversity (M/WBE) Bond Report 69 Bond Financial Reports 81 Project Budget/Commitment/Available Funds Report 83 Strategic Engagement and Outreach Report 87 Glossary 89 Appendix 93 It is the policy of the Houston Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, handicap or disability, ancestry, national origin, marital status, race, religion, sex, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity and/ or gender expression in its educational or employment programs and activities. Meeting August 13, 2019 | 3 Wharton Dual Language Academy 4 | Meeting August 13, 2019 Houston Independent School District Bond Program Oversight Committee Charter Wharton Dual Language Academy Meeting August 13, 2019 | 5 Committee Members Committee Structure and Membership D.V. “Sonny” Flores, Craig Johnson a) The Committee has up to nine voting members, Gusta Booker III David Quan including a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson, who are appointed by the Superintendent. Formal action Michael G. Davis Phoebe Tudor from the Committee requires a majority vote of the Robert M. Eury quorum present. Individual members of the Committee shall not exercise authority for the Committee as a whole and shall not act independently of the Committee. Written applications will be reviewed by members of the District’s Executive Leadership team Purpose of Charter for each applicant’s experiences and qualifications. The Executive Leadership team will submit The Board of Education (“Board”) for the District desires recommendations to the Superintendent for approval to make continual improvements to existing programs. and appointment to the Committee. As a result, the Bond Program Oversight Committee Charter (“Charter”) is adopted to explain the mission, b) Appointments will be staggered for one year and two purpose, structure, membership, duties, responsibilities, year terms. Terms may be extended for additional and expectations. This Charter supersedes the one or two year terms upon approval by the previously adopted charter dated August 30, 2010. Superintendent. c) The Committee will approve meeting minutes, review Committee Mission and approve the reasonableness of reports from the District, and approve the issuance of status reports and The HISD Board, in response to community interest other communications from the Committee. in the effective and efficient use of bond proceeds, d) All meetings will be open to the general public. has established a mechanism to encourage greater accountability, transparency, public support, and e) Membership on the Committee shall consist of confidence by creating the Committee. The Committee interested persons from the following groups who can is an independent citizens’ Committee that is remain objective and independent with the District’s responsible to the Superintendent, Board, and general best interest at heart: public (in that order). 1. Special preference for members with expertise or knowledge in the areas of building design/ The Committee’s charge is to monitor all applicable engineering, construction, construction project Bond funded construction projects and help interested management, and/or finance. Houstonians to stay informed about new construction and renovation projects in the District. Its purpose is 2. Members active in a business organization to monitor performance and compliance in order to representing the business community located in confirm that HISD implements Bond Program work in the District. conformance with the program approved by the Board 3. Members who are parents or guardians of a and make recommendations to maximize available child enrolled in the District and also active in a resources to achieve construction goals in the most parent-teacher organization. effective and cost efficient manner. Its focus should be oversight rather than limited to hindsight. 4. Members of the community at-large. 6 | Meeting August 13, 2019 f) The Committee members receive no direct or indirect c) Validate that no bond funds are used for any teacher compensation from the District for their services as or administrative salaries or other school operating members of the Committee. expense, other than administrative salaries whose primary purpose is to manage the District’s Bond g) The Committee members may not have an active Programs. contract or be seeking a contract with the District or with any contractor or sub-contractors associated with d) Review efforts by the District to maximize bond the Bond Programs. revenues by balancing best value, quality, and efficiency in meeting the District’s goals and priorities. h) The Committee may not include any employee or official of the District, or any vendor, contractor or e) Evaluate risks and related controls associated with the consultant of the District. District’s Bond Programs, determine focus areas and strategic approach to review, and communicate any i) A Committee member serves the general interest findings and recommendations for improvement via a of the public as opposed to any personal interest or periodic independent report to the Superintendent, special interest group. Board, and general public. To maximize these efforts, j) If a Committee member moves outside of the District’s the Committee may recommend the performance of geographic boundaries, resigns, violates the Ethics specific audit projects based on its risk assessments Policy contained herein, fails to attend two consecutive and communications to the Board Audit Committee Committee meetings without reasonable excuse, or and HISD Office of Inspector General. otherwise becomes unable to serve on the Committee, f) Coordinate with the Superintendent’s designee to visit the Superintendent may declare the position on the District facilities and grounds for which bond proceeds Committee to be vacant and appoint another qualified have been or will be expended, in accordance with any person to the Committee. necessary access procedures. g) Review copies of other bond reports published by the Committee Duties and District. Responsibilities h) Review any performance audits of the District’s Bond Programs to ensure the District is taking appropriate The Committee shall inform the Superintendent, Board, and action to remediate any deficiencies identified in general public (in that order) concerning the District’s overall such reports. project management of all Bond Programs, including but not limited to: i) Review operational audits conducted by the HISD Office of Inspector General to ensure the adequacy a) Review periodic reports produced by the District to of scope, management action plans, and remediation verify effective and efficient use of bond proceeds efforts of the District. and compliance with the purposes set forth in the j) Review any financial audits of the District’s Bond Bond Programs as approved by the Board. See reports Programs to ensure the District is taking appropriate issued by the District in the “District Duties and action to remediate any deficiencies identified in Responsibilities” section below. such reports. b) Ensure that bond revenues are expended for the k) Provide periodic status reports and an annual report purpose set forth in the Bond Programs as approved regarding the results of its activities, in addition to by the Board of Education, and that any deferred any Committee findings, recommendations, and proposals or plans where considered necessary management action plans, to the Superintendent and are appropriate. Meeting August 13, 2019 | 7 Board. These reports should include the Committee’s exterior materials, paint color, interior finishes, site plan opinion regarding the District’s remediation efforts for and construction means or methods; any recommendations included in the performance j) Selection of independent audit firm(s), performance audits, operational audits, or financial audits audit consultants and such other consultants as are mentioned above and will be made available to the necessary to support the performance of the general public by inclusion on the District’s website and Bond Programs; other communication avenues. k) Setting or approving schedules of design and l) Perform other reasonable duties requested by the construction activities; Superintendent. l) Investigations of alleged wrongdoing; potential waste, m) Disclose and sign an annual conflict of interest fraud, misuse or abuse; or non-compliance with Local, statement for existing conflicts and re-submit if any State, Federal laws/regulations, or District policies. conflicts arise during a Committee member’s tenure. m) Directing the activities of staff or consultants; or n) Any perceived allegation of wrongdoing; potential waste, fraud, misuse or abuse; or non-compliance n) Activities, roles or responsibilities that have been with Local, State, Federal laws/regulations, or District delegated to staff or consultants by the Superintendent policies that becomes known to the Committee shall or his designee. be communicated to the Superintendent, who shall refer such matters to the Board, Ethics and Compliance Officer,