FEMA building requires $80,000 in soil
Abbotsford District Administrator Ryan Bargender said the district will have to pay $80,000 for new soil to be brought in for the foundation of the FEMA building.
Bargender gave an update on the project as a whole at the board’s monthly meeting and said the building would not be able to be put up using the soil that is currently at the site.
An independent party tested the soil to ensure that it was stable enough to be building on and results from the test indicated the soil would not withstand certain environmental factors.
The test revealed that the native soil has 53 percent fines. This means the soil would be sensitive to moisture and subject to softening over time. A representative from Intertek-PSI who performed the soil test stated the current soil should not be used out of fear that it could cause issues down the road.
“It is not recommended to use the native soils for fill or backfill material if the moisture levels can not be controlled. Any new fill should be a clean granular soil, such as those materials meeting the gradations outlined in Section 209 or 305 of the State of Wisconsin Standard Specification for Highway and Structure Construction.”
Chris Hackner from HSR Associates is reportedly working on getting an estimate for removing the old soil and bringing new fill into the site. The initial estimate showed this might cost $84,000. The money for this development would come out of a $400,000 contingency fund the district had put aside for the project.
Bargender gave the board a more general update on the project as a whole.
The building interior is scheduled to be completed by the end of March, with the exterior work and landscaping to be done by early June.
This week, interior walls are going up. Approximately October 3, the pre-cast exterior walls are going up via crane. It will take 15 semi loads. There will be approximately two days that the fitness center entrance will be closed due to setting of the panels.
Other business
n The board approved the “Beef in the Classroom” grant by Mrs. Klothden Otter.
n The board approved the following employment recommendations: Hunter Carpenter - middle school volleyball coach, Lexie Balliett - crosscountry volunteer and interim coach, Kristine Wojner - middle school English teacher, Adrianna Leonhard - second grade teacher.
n The board approved the district goals for 2022-23.
n They also approved the superintendent goals for 2022-23. n Finance Manager Ashley Dake was approved to be an additional bank account signee.
