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Wlaf1450
By Charlotte Underwood
JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF)- The Campbell County Board of Education met on Tuesday afternoon with discussion on the Jacksboro Elementary School Gym project once again on the agenda. Under the BOE’s attorney’s advice, the board took no action on the issue until certain documents are received from the construction company GCE’s attorney. School Board Attorney Dail Cantrell also said that mediation between the architect and the construction company was being set up for late June, if the date could be scheduled. At this mediation, it is hoped that something will be worked out regarding pay application 9, among other issues.
On May 28th, the BOE held a special called meeting to discuss and take action on a pay application, however, on the advice of the BOE attorney, the board voted to table the issue and to not authorize payment on pay application 9 until the contractor, GCE Construction, provides formal orders regarding a prompt pay act letter the company had sent, as well as a work stoppage letter. At Tuesday’s meeting, BOE Attorney Dail Cantrell reiterated this statement, saying that the board needed those documents. He said there were three issues that needed to be sorted out before moving forward.
“At the last special called meeting, we sort of batted the same issues around. We can’t move forward until we get an answer from their counsel on three issues, one was the prompt pay act notification letter, one was the work stoppage letter, and one was the dirt removal issue which is ongoing. I talked to counsel last week, corresponded with him again today and reminded him that this would be a good opportunity so we could potentially take action tonight, but without those documents in hand, there is really nothing for you to do,” Cantrell said.
He told the board that mediation was being set up between GCE and Lewis Group. Cantrell asked the board if June 25th or June 29th would work as a mediation date.
“I have to clear the date with GCE’s attorney who is in agreement, everybody is in agreement to do the mediation… it would behoove all parties to come to an agreement… We will meet prior to the mediation to set it up logistically. The other issue, we are stuck in a holding pattern until their attorney gets back with me on those other issues such as the stuff with the paint and the color of the mortar, there was a concession by GCE that the guidance from the architect does not specify color and this was a situation of using two different colors of sand to mix it; that may have just been an error on the contractors part, now that we have that I think it is going to be submitted to the architect for the color matching process,” Cantrell said.
Cantrell also told the board he did not think it was necessary to have any more public meetings where GCE and the architect are invited to speak.
“Everyone has attorneys; the attorneys can communicate on this issue and can do it much more succinctly. As a board, you all have all of the information you need from both the architect and from GCE. The only issue that is pushing starts with pay application 9 … we don’t have a dispute with anybody, we can’t move forward until the architect recommends we move forward and I think we are so close that I am hoping this mediation will do it,” Cantrell said.
He told the board the second reason he did not think that they needed to meet publicly was because GCE had someone filming each meeting and then editing the film in the “most unflattering way. And blowing it up on social media.”
“Any contract that is a government contract, there is an inherent profile of fair dealing, you all are essentially the owner and the protector of the taxpayer’s money, you can’t treat this like you would a residential or commercial contract. You all have strict guidelines, you all have to follow the government contract, everybody does. For any of the three parties to slam others, that is just not appropriate, you don’t do that at projects that affect these kids. They have the right to film the meeting; it is highly inappropriate to edit them down and put you all in a fast light. They have now issued some sort of edict that they can’t get the school open by fall and the reason is inexplicable,” Cantrell said.
He recommended once again that the board to not move forward until GCE’s attorney sends the documents that have been requested.
He told the board he would try to confirm June 29th as a mediation date.
Tuesday’s meeting was recessed until 5:30pm June 25th, a Thursday, for budgetary purposes to close out the fiscal year. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-06/10/2026-6AM)