As the Brooksville company files for Chapter 11, Pasco sorts out which contracts to pay for and which are in dispute.
By BRIDGET HALL GRUMET
Published May 21, 2003
NEW PORT RICHEY - The ride along Embassy Boulevard just got bumpier.
The county-hired contractor who repaved part of that road, as well as five other roads the county complains are "defective," has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Pasco County has not paid Grubbs Construction Co. for the work, because officials believe the workers used a faulty asphalt mix that is now crumbling.
The county hopes to negotiate a settlement with the contractor, but officials fear the disputes could become mired in Grubbs' bankruptcy proceedings.
And once it's all sorted out, the county might end up hiring another contractor to rip up those roads and put down a new layer of asphalt, county engineer Jim Widman told the County Commission at Tuesday's meeting at the West Pasco Government Center.
"I do believe we have a safe situation," Widman said, noting there are no dangerous dropoffs on the roads in question. "It's just not very pretty."
The County Commission approved a plan Tuesday to settle up with Grubbs, the Brooksville contractor handling Pasco County's asphalt resurfacing and paving assessment program.
The county will pick apart Grubbs' $4-million contract, pay for the roads that have been completed without problems, and go into mediation over the remaining projects in dispute.
Those disputed projects include Embassy Boulevard, Oakshire Drive and Footprint Lake Village, all in Port Richey; Edenwood Drive and Viva Villas, both in Holiday; and Briarleaf Court/Elder Drive in New Port Richey. Altogether, those projects account for less than $448,000 of the contract.
Anticipating those disputes could wind their way in front of the bankruptcy court, commissioners also decided Tuesday to hire a consultant to inspect the roads and offer expert testimony, if needed.
In the meantime, the county will pay Grubbs for the repaving projects it was satisfied with: Trouble Creek Road and the intersection of Little Road and River Crossing, both in New Port Richey; Moog Road in Holiday; Stone Road in Port Richey; and Hudson Avenue in Hudson.
Grubbs will also finish its work on a separate $3.8-million contract with the county, the resurfacing of Handcart Road outside Zephyrhills, slated for completion in early July, Assistant County Attorney Jane Fagan said.
And Grubbs will start work on two other road maintenance projects, Morris Bridge Road in Zephyrhills and Bell Lake Road in Land O'Lakes.
Commissioner Ann Hildebrand voted for the deal "holding my nose," and other commissioners were equally reluctant to lose leverage by paying the contractor for certain jobs. But they said they saw no better way out.
"You're looking for a solution that's comfortable, and there isn't any," Commissioner Steve Simon said.
In other news, the commission set a workshop at its June 17 meeting to rank projects that could be funded with Penny for Pasco revenue, if voters decide in November 2004 to increase the sales tax by a cent.
Commissioners also held the first public hearing Tuesday evening on a proposed ordinance that would expand the boundaries of the mosquito control district to cover the entire county.
The commission is scheduled to vote on the ordinance at a 6:30 p.m. hearing June 3, at the historic courthouse in Dade City.
- Bridget Hall Grumet covers Pasco County government. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is bhall@sptimes.com
