Speculation about progress on the addition to the Greene County elementary building is over. “Obviously anybody who’s got two eyeballs knows construction isn’t going as fast as we’d like it,” school superintendent Tim Christensen said at the regular school board meeting Wednesday night. “There’s nothing definite, but it doesn’t look like it will be done Sept. 7.”
The first day of school for most students is Aug. 23, but the new classrooms will house pre-kindergarten classes. Those students are slated to start school until Sept. 7.
Christensen said Badding Construction, general contractor, is coming up with a new schedule and has hired a second brick mason to get the project moving along.
Board member Sam Harding is on the construction committee. He said the committee made it clear that if Badding didn’t hire another mason, the school would, and take it the cost from Bading’s contract.
Board member John McConnell is also on the committee. “The rest of the subs are doing great,” he said. “They’ve got stuff hanging out there without a roof over it.
Christensen said positive news to report is that Dustin Gibson, a 2009 Jefferson-Scranton graduate who was in the school’s construction program, is the lead electrician on site for Drees Electric, a subcontractor on the project. “He’s one of the people who is keeping up. He’s about out of work because there isn’t any place for him to put more wire,” Harding said.
The work on the existing building is finished, and in another week the contractors will start replacing the ceiling.
Harding said Badding has been encouraged to focus on the main entrance and the driveway to be sure they’re ready for the Aug. 23 start of school.
There is no penalty for late completion in the contract. McConnell said he argued to have a penalty clause in the contract, but Christensen said project manager Shive-Hattery discouraged it, saying that would add to the cost of the contract.
Harding said the committee will know more in two weeks about a possible completion date. No contingency plans were mentioned at the Wednesday meeting.
Wet weather in March delayed the start of the project.
