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Board reviews retaining wall failure report

3 min read

ROGERSVILLE – West Greene School Board met for more than three hours in executive session Thursday to review a 700-page report prepared by a consultant on the cause of the collapse of the retaining wall at the new elementary center.

During its regularly scheduled building and sites committee meeting, the board met in private session with its architect, the Hayes Design Group; construction manager, Aecom, formerly URS; and the consultants who prepared the report.

The report, prepared by Michael Baker International, was not discussed in public session. It was only received by the district this week and will be released following review by the district’s solicitors, Superintendent Thelma Szerell said.

The executive session was called to discuss potential litigation.

The general contractor on the elementary project, Liokareas Construction Co., earlier filed a writ of summons with the Greene County Court, indicating it intends to file a lawsuit against the district, though not stating a cause.

The board last month voted to delete certain work from the scope of work in its agreement with Liokareas, including reconstruction of the failed wall, paving and any exterior work not yet completed or not yet complete in a satisfactory manner.

The retaining wall, which runs about 760 feet behind the new school and at its highest reaches 31 feet, collapsed Nov. 13.

The board in November accepted Michael Baker International as an independent consultant to the district, The Hayes Design Group, and ACA, a subconsultant that designed the wall.

The company was asked to investigate the cause of the collapse and develop a plan to reconstruct the wall. Its fees are not being paid by the district.

The board also hired its own “peer review” consultants, Pennsylvania Soil and Rock Inc., to review Baker’s work.

During the public session, the board voted to extend the contract with Aecom through the end of February.

It also voted to hire R&B Mechanical at $1,750 to inspect and make a recommendation to correct a problem with condensation in an air conditioning unit in the high school wrestling room that was installed during the middle-senior high renovation.

Brian Henderson of Aecom reviewed progress on the completion of the elementary center. He reported that representatives of Aecom and Hayes spent two days inspecting the building preparing a punch list of work that still has to be corrected or completed.

The list is expected to be ready Monday and will be provided to the general contractor Wednesday, Henderson said.

Board President Regina MacDowell said she would like to see any resident of the district who has expertise in construction also inspect the building to include items on the punch list.

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