Nov 17, 2016 By Mark Soroka for The 3 min read

NEW EAGLE — Several Ringgold school board members expressed concern about how a consulting firm is handling a water runoff problem at the new middle school construction site.

According to Matthew Franz, vice president of HHSDR Architects/Engineers, the seepage may be due to a pre-existing problem. That could be affecting the stability of the hillside.

“We will be undertaking a three-step process to identify the cause of the problem and find a solution,” said Franz. “First, we will collect and analyze data from testing borings that are being installed at the site. Next, we will install a collar system to divert the flow of water directly into the ground. That should help the water to better absorb into the earth. The final step will be to determine the best solution for this problem.”

The board subsequently voted to pay $9,800 to GeoMechanics Inc. to install, monitor and evaluate three subsurface test borings (piezometers) between the high school football stadium slope and the stormwater retention tank at the new Ringgold Middle School project site. If the board approves the second stage of the project, the work is projected to cost $14,000.

Board member James Dodd has reservations about how this issue is being handled.

“The engineers should have addressed this problem in the design phase,” he said. “It costs a lot of money when we get these change orders. I want to know who is ultimately responsible for this.”

During the meeting, the board also addressed delinquent taxes. Kevin Buraks, an attorney at law from Portnoff Law Associates, told the board that some individuals who are delinquent in their taxes may be qualified for the Hardship Program.

“People who have difficulty keeping up with their taxes can complete a hardship application,” he said. “Once approved, these individuals will arrange to make payments they can afford. There are no legal fees and no court costs. We will work with property owners if they are willing to work with us. This program has been very successful and more people could benefit from it.”

In other business, the board voted to:

n Extend the existing contract with Portnoff Law Associates for an additional three years

n Accept a change order in the amount of $27,300 from Yarborough Development Inc. for the multipurpose room floor recoating and sealing project at Ringgold Elementary School North

n Make payments to Integrated Services & Consulting for HVAC commissioning services related to the Ringgold Elementary School North project; HHSDR for architectural services related to the Ringgold Middle School project, GeoMechancis Inc. for geotechnical services during the construction phase of the Ringgold Middle School project and Massaro CM Services for services related to the Ringgold Middle School Project

n Approve a building license agreement between Ringgold School District and DQE Communications

n Grant teacher tenure to Leslie Egan, Rachel Fike and Lauren Bowser

Superintendent Karen Polkabla also congratulated the Ringgold football team on a successful season. “Our team went far in the playoffs, and we are proud of their accomplishment,” she said.

The board approved a motion to hold a reorganization meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 6 at the administration building.