Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1948 [PAGE 1107]

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[May 22

CONTRACT FOR A N D INSTALLATION OF NEW FIRE ALARM SYSTEM CHICAGO (19) Bids were received in November, 1947. on the installation of a new fire alarm system in the Chicago Professional Colleges. The E. P . Allison Company of Chicago was the lowest bidder on two counts — a firm bid of $32,108 and a proposal for a cost plus fixed fee form of contract with a fixed fee of $5,028 and a guaranteed maximum of $33,713- It was necessary to clear up a number of details so that the recommendation for the award of a contract could not be presented to the Board of Trustees until March 9, 1048 (Minutes, page 1046). The Board approved the award of a contract to the E. P . Allison Company on the basis of the firm bid of $32,108. In the meantime, the E. P . Allison Company had informed the University that a new wage scale and increases in costs of materials which went into effect before the contract was awarded would affect their bid, increasing it by $676.86. This was not reported by the Physical Plant Department at the time the recommendation for the award of the contract was presented on the theory that the increase could be accomplished through a change order. The E. P . Allison Company has stated that it will not accept the contract without an additional allowance of $676.86 for increased costs, but will accept a contract on the basis of its alternate proposal, namely, a cost plus fixed fee form of contract with a guaranteed maximum of $33,713. The Legal Counsel has advised that the University can not revise the original award without rejecting all bids and taking new ones. H e further advises that the alternate proposal for a cost plus fixed fee contract can be accepted because at the time of the original bidding it was also lower than any other bid received. Under this proposal 75 per cent of any saving below the guaranteed maximum cost would be retained by the University. Because of the time required in securing new bids and the probability that they would be higher than the previous bids received, due to increase in labor and materials costs, the Physical Plant Department and the Comptroller recommend that the alternate bid of the E. P. Allison Company, Chicago, be accepted and a cost plus fixed fee contract under the terms specified be authorized.

On motion of Dr. Meyer, the execution of this contract was authorized as recommended.

ADDITIONS TO GENERAL CONTRACT FOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING BUILDING (20) The Department of Electrical Engineering has requested the following additions to the contract with the John Felmley Company for general work on the Electrical Engineering Building: 1. To provide for additional installations of chalkboards, $8,418.72. a. The enrollment in the department will exceed the capacity of the new building to provide adequately for instruction. The resulting overcrowding in the classrooms will require chalkboard space wherever it can be made available. Many small spaces will have chalkboards where not originally planned. b. Chalkboards were originally omitted in the four laboratory conference rooms, due to a misunderstanding by the architects. c. It is desirable to add chalkboard space to one research room so that it can be used as a classroom, at least until the peak enrollment has been passed. d. To make the two lecture-demonstration rooms more flexible, as much chalkboard space as possible has been added. e. Chalkboard space in the student shop is also being added along one wall to improve the value of the shop. 2. Installation of wood block flooring in the machine and wood shops, $2,033.48. The preliminary planning of the building included wood block flooring in the shops but it was not included in the final specifications. This type of flooring is desirable for the welfare of workmen who must stand all day and also as protection to tools which may be dropped. The Director of the Physical Plant Department and the Comptroller recommend these additions. Funds are available in the State appropriation for the "Construction of a new Electrical Engineering Building."