Ross Prieto Wiki - Ross Prieto Biography
Ross Prieto claims the building inspector says he never received the engineering report. A former buildings inspector denied receiving the damning 2018 private engineering study that uncovered "major structural damage" to the Florida condo tower that collapsed last week, according to a report.
The board members of the Champlain Towers South Condo in the city of Surfside held a meeting on November 15, 2018, during which the report of engineer Frank Morabito was discussed.
Ross Prieto Age
Ross Prieto's age is unknown.
Ross Prieto denies receiving a copy of the damning Florida condo study
In it, Morabito pointed to "major structural damage" caused by a leaking pool over the building's parking lot, although it was not immediately clear whether the "major mistake" could have contributed to the fatal partial collapse, the Miami Herald reported.
"The structural engineer report was reviewed by [the inspector]," the Surfside building inspector told the tenants, according to the meeting minutes cited by NPR. "The building appears to be in very good condition."
The tower partially collapsed around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, killing at least nine people, with 152 still missing as rescuers feverishly dig for survivors.
The inspector, Ross Prieto, who left his post last year, had reviewed the engineer's report after Mara Chouela, a member of the condo's board, sent him a copy two days earlier, according to the Miami Herald. Chouela sent Prieto two reports, according to an email posted on the city's website, the outlet reported.
One was Morabito's "structural field study report" detailing the building's structural deficiencies, and the other was a mechanical and electrical engineering report from Thomas E. Henz, P.E., according to the Herald.
Chouela also introduced the building inspector at the meeting with five of the seven board members, along with property manager Alexandria Santamaria, condo board attorney Marilyn Pérez and some residents, she added.
But Prieto told the Herald on Saturday that he did not recall receiving the report from Chouela, who had also provided cost estimates for the repairs, and also said he was unaware that the city had received the report, which cited "abundant cracks."
"I don't know anything about it. That's 2018," he told the Herald.
When asked about the November 2018 board meeting, Prieto declined to comment on Sunday, citing the advice of an attorney.
The newly published records show that the morning after attending the meeting, Prieto sent an email to the then municipal administrator Guillermo Olmedillo to tell him that "it went very well" and that "the response was very positive from all those present," he reported. the middle.
Prieto also said he was impressed with the condo association's proactive approach to the upcoming 40-year mandatory recertification.
"This particular building will not enter its forties until 2021, but they have decided to start the process early, which I wholeheartedly support and hope that this trend will prevail over other properties," Prieto wrote, the Herald reported, citing published records. Sunday around the town.
Olmedillo told the newspaper on Sunday that he did not recall receiving the email from Prieto.
Meanwhile, emails released by the city on Sunday also show that Prieto dismissed concerns about possible damage to the structure's foundation from a construction project in the area just two months after he reviewed materials describing major structural damage. on the lower levels of the tower, the Herald reported.
Chouela asked if a city official could verify and attached two images of a backhoe working against a wall along the south edge of the pool deck and parking lot.
"I have nothing to verify," Prieto replied 28 minutes later, according to the media.
"The best course of action is to have someone check the fence, pool, and adjacent areas for damage or hire a consultant to monitor these areas as they are the closest to construction," he added.
Susana Álvarez, who said she attended the 2018 meeting, told the newspaper that Prieto's confidence that her building "was in very good condition" now haunts her.
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"Lives were lost that shouldn't have been lost," she said.
In a statement Saturday, Morabito Consultants defended his work, which included efforts to help the builders association prepare for its recertification work and to create a more detailed plan for repairs and restorations. "Among other things, our report detailed significant cracks and breaks in the concrete, which required repairs to ensure the safety of residents and the public," the statement said.
On Monday, rescuers who continued to dig feverishly for a fifth day emphasized that they could still find survivors in the rubble, a hope that family members clung to even though no one has been pulled out alive since the first-day structure fell.
The death toll rose by just four people on Sunday, to a total of nine confirmed dead. But 152 are still missing. The families of the missing traveled by bus to a nearby location from which they could observe teams at work on Sunday: firefighters, dogs and search experts using radar and sonar devices.
US Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida) told a news conference Sunday night that she had met with some rescue personnel and was able to "hear the hope they have."
“Obviously we have some realism that we are dealing with. But… as long as the experts we trust tell me they have hope of finding people who might have survived, then we must make sure we keep that hope, ”she said.
Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai, head of an Israeli humanitarian delegation that includes various search and rescue experts, said professionals have told him cases where survivors were found after 100 hours or more.
"So don't lose hope, that's what I'd say," he said.
Prieto worked as an interim construction official
Prieto most recently worked for the city of Doral, Florida, which is located within Miami-Dade County. He was serving as an interim construction official, CNN reported.
A county document listing "building officials" included Prieto's name for the city of Doral. The list was last updated on May 13, 2021.
A search of the City of Doral website also shows Prieto's name as "Acting Building Officer." But it is not listed on the "Construction Department" home page or the "Construction Department Personnel" page.
State records show that Prieto has been licensed
Prieto has worked in the construction industry for several decades. According to public records on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation website, Prieto has been a licensed general contractor since at least 1991. He received a certified roofing contractor license in 1996.
Prieto has also been a certified inspector since the mid-1990s. He received the "Standard Inspector" and "Standard Roof Inspector" licenses in 1997. His current "Building Code Administrator" license has been active since November 2006. .
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