MEEKER I Two of the recently elected school board members were sworn in, new officers were elected and it didn’t take long before the update on the elementary school was being discussed.
Incumbent Mindy Burke and Kurt Blunt were sworn in by outgoing school board president Mary Strang. Marnell Bradfield, was out of town and unable to attend.
The new board elected Iris Franklin its new president, Bill deVergie was elected vice president and Burke was elected to be the new secretary/treasurer.
Early into the board meeting Jim West, the school district’s “owner’s rep” on the elementary school project joined the meeting by telephone and asked if everyone had read the front page story in Sunday’s Denver Post and the follow-up story in Tuesday’s Denver Post, which said engineer Gary Howell, who designed the Meeker Elementary School for The Neenan Company, was fired Monday and is under investigation by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).
It is alleged by the Denver Post that Neenan may have employed Howell, who had not renewed his engineering license with the state and continued to practice his trade, including engineering the Meeker Elementary School.
“What impacts might develop of any bonding or insurance carried by Neenan, because of the situation with Mr. Howell?” Blunt asked.
“I’ve asked Neenan in writing to tell me if the Denver Post is right, if his (Howell’s) license had lapsed. In my opinion, I think they are in violation of their contract with the school district,” West said. “I want to make darn certain the school district is covered. I don’t know what impacts it could have with Howell being the engineer of record, the one legally responsible.” West said he had some “homework” to do.
“We have to go on the record with some of these issues and I suggest – I’ll say it publicly – I want to get to the feeding trough first, that’s a fact,” West said.
West said “Neenan is ready to go,” regarding the repairs and were waiting for the soils consolidation tests, which have been completed and a report by CTL Thompson will be presented at a special board meeting Nov. 29 at 7 p.m., in the high school cafeteria. West suggested Neenan representatives not be present, so as to “not dilute” the report and discussion.
“I’d like to keep soils and repair issues separate from political and damage issue,” West said.West said he did not want to discuss the soils tests but added, “For me personally, I’m going to sleep better tonight and you can take that for what it is.”
West said Bob Thompson wanted to do a seismic test to make sure it is at a seismic “Zone C” as required and “does not fall into a Zone D.”
The Herald Times was granted permission to reprint Sunday’s Denver Post story in its entirety. It can be read on page 6A. Tuesday’s Denver Post story can be read online at:
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19387865#.
