Franklin Regional to explore waiver request for Sloan construction project

Given the fluid situation at the state level regarding coronavirus-related business restrictions, Franklin Regional School District officials aren’t certain if they will need waivers to resume construction on the Sloan “elementary campus” project.

But if they do, and decide to move forward with construction, their solicitor would like to have things lined up and ready to go.

The board voted 6-3 Monday to move ahead in requesting waivers for renovations and additions at Sloan Elementary, as well as the new construction of a building for grades 3 to 5 at the same site, off Sardis Road in Murrysville.

“I want to give our contractors every ability to be able to complete their contractual obligations in a timely manner,” solicitor Gary Matta told board members at their first “virtual” board meeting, conducted on the Zoom platform and livestreamed on YouTube. “If we need to submit (these waivers), we’ll have the approval to do so. If (the state) changes the process, we can go through the process and keep the board advised on how it moves forward.”

Less than a week after Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses to shut down — including construction — he has received push-back from some legislators. This week, state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Fayetteville, introduced legislation that would allow businesses to reopen, provided that businesses follow strict health and safety guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Labor.

State House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods, also pledged to introduce legislation specifically to allow construction projects to proceed.

First-term school board members Ed Mittereder, Bill Yant and Gary English, who all campaigned against the Sloan project, voted against the waiver requests.

“It appears that we may now be changing things based not on health concerns, but on economic concerns, and I think that’s a mistake,” Yant said.

“We’re dealing with an unseen entity here,” Mittereder said of the virus. “This is uncharted waters for all of us, and I think you’re far better off to err on the side of caution.”

Matta said he held several conference calls with district administrators and contractors involved with the Sloan project to gather as much information as possible about the situation.

“Clearly, the most important thing is the health, safety and welfare of staff in the district and our contractors,” Matta said. “But we also have be cognizant that if contractors have the ability to return to work, and we preclude them from doing so, do we then as a district have liability on that front?”

English said moving forward with the waivers was “being overzealous.”

“We’re being asked to approve this and I think it’s endangering the public in asking to push forward on this project,” English said.

Matta stressed that nothing would happen regarding the project without the school board’s approval.

“All I’m asking is for us to keep all the tools we have in our tool belt,” he said. “You’re not going to see contractors back to work tomorrow after this motion. This is just to have the paperwork in hand.”

The board’s next meeting is scheduled for April 6. It will be livestreamed at Youtube.com/user/FranklinRegionalSD.