El Paso Independent School District is moving this week to complete roof repairs on Don Haskins PK-8 School, potentially clearing the way for payments to subcontractors who completed their work years ago.
“The work on the Don Haskins PK-8 campus roof is near completion with final checks and adjustments underway. El Paso ISD is actively working with the surety to see to the closure of this project and securing the warranty on the roof in a timely manner,” EPISD spokesperson Liza Rodriguez said in a statement Wednesday to El Paso Matters.
The roof repairs started this week after El Paso Matters questioned district officials about claims by subcontractors that they hadn’t been paid a total of $270,000 for work completed before the Upper Valley school opened in January 2022.
“My only comment would be it’s a shame that it took two years and having to go public in order to force the powers that be to do their job,” said Carlos Ornelas, the president of Southwest Specialty Contractors Association, which represents subcontractors in El Paso.
The dispute traces back to how the El Paso Independent School District managed the $44.3 million construction project, part of a 2016 bond program approved by voters. EPISD hired Urban Associates as the general contractor, which in turn brought on several subcontractors to handle specialized work such as roofing, flooring and electrical.
When the school opened in 2022, many subcontractors had long finished their work but had not received final payments because the district withheld part of the project’s retainage — a portion of funds held back until all work is certified complete.
The general contractor on the Don Haskins PK-8 project, Urban Associates, apparently went out of business, further complicating the issue. Major construction projects are insured by bonding companies, also known as sureties, in case the contractor isn’t able to complete the project.
The subcontractors asked the district to declare Urban in default and have a bonding company step in to complete the project, but the district didn’t take that step.
EPISD has withheld about $373,000 of the retainage as leverage to secure a 25-year warranty for the school’s roof. A legal fight between the roofing subcontractor and Urban, as well as damage to the roof discovered after construction finished, have delayed issuance of the warranty.
Cezy Collins, EPISD’s general counsel, told El Paso Matters that Firestone, the supplier of the roofing material, wouldn’t release the warranty until additional work was done on the school’s roof.
“The district has been working with Urban, the co-sureties, and Firestone to have the necessary additional work performed but so far has been frustrated in its efforts,” Collins told El Paso Matters on Oct. 1.
She said obtaining the warranty was necessary to closing the project and releasing the retainage.
None of the subcontractors who said they are owed money worked on the roof. But their contract is with Urban Associates – or the bonding companies hired to ensure completion of the project – not the school district.
The post After years of delay, El Paso ISD moves to finish Don Haskins PK-8 roof, resolve subcontractor payment issues appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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