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Their view: Protect the Medical Assistance Transportation Program

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W-B Area project manager: No coal ash under building site

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Wilkes-Barre Area School Board approved more spending for the consolidated high school during a Friday morning meeting, including more than $1 million in change orders Superintendent Brian Costello stressed were previously considered and affordable while still staying under budget. The Board also approved a proposed budget with a 3.2 percent tax increase.</p><p>The high school-related votes included:</p><p>&#8226; Approving $600,000 for building permits to Plains Township, where the school, estimated at a total cost of about $124 million, is being built.</p><p>&#8226; Granting authority to Costello and Business Manager Tom Telesz to authorize additional work &#8220;as needed to prevent delays to the schedule on a case-by-case basis,&#8221; not to exceed $70,000 per occurrence.</p><p>&#8226; Purchase of a webcam to monitor the construction process, from EarthCam.net for $13,494.</p><p>&#8226; Submitting two reports to the state department of education in the PlanCon system used to determine state reimbursement for construction projects: Documents for PlanCon Part I related to contract change orders, and Part G, related to accounting based on contractor bids.</p><p>&#8226; An amended agreement with Borton-Lawson, one of four firms hired as the &#8220;design team&#8221; for the high school, to include soil sampling after grading is completed, at an added cost of $40,000.</p><p>&#8226; A new agreement with Geo-Science Engineering and Testing, LLC, to conduct independent construction testing services not to exceed $429,105. Geo Science has been doing a variety of testing work at the site. Solicitor Ray Wendolowski said the contract includes a wide range of inspections to ensure all work is up to specifications and municipal codes, including concrete and paving materials. The goal is to have an extra set of eyes on the project, he said, beyond the inspections the district construction manager and the township will do.</p><p>&#8226; A change order adding $19,175 to a contract with 11400 Inc. &#8212; the contractor installing food service equipment &#8212; for insulated, pre-fabricated floors with aluminum diamond tread. Costello said the change relates to the addition of a chiller recommended after the contract was awarded.</p><p>&#8226; A change order with Everon Electrical Contractors totalling $82,682 for work related to installation of an electric sign at the school.</p><p>&#8226; A change order with Quandel Construction &#8212; handling the building shell and general trades contracts &#8212; totalling a bit more than $1.1 million to add more terrazzo flooring and to expand the natatorium by 14 feet. Costello said money had been budgeted for additional terrazzo &#8212; considered more durable than other commercial floorings &#8212; and the option of expanding the pool for six to eight lanes, but that the board didn&#8217;t want to approve the work until contract bids came in. Because they came in lower than expected, the added work is possible while staying under budget, he said.</p><p>The board approved the budget 6-2, with Mark Atherton absent and Shawn Walker participating via speaker phone. James Susek and Melissa Patla voted against it. The budget, which must be voted on for final approval by the end of June, increases spending by about $3 million, to $126.6 million, and increases property taxes by 3.2 percent, to 18.6135 mills.</p><p>A mill is a $1 tax on every $1,000 of assessed property value. The increase is the maximum allowed under the state law known as Act 1 without getting voter approval or seeking an exemption from the state.</p><p>Before the vote, project critic Sam Troy called the process a &#8220;fiasco&#8221; and suggested the district should hold a separate meeting solely regarding the budget to give the public more opportunity to review it and comment.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_Costello2_Wbasd-cmyk.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Costello </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_Costello2_Wbasd-cmyk.jpg</photo0><caption0>Costello </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Also approves budget with 3.2% tax increase</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>READ MORE</strong></p><p>Project manager: No coal ash under building site, 2A</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

W-B Area OKs over $1.5 million more for high school, raises taxes