District contractor reports gym progress, cautions on contaminated soil at bus garage

Ray Green of Van Pelt (identified in the meeting as with Van Pelt/Vampel Construction Services) updated the board on two facilities projects: the new middle-school gym and the bus garage remediation.

On the gym, Green said the block work is complete, roofing is beginning and metal trusses are being fabricated after Department of State Architect (DSA) review, and he raised expectations that the project completion window moved from an earlier December target to an August–September timeframe as fabrication completes.

On the bus garage remediation, Green reported excavations have exposed a 25-by-25-by-3-foot area where the county took samples. "They don't look good, but they're not going to look good because the county took their test results from the absolute worst spot possible," Green said, explaining that county samples came from the center of visible contamination. He told trustees the district expects additional lab results that will determine whether more excavation is required or whether soil can be disposed locally rather than being trucked to Nevada.

Trustees asked about visibility and access to the excavation and whether board members could view the site; Green replied the excavation is caution-taped and noted moisture at the bottom of the hole because it sits at the lower end of a hillside. He said district consultants sampled water and that those results would arrive the following day and help guide next steps.

The board did not take an action to authorize disposal at the meeting; staff said next steps depend on lab results and consultant recommendations.