Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities Contracts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Southmoreland SD board approves contract with Allegheny Restoration to repair stadium rock wall
Summary
The Southmoreland School District board voted 6-2 to accept a bid from Allegheny Restoration not to exceed $129,200 to repair a deteriorating stone wall at the district stadium after public comment raised concerns about scope and long-term costs.
The Southmoreland School District Board of Education voted 6-2 to accept a bid from Allegheny Restoration to repair the stadium rock wall for a cost not to exceed $129,200.
The vote followed public comment and discussion about the scope of the work, the change in cost from earlier estimates and whether the district should pursue a larger reconstruction instead of targeted repairs.
Resident Melissa Moore, who identified herself as living at 147 Braddock Road Avenue, Mount Pleasant, East Huntington Township, said the estimate and scope were inadequate and urged the board not to approve the work without more study. "Up to the 400 square feet that was proposed to be fixed, that's really only 20% of the wall," Moore said, adding that fixing a portion of an old wall could leave the district with additional costs in the future.
Board members and staff said engineers inspected the wall and identified approximately 400 square feet of shale that tested weak. "They actually sounded it, tapped it, and marked it in blue," said Mr. Trader, a district staff member, describing the engineering inspection. District staff described the work the contractor will perform as repointing the entire wall, capping and pinning it, replacing the identified weaker stone and cleaning the drain.
Board members debated the effect of delaying approval. A speaker on the board noted that if a change order had been approved in April the cost would have been $121,814; after re-bidding and waiting the district's cost rose to $161,765, not including outside legal or additional meeting costs. Allegheny Restoration's bid to complete the job by June was described at $129,200 "not to exceed" that amount.
Board members also discussed procurement practice. One member said the district must accept the "lowest most responsible bid," not simply the lowest dollar amount.
On the roll call, the board voted as follows: Mr. Yutze — yes; Dr. Fike — no; Mr. Freund — yes; Mrs. Geyer — yes; Mr. Grabiak — yes; Mrs. O'Rear — yes; Mr. Shipley — yes; Mr. Accipiter — no. The motion carried 6–2.
The board did not specify whether the bid includes separate legal or engineering fees already paid; staff said the district had paid engineering fees earlier and that some additional costs (solicitor and meeting advertisement) were not included in the contractor bid figure. The board did not set aside additional funding sources on the public record during the discussion.
