Board approves testing and Impact 7G contract for Paloy facility abatement and demolition work

The Pocahontas Area Community School District board approved authorization to proceed with asbestos testing and accepted a professional services agreement (PSA) from Impact 7G to support testing and the next-stage abatement work for the Paloy facility. Administration told the board testing will collect necessary information to schedule abatement in early September, followed by demolition phases timed to avoid heating-related constraints.

Administration recommended testing as the immediate next step and explained that destructive sampling may be required to gather material samples. Board members asked whether sample locations would be temporarily patched; staff said they would request temporary patches where needed and coordinate artifact removal with the historical society before destructive work begins. One administrator said the project had reached a point where boilers should be decommissioned and the building prepared for abatement and demolition.

The board approved the Impact 7G PSA by motion (mover: Mike; second: Jeff) and the motion carried unanimously. The contract and timeline were described as necessary to preserve grant opportunities and to keep the project on a schedule that completes abatement before heating-season constraints in mid‑October.

The meeting record shows administration is continuing coordination with the Paloy city council and other partners to protect historic items and to limit unnecessary damage during sampling.