The board of education is still paying for the construction of Libert County High School’s Donell Woods Stadium and they passed a motion Tuesday to accept a $328,658 bid from Titan Golf Services to correct irrigation issues that have left the field saturated and soggy.
Not all of the board members, however, agreed that the BoE should be responsible for forking over funds for the construction project that started in late 2006. The board passed the motion with a four to three vote — Becky Carter, Marcia Anderson and Carol Guyette all against the motion.
“I just don’t think we should be spending this money,” Carter said. “The people who created this mess should be cleaning it up.”
Ellis Wood Contracting, the original contractors for the project, will be kicking in a $51,379 chunk of the bid, leaving the BoE with a $277,279 balance to cover.
“They’re (Ellis Wood Contracting) paying because there were certain parts of the work they did that did not meet the specifications,” Superintendent Dr. Judy Scherer said.
She said the BoE has also asked the architecture firm, Buckley and Associates, to help cover some of the costs as the board believes the problems are partially due to architectural errors.
“They were part of a general discussion. Yes, we have talked with them about coming to the table as well, but we’ve haven’t gotten a response,” she said.
Buckley and Associates did not return a call from the Courier by press time.
The board members in favor of the motion said they just want to fix the problem as soon as possible and put the project behind them.
“There’s a real danger with it the way it stands,” Chairwoman Lily Baker said.
According to Roger Osborne, director of maintenance and operations for LCSS, Titan Services will be responsible for removing the current saturated soil, installing a new irrigation system and re-sodding the field.
“We’re going to remove 10 inches of soil from the football field, four inches from the rest of the area, eight inches in a few places, and then replace it with an engineered soil,” Osborne said. “They will also put in a new irrigation system and under drain.”
Osborne hopes to complete the final step, of placing new rolled sod and fertilizers, by mid-July.
“I feel very confident. I think it will be a field for the system and the community to be proud of,” Osborne said.
Not all of the board members, however, agreed that the BoE should be responsible for forking over funds for the construction project that started in late 2006. The board passed the motion with a four to three vote — Becky Carter, Marcia Anderson and Carol Guyette all against the motion.
“I just don’t think we should be spending this money,” Carter said. “The people who created this mess should be cleaning it up.”
Ellis Wood Contracting, the original contractors for the project, will be kicking in a $51,379 chunk of the bid, leaving the BoE with a $277,279 balance to cover.
“They’re (Ellis Wood Contracting) paying because there were certain parts of the work they did that did not meet the specifications,” Superintendent Dr. Judy Scherer said.
She said the BoE has also asked the architecture firm, Buckley and Associates, to help cover some of the costs as the board believes the problems are partially due to architectural errors.
“They were part of a general discussion. Yes, we have talked with them about coming to the table as well, but we’ve haven’t gotten a response,” she said.
Buckley and Associates did not return a call from the Courier by press time.
The board members in favor of the motion said they just want to fix the problem as soon as possible and put the project behind them.
“There’s a real danger with it the way it stands,” Chairwoman Lily Baker said.
According to Roger Osborne, director of maintenance and operations for LCSS, Titan Services will be responsible for removing the current saturated soil, installing a new irrigation system and re-sodding the field.
“We’re going to remove 10 inches of soil from the football field, four inches from the rest of the area, eight inches in a few places, and then replace it with an engineered soil,” Osborne said. “They will also put in a new irrigation system and under drain.”
Osborne hopes to complete the final step, of placing new rolled sod and fertilizers, by mid-July.
“I feel very confident. I think it will be a field for the system and the community to be proud of,” Osborne said.