The board discussed a second change order at the Aug. 13 meeting. It amounted to $82,360, to Nello Construction for installing Geofoam along the north and east perimeter walls of Building H. The material is needed to properly support the walls, as the method for doing so had not been specified in the original construction plans. This drew the ire of board member Dan Remely. “Why are we now trying to engineer something that everyone knows was supposed to happen?” he asked. “To me that’s not $6 million in specs. That’s someone saying ‘here boys, have at it.’ In my opinion this is errors and omissions on maybe three or four different sides.” Taormina declined to speculate as to why the plans did not contain more specific notations indicating how the walls should be supported. He explained that the Geofoam was the most cost-effective solution, and could even lead to a credit for a portion of the first $189,000 change order. Projects are most likely to generate change orders with earthwork and renovations to existing buildings, because it’s never certain exactly what the contractors will uncover, he said.Maybe they will find that pot of gold that we need. Somone told me that the District assumed FULL responsibility for any additional cost for unknown conditions under Building C, in order to keep bids down. Another brilliant move by our school board directors, headed by Dan Remely and Elaine Cappucci.
I guess the running total of change orders (see sidebar) will be increasing. True to form, Jan Klein could not answer The Almanac's question.
Beginning next month the board will also begin reviewing a series of smaller change orders. Asked to provide a rough cost estimate for the total changes, director of fiscal services Jan Klein replied, “individually they are small orders but they do begin to add up.”Please answer the question, Jan. So what is a rough cost estimate for the total changes?
17 comments:
Had they followed Taylor's/Rothchild's/CAC/Fraasch's advice they probably wouldn't have needed to buy dirt, Geofoam or sue the municipality for parking spaces.
Probably wouldn't have had to hire Pursuing Ketchup either.
Keep sitting on that fence Mr. Remely, you could've sided with your old friends, but you didn't.
Jan Klein replied, “individually they are small orders but they do begin to add up.”
Funny she should reply that way. Let's do some adding, somebody help me with the numbers.
$43,000 to Pursuing Ketchup
$100,000+ DeJong sessions (which we ignored)
$23,000 suing the municipality over parking
$900,000 potential teacher lawsuit
$550,000 Sablegate
$9,000 strategic plan facilitator
$XX,XXX covering YSA JMA obligations
$12,000 lot rental for student parking area
$183,000 for dirt
$82,500 so the new walls don't fall down
6.9% raise for Jan....
Yep, pretty soon it adds up to some real money.
Jan's answer is "typical."
Don't forget the cost of a multiple prime contract over a single prime contract, an ANNUAL cost of $900,000 for a potential teacher lawsuit, hiring a lawfirm for a legal review of the project specs for $3,500, and hiring an owner's liaison for $36,400 Educator will manage logistics of high school project
Elaine
Somebody quick, hold Lebo Larry down before he excitedly falls out of his chair.
Excitable Lebo Larry, before you and the rest of your deep pocket friends figure out how to bleed this community dry paying for turfed fields, fund raising campaigns, bigger pay checks and additional vacation time, maybe you should focus on bringing this giant albatros high school to fruition somewhere near the Act 34 limit, before PJDick and the Jello boys burn down the rest of the building.
I can't wait until they attach Celli's bridge and the whole complex falls over onto the football field.
Don't forget the soil survey conducted by the Walton board for the stand alone natatorium project. The soil study that said don't put a big pool building here!
Which we then proceeded to pay Celli to conduct another survey that said - go ahead put your giant taj mahal athletic complex here.
Why did we buy $187,000 worth of dirt again?
This question came up before, but hasn't been answered.
IS THERE ANY POINT AT WHICH THE ESCALATING EXPENSE FOR THE TAJ MAHAL WILL TRIGGER A REFERENDUM?
ANYONE??
I wish the state would step in and assign people who know simple math. Jan Klein is an embarrassment. So is Larry. So is Dan. So is the rest of the board. I vote "no confidence".
These numbers are from PlanCon I to be approved 20-AUG-2012:
Act 34 Maximum Building Construction Cost
A. Part D Based on Estimates (D20, Line C) $44,977,920
B. Part D Based on Estimates * 1.08 $48,576,154
C. Based on Actual Costs (I06, Line C) $42,974,012
If C > B, then a second Act 34 hearding is required
David Huston
Thank you, David Huston!
So now the question will be whether the costs will be known, or if JK will play an accounting shell game.
Looks like Elaine's running tally on change orders will be valuable to this situation.
Thank you, Elaine!
Jan Klein sold her MTL house and moved to S. Fayette, just after or about the same time as the HS project was started.
Talk about Wall Street insider trading! She knows better than anyone whats coming down the finical road for the school district. That's why.the push to bloat her pension. She'll bail and live happily ever after.
Didn't the school district waste $250,000 on preliminary plans on the Walton natatorium fiasco?
Anyone tallying the wasted dollars to date? Has to be $2 million or more.
Here's an idea for Pursuing Ketchup. When the district lowers the YSA's fee for field maintenance, immediately send someone to their meetings and put the collar on them for a $30,000/year donation!
How that for a fund raising idea... And I won't even charge for travel time!
Wonder why Good old Dan's dander isn't up with PK.
He handed them a check for $43,000 to find a way to raise $30 million. What'd they tell you Dan for that $43,000?
I understand Dr. Tim's specialty is music. Rumor has it that his idol is Arthur P. Hill.
Correction- that should be Harold Hill!
I have no idea "who in the Sam Hill" Arthur P. Hill is!
Dang auto correct.
Thank you for the correction. I looked up "Arthur P. Hill" and couldn't find anything.
Elaine
According to Wikipedia, Harold Hill:
The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with the cash.
It all makes sense now.
Elaine
You got it, ya got trouble...
"Friends, the idle brain is the devil's playground!
People: [sung by the PTA Moms]
Trouble, oh we got trouble,
Right here in River City!
With a capital "T"
That rhymes with "P"
And that stands for Pool,
That stands for pool.
We've surely got trouble!
Right here in River City,
Right here!
Gotta figger out a way
To keep the young ones moral after school!
Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble...
Harold: [played by Tim for the YSA]
Mothers of River City!
Heed the warning before it's too late!
Watch for the tell-tale sign of corruption!
The moment your son leaves the house,
Does he rebuckle his knickerbockers below the knee?
Is there a nicotine stain on his index finger?
A dime novel hidden in the corn crib?
Is he starting to memorize jokes from Capt. Billy's Whiz Bang?
Are certain words creeping into his conversation?
Words like 'swell?"
And 'so's your old man?"
Well, if so my friends,
Ya got trouble,
Right here in River city!
With a capital "T"
And that rhymes with "P"
And that stands for Pool.
We've surely got trouble!
Right here in River City!
Remember the Maine, Plymouth Rock and the Golden Rule!
Oh, we've got trouble.
We're in terrible, terrible trouble.
That game with the fifteen numbered balls is a devil's tool!
Oh yes we got trouble, trouble, trouble!
With a "T"! Gotta rhyme it with "P"!
And that stands for [Playstation]"
[better you get those kids playing productive, money generating games... like lacrosse, soccer and football... right here!]
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