Franklin Regional board votes to restart Sloan construction project

The Franklin Regional School District will restart the Sloan “elementary campus” project later this month despite concerns by four of its nine school board members.

“There’s really no certainty when a good time to move forward is,” said board member Gary English. “I think we should err on the side of caution with the public’s health as a primary concern.”

Pennsylvania Department of Education guidelines on the covid-19 pandemic state that school districts “should use best judgment in exercising their authority to continue critical construction projects,” and that such a decision did not require a waiver from the state.

State officials did not respond to requests about whether there is a legal definition for “critical construction.”

Project manager Nancy Gorgas, with Massaro Construction, said she met with district administrators and the project’s prime contractors, who said the vast majority of their workforce would be able to return by April 20 and that they’d be able to follow health and safety guidelines about social distancing and disinfection.

Several board members felt that was an impossibility.

Bill Yant, Ed Mittereder and Mark Kozlosky — who voted against restarting the project and who all have previous experience in the construction industry — expressed serious doubts.

“I just don’t believe you can restart this project and meet the conditions that are listed in (the health and safety) documents,” Yant said. “The governor, the president, everyone has said six feet (of distance between individuals), and we’re saying ‘six feet when possible.’ I have a real problem with that.”

Kozlosky advised waiting a month.

“Our state is at a point where we’re still seeing an uptick in infections and deaths,” he said. “Our concern has to be: is it prudent, with the numbers going up, to put these workers back to work? I think the right steps are to constantly be evaluating this, see when we’re in periods where the state and federal governments are loosening up the standards, and then it’s time — with the maximum protection — to put these workers back on the job.”

There is also the matter of State House Speaker Mike Turzai’s House Bill 2400, which was released by the House’s state government committee in early April by a 15-10 vote. It would require an immediate waiver for all construction activity to resume statewide, as long as work crews can adhere to the proper health and safety measures as defined by the Centers for Disease Control.

English pointed out that those same measures did not prevent an employee at the Murrysville Giant Eagle from being infected with covid-19 last week.

“We’re looking at being exposed to an invisible virus, which is a serious concern,” English said.

Gorgas said this type of large-scale construction requires a great deal of pre-planning, and that additional health and safety measures are “just one more element of that.”

Work crews would have their temperatures checked daily before entering the site, and would be required to disclose if they’ve had contact with anyone being tested or who has tested positive for covid-19. Gorgas said that with a projected April 20 start, some necessary overtime and a focus on parts of the project that must be completed by August, they could keep to the existing project timeline.

Kozlosky did not feel that was nearly as important as public health.

“My preference would be to table this decision for another month, and see where we’re at,” he said. “Maybe you’re behind other businesses opening up and having success, but I’d rather be in that position than starting too soon.”

The board voted 5-4 to restart the project. Board members Paul Scheinert, Herb Yingling, Scott Weinman, Deb Wohlin and Gregg Neavin voted in favor.

The board’s next meeting is May 4, livestreamed on YouTube at 7:30 p.m.

Below, watch Monday’s board meetings in their entirety.