District withholds payment and issues punch list after widespread concrete defects at multiple schools

Tim Hague, the district's facilities director, gave a detailed account of construction-quality issues on recent concrete work performed under a contract with WM Welch and subcontractor Summit Concrete. Hague said the district, working with Architects West and WM Welch, has identified numerous deficiencies including hand-carved ADA lines, a 6- to 8-inch lip creating a trip hazard at Spirit Lake stairs, cracking where carbon fiber reinforcement had been specified but not used, gaps under doorways where specified anchors/clips were not installed, and improper mix placement at the backside of John Brown.

Hague said the district is holding roughly 20% of remaining contract payment until punch-list items are resolved and that liquidated-damage provisions have been invoked for missed deadlines (the contractor's scheduled mid-August completion was missed). The district also noted a performance bond is in place if it becomes necessary to pursue that remedy. For near-term safety, Hague described temporary fixes (backfill, basalt rock, sand, donated isopropyl-alcohol deicer) to keep sites safe this winter while replacements and guaranteed repairs are scheduled for next spring/summer.

Board and staff discussed negotiation of withheld payments and additional construction-administration costs from Architects West, and officials said they would seek a negotiated resolution with WM Welch first and use the bond only if needed. Hague said the contractor remains in liquidated damages; meeting comments referenced daily liquidated-damage figures expressed in the record ($500/day mentioned earlier, discussion later referenced $540/day as part of negotiation dialogue).