Officials at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan have approved a corrective action plan for the Petersen Family Wellness Center. A press release says the hospital became aware of problems with the building performance since the early part of 2011. The board of trustees has been collaborating with the architect, construction manager and two of the contractors along with consultants to understand the source of these problems and develop a corrective action plan.

The problems are related to the pre-engineered building envelope that has resulted in unusually high utility costs due to the lack of an effective insulation system. The mediation process resulted in a preliminary agreement approved by the Myrtue board of trustees at their meeting this (Friday) morning.

The board agreed to a cash settlement payment to the hospital of $650,000. A final agreement is expected by the middle of January. The construction at the Petersen Family Wellness Center is planned for late spring or early summer of 2014.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)