ECISD stops payments on new gym
Board wants plan on how, when work will finish
By BRENDA SOMMER news1@leader-news.com

STILL WORKING: Construction of the new high school gym continues well after the 'completion date.' L-N Photo

A plan is in place to firm up the delayed opening date for the new El Campo High School practice gym, after district trustees voted to withhold future payments to the builders.

During Tuesday night's board meeting, Superintendent Mark Pool told trustees he'd had little-to-no communication with builders Weaver & Jacobs after repeated attempts to contact them and have questions answered.

He said contractor Lan Walton recommended the board withhold further payments - some $315,000 - until the builders come up with a specific, detailed list of how they plan to finish the project, which should have been substantially completed Aug. 1.

That list needed to include exactly how many workers would be needed to finish each item, and how long it would take.

The two biggest reasons the project was delayed, Pool said, were rain delays and a lack of masons, a critical lack since the building is basically a giant brick-covered, cinderblock shell.

So far, Weaver & Jacobs have claimed 39 work days lost to rain, a figure yet to be accepted by the board, and which will first be scrutinized by RWS Architects.

Rain days can't be claimed if other work could be done during the rain, Pool noted.

"If all the rain days are approved, that still only gets them to Sept. 10, and we're already eight days past that," Pool told trustees.

By contract, the district can penalize Weaver & Jacobs $400 per day for non-rain-delayed days past the completion date.

Representatives from RWS Architects and Weaver & Jacobs, as well as Pool and others met Wednesday to compile the list of what is needed to complete the gym, and how that will be handled.

"I think they understand the seriousness of needing to get it finished," Pool said. "The architects added things that weren't on (Weaver & Jacobs') list. Now, everybody knows what needs to be done."

He said a new "substantial completion" date for the gym has been set.

"It looks like Oct. 6 we're set to occupy it," Pool said. "It just depends on whether they get it done."

The remaining payments, minus penalties for delayed days not rain-related, will be held until the district has confidence the project will be done, Pool said.

"We're going to hold off until they can show us they can finish, until we're absolutely satisfied the contract is complete," Pool said.