Weddle 'disappointed' with county's actions

Representatives for Weddle Brothers Construction Company called the recent actions by the Greene County Board of Commissioners and the Greene County Building Corporation to take the next legal step in preparation of declaring the Bloomington company default of its contract obligations disappointing and said they are ready to meet in good faith to resolve their differences.

"We are disappointed but not surprised by the county's recent actions. The default and threatened termination is not warranted by the terms of the contract or the provisional agreement," Weddle Brothers Construction vice president Don Turner told the Greene County Daily World on Wednesday night. "We stand by our position that the Phase II claim was submitted on July 20, 2006. Neither Greene County or the architect/engineer ever responded to the claim as required by the contract or otherwise."

Turner acknowledged that on Monday there was a conference telephone call conducted that included Weddle representatives, Greene County Commissioner Bart Beard, commissioner's attorney Marilyn Hartman, the county's project manager Jim Corey, and three attorneys from the Indianapolis law firm of Drewry Simmons and Vornehm LLP, which is representing the county in its civil suit. During that call, a proposed timetable to return to work was presented by Weddle, Turner stated.

"The County rejected this proposal and informed Weddle of its intent to have the Board of Commissioners and the Building Corporation pass the resolutions that were acted upon this week," he said.

In a letter drafted by Weddle's project manager Jeff Mattix on Monday and sent to the commissioners, building corporation and Corey, the construction company re-stated its position that was made during the conference call.

Mattix wrote: "Representatives of Greene County stated that they wanted some additional information relative to Weddle's Phase II delay claim. Weddle proposed that it would supply the additional information in writing whether Weddle would return to work within three days after Weddle received the county's request for information (and at the same time Weddle would supply the additional information requested). Weddle also proposed that the parties attempt to work out a resolution of the Phase II claim within seven days after Weddle supplied the additional information. We are disappointed that the county could not agree to this timetable."

Turner concluded, "Weddle Bros. stands ready to meet in good faith and discuss possible remedies to this dispute."