Joint meeting to discuss new high school scheduled

The Lewis County Board of Commissioners and the Lewis County Board of Education will be having a special called meeting on Thursday, July 14, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. in the Board of Education Meeting Room located at 206 South Court Street in Hohenwald.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the new High School construction project, as well as how to move forward regarding Hewlett-Spencer’s recent announcement that they cannot meet their “Guaranteed Maximum Price” for this project.

This is an open meeting and the public is invited and welcome to attend.

During June’s County Commission meeting, it was announced by Steve Hewlett himself from Hewlett-Spencer, LLC, that the guaranteed maximum price they promised would no longer cover the cost to build a new high school. The promised guaranteed maximum was $29,387,544 but Mr. Hewlett said the actual cost would be an estimated $38 million due to the increased price of building materials.

The official announcement came just an hour and a half after the County signed the construction contract with Hewlett-Spencer which could cost the County $60,000. The construction contract is valid for three years which means the County could continue the project in the near future and not lose the $60,000. As of now, it is unclear whether or not the project will be continued. Because a legal document was signed with a guaranteed maximum price, legal action could be taken.