A familiar smell was detected at the Macon Middle School locker room from the dislodged vent pipes earlier in the month, but it was undetectable by the hydrogen sulfide meters, according to a report at the May 21 Macon County Board of Education meeting.
MCS Personnel Director Todd Gibbs gave the update, saying the human nose can detect hydrogen sulfide well before it is potentially dangerous.
Back in December, Gibbs revealed that a smoke test determined that dislodged vent pipes in the walls of MMS were causing a sewer smell that had been around for decades. It’s thought that the pipes were installed incorrectly.
Maintenance crews installed backflow preventers, which have mitigated the presence of the smell, and hydrogen sulfide meters have been used to determine if the smell was a health hazard. So far, there have been no meter readings. This is all while the school system weighs its options on what would be a costly full repair, which could include removing sections of the wall.
Gibbs said on May 21 that in the previous week, the smell had returned. Gibbs told the board that vents traps were put into floor drains and that the smell went away immediately. Gibbs said he’s still trying to talk with Rapid Rooter, recommended by County Commissioner Chair Paul Higdon, who has experience working in the field.
Gibbs said Rapid Rooter determined the vent pipes, which are between two walls, cannot be reached from above because there’s too much stuff in the walls. Gibbs said reconnecting the pipes without a costly full repair is like being “blindfolded and shooting at a moving target.”
Gibbs shared “good news” on the Nantahala School wastewater project. In a meeting with Harper Construction and Black & Veetch Engineering, Gibbs said they determined it can be done with no interruption in service to the current system. The last quote for the system in 2021 was more than $365,000, which Gibbs feels will be increased. The current system could fail at any time, which would close the school. Breedlove said having to go virtual because of a wastewater system failure would be “criminal.”
Only one bid for the Highlands Middle School project was received by the May 11 deadline. By law, those bids can’t be opened since they didn’t meet the minimum three bids. A second bid opening was set for May 25, and if there was still only one, then the school system can decide what to do. The estimated $697,730 project is funded through the Repair and Renovation Fund for the N.C. Education Lottery.
During the May 21 meeting, the board unanimously approved:
• Cancelling the three received bids for the East Franklin Elementary School additions. The board unanimously voted last month to suspend the building process due to the uncertainty with the upcoming budget and anticipated increases. Baldwin said there’s a possibility for class size regulations in the fourth and fifth grades, which would cause MCS issues in finding more classroom space.
• A contract of $39,635 with Creekstone Environment Geologic Services and its owner Ronnie Dilbeck to conduct a geologic survey for the next 11 months, after starting last month, on the Highlands soccer field. The survey will help the school board determine how best to alleviate the constant flooding/mud issues at the field and whether turf or grass is the best solution. Gibbs said Dilbeck wants a full year’s worth of data to make the best recommendation possible. Baldwin said their turf estimate came in over $900,000 and could easily be over a million.
• A new contract between MCS and Macon County Recreation Park for the Summer Edventure Camp so the campers can swim for free.
• An application for 2023-24 CTE federal and state funding, which is a yearly process.
• A coaching supplement of $750 for a new golf assistant position.
Also during the May 21 meeting, Gracie Parker, the 10-year-old who organized the Mental Health Help Rally in downtown Franklin, presented her resolution to bring back trauma counselors to Macon County elementary schools, plus the youth risk behavior story. Parker also asked for bullying information from each school broken down by types of bullying. Baldwin said he would get that to her in June.