County exploring options to complete new library

Th e completion date for the new Eastern Shore Public Library is now in question following the dismissal of the contractor,  R.H.Construction, by the Accomack County Board of Supervisors at Wednesday night’s meeting.

In a letter to the Cincinnati Insurance Company and to Edgar Flores, President of R.H. Construction, County Administrator Mike Mason cited three main reasons for the dismissal.

Failure to complete by the deadline and lack of due diligence was the first reason.  \After several extensions, a memo of understanding negotiated in late January called for completion of the project on or before July 29, 2022. It also cited the lack of due diligence to complete the project thereafter.

Defective work was cited as the second reason for termination. The roof of the new library has been leaking for several months posing a risk of damage to the roof and the interior of the structure. There were several other smaller issues as well. The County asserts that the defects in construction violated the MOU  and constitute grounds for the termination.

The letter cited as the third reason is that the County is aware of two subcontractors who claim not to have been paid for their work. The County contends there may be several others, including the  failure to pay Lexington National Insurance on September 14, 2023 and failure to pay Shore Lock and Key on September 19, along with other possible failures to pay constitutes grounds for the termination of the contract.

According to Mason,  a meeting is scheduled with the Insurance Agency early this week. Mason said that there are four options, which include having Cincinnati Insurance paying the County and having the County hire a contractor to complete the project.  Another option would be for the Insurance Company bring in their own contractors to finish.

Negotiations are underway to set a path to complete the project which has been delayed numerous times due to supply chain issues and issues with the contractor.

.