Nash-Rocky Mount board dumps architects for new high school

SFL+a design to replace Oakley Collier

In an unexpected move Monday, the Nash-Rocky Mount Board of Education terminated negotiations with Oakley Collier Architects, the firm selected to design the new Rocky Mount High School.

After returning from a closed session, board member Frank Lamm made a motion that negotiations with the firm be terminated. All present board members except Robert Bynum, Walt Wiggins and Brenda Brown voted to approve the termination. Member Cindy Berry was absent from the meeting. Member Greg Camp was excused for the discussion and vote because he works for Oakley Collier’s lawyers, presenting a conflict of interest.

The termination caught Oakley Collier officials off guard Monday evening.

“We are completely shocked by the news of the school board (terminating negotiations),” Oakley Collier partner Tim Oakley said. “We had been negotiating with the board in good faith. We have responded to every request that they made. We’re certainly disappointed with their action.”

As part of the motion, the board voted to hire SFL+a Architects. The move didn’t sit well with Wiggins, who walked out on the meeting immediately after the vote.

A majority of Nash-Rocky Mount’s Board of Education members had voted in a work session earlier this year to have SFL+a design the school. During a regular board meeting, however, the board unselected the firm and decided to use Oakley Collier’s services.

SFL+a lawyers sent school superintendent Rick McMahon a letter in September requesting the board reconsider its action.

Board member Robert Bynum said the decision to fire Oakley Collier lacks integrity. He said the move was more about politics and “self-serving interests” than about the children.

“We never discussed terminating Oakley Collier in any open session,” Bynum said.

Bynum said the board was supposed to have “good-faith discussions.”

“Everything discussed openly appeared in good faith, so it would never look like we would rescind them,” Bynum said. “So to come back with such a drastic decision, you have to wonder if our open discussions were actually in good faith.

“The backlash we got from actually hiring Oakley Collier may very well pale in comparison to what we did tonight.”