Engineers who questioned the structural integrity of Meeker’s Elementary School now find themselves under investigation for failing to notify a state licensing board of their concerns, as required by law.

The board filed complaints against an engineer hired by the rural school district and two others who conducted a third-party review that uncovered serious structural defects that led to the school’s closure.

All three engineers defended themselves in written responses this week, saying they were not given enough information to determine whether the work was substandard.

Under state law, licensed engineers are required to report their peers who have failed to meet generally accepted standards of practice.

The board filed complaints against Luke Studer of Steamboat Springs, who initially raised concerns about the school, and Frank Bumgarner and Wayne Muir of Structural Consultants Inc., who conducted an outside review of the design.

Angie Kinnaird Linn, program director for the state Department of Regulatory Agencies, said because “this is such an egregious situation,” board members are concerned the engineers did not notify the board of their concerns about the work of Gary Howell, who engineered the school for the Neenan Co.

“We are just asking for the respondents’ side of the story,” she said.

Studer was hired by the Meeker school board after the first small signs of problems at the school. He repeatedly pressed for a full outside review, which Howell opposed.

SCI’s report found the building at risk of collapse in a fierce windstorm, among other serious problems.

In a written response to DORA, Studer noted that he did not have enough information to report Howell, in part because Howell did not provide adequate information to him. He said he assumed SCI would make any required notifications to the board.

“I felt that I was providing my services in an ‘ethical’ manner during my engagement with the school district and had great hopes of a good result,” Studer wrote.

Bumgarner and Muir cited Neenan’s protracted delays in providing information as a factor in their conclusion that they did not have enough information to notify the board.

“We gave the matter appropriate consideration and professional respect continuously throughout the duration of our engagement,” they wrote.

Jim West, the project manager for the Meeker district, praised the two firms.

“Had it not been for Mr. Studer, we would have never been alerted that we had problems,” he said. “And if it wasn’t for SCI, we never would have had those problems validated.”

Andy Boian, a spokesman for Neenan, said that the firm turned over all documents as it obtained information and that SCI never asked for documents before issuing its review of the school.

The licensing board also has opened an investigation into Thomas Nevin and Andrew Garner, Terracon Consultants engineers who conducted a soils report at Meeker. Nevin had an expired license at the time, the complaint says.

An outside review found the report had misclassified soil characteristics.

The state has not received responses from the engineers, and Terracon did not respond to requests for comment.

Eric Gorski: 303-954-1971 or egorski@denverpost.com

