Carpenter and Rhoads to seek performance audit of NDOT

Friday, Dec. 18, 1998 | 10:01 a.m.

Assembly John Carpenter, R-Elko, said he was frustrated by what he called "asinine" decisions by the department's Elko office. He and Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, plan to ask for the audit when the legislative session begins in February.

"There's no question that there's incompetency, not only up here in the district engineer, but in Carson City," Carpenter said.

Carpenter maintained that NDOT Elko District Engineer Chris Beck proceeded with last year's Interstate 80 construction project at Silver Zone Pass despite opinions from engineers that work be halted because substandard materials were being used.

"A number of letters recommended that that project be completely shut down and not allowed to continue, but from Chris Beck up, it was allowed to continue until it got so bad and the road started breaking up, that it was obvious to anyone that it needed to be shut down," Carpenter said.

Beck declined to comment on the Silver Zone project, referring questions to NDOT Deputy Director Jeffrey Fontaine in Carson City, the Elko Daily Free Press reported.

Materials that pass their first test are the "exception," Fontaine said. More often, at least two or possibly three tests are required to approve a "mix design," he added.

Beck was placed on administrative leave in September following complaints by Rhoads and Carpenter to Fontaine. The district engineer resumed his duties about two weeks later after a review of the complaints by the Carson City office.