Anyone care to comment? I am curious about the roof warranty. The author claims that the project is behind schedule. Was the FAT to be ready late January 2013? What about the 6th floor?
Update 9:55 PM Perfect timing! The District has uploaded this 4:21 minute video illustrating the items mentioned in this anonymous letter. The 2 small white boards are at the end of the video, not smart boards, but white boards. The large white board is at 4:01. Is that a 21st century classroom? High School Project Photos
25 comments:
The percussion concert was in the large auditorium in May because the fine arts theater was not finished.
Hey Pooch, Is the project five months behind schedule?
You are paying prevailing wage (20% premium wage) for the project to be on schedule.
Isn't the whole justification for the prevailing wage requirement to guaranteed public construction get built right?
30" misaligned floor, walls out of plumb, ductwork running thru elevator shafts and for all this premium craftsmanship we get to pay for the fixes thru change orders. Which of course, our hired legal beagles will get paid nice money to negotiate (according to Dan the Man) a reconciliation once the project is completed.
That's the way we do it, here.
Here is the wording of the hand-written note on the blog as best I could read it:
Dear concerned resident and taxpayer,
The roof on the renovation project is one of the cheapest available. The powers that be are having a hard time getting a 10-year warranty guarantee.
-One wall on the athletic field facility is 30 inches out of plum. They managed to tie it in with the other wall.
- We all keep hearing how the project is on schedule. Consider the following:
-fine arts theatre was to be ready as of 2nd Sem. . . . as we're the others in that area.
- 6th floor was to be completed months ago, far from finished.
-Do the rooms on level 6 have 21st Century technology like the experimental classroom that was set-up in the library - NO. They have two small whiteboards and one large one. No overhanging projector on swivels. Wires will still be on floor to trip over.
Why wasn't the athletic facility astheheticallty designed to have windows and lobby area over look the stadium and Cedar Blvd? Spectators in the Stadium can look up to see a big block bomb shelter.
The entire project, costing a fortune, is so junky and cheap.
When complete, guess is not one school board member or Central Administration staff will be working in MtL leaving this disgrace for others to fix.
There is absolutely nothing to date that would make any visitor say, WOW!
This is a far cry from what Mount Lebanon residents expect
The non-wax tile in the rooms on 6 are awful -colors can make you sick and they run each room floor tile into the hall and join with the beautiful terrazzo floors.
Thank you for taking the time to type it out. I think you nailed it,9:10 PM.
Elaine
8:34,
Here is a link to the Prevailing wage Act,
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=552989&mode=2
All workers on public works are paid extra and the Act does not mention that the work has to be done right.
The Act just inflates the price of any public work and allows any worker to file a complaint if he/she is not paid the prevailing wage on a public project.
Read the letter posted on this thread and ask yourself if things are being built right?
The school board jammed this project down our throats and did not put checks and balances in place to protect our (stakeholders') investment.
Materials have been cheapened and are unsightly. Where is the "owners' Rep"?
Looks like this letter came from a district employee afraid to lose their job.
It's disgusting, really.
Don't miss the update to this post. I added a link to a MTLSD video that was uploaded today.
Elaine
Did I see a chalkboard in their video? That writer was right...21st Century technology?
Here is a link to the 21st century Algebra 2 we are teaching:I liked it better than TERC Investigations.
Alg2 2nd Sem Final Review
http://multimedia.mtlsd.org/Play.asp?687567865476250!4
I see a new pool...a new gym...weight room...a $$$$$ bridge...white & blackboards. Th-th-th-tha-tha-tha-that's all, folks!
A question concerning the huge ductwork on top of the Science wing. (camera freight on the district wesite under the High School Renovation.
Is this really green and energy efficient? Exposing Long runs of ductwork to scorching heat in the summer when you're trying to run air-conditioning and then in winter it's exposed to ice and snow and frigid temperature in the winter when you're trying to warm the building.
I'm no expert, but the ducts don't appear to insulation and last I heard aluminum transferred heat and cold pretty easily.
Maybe our Environmental Sustainability Board could investigate this one? It certainly doesn't look energy efficient.
The prevailing wage is a total SCAM. Most contractors who bid and win PA prevailing wage required contracts refer to themselves as "double breasted". That is, a contractor using the same or identical existing labor force, will apply published prevailing labor rates required or specified in a given bid, or use lower competitive free market labor rates where prevailing wages are not required.
There is no difference in the quality of the labor. It's a SCAM brought about by our union-bought state legislature and judicial system.
Yeah, 9:48 AM Most of the higher labor rate difference ends up going into required union dues payments, which in turn goes into union bosses paychecks and expense accounts and political donations to our elected and often times corrupt public officials.
And 75% of registered voters remain too busy to vote. We've met the enemy and guess what....?
There were books available several years ago at either Home Depo or Lowe's for sale that gave the prevailing detailed costs for construction work. That might be of interest to someone on this thread.
The Allegheny Institute For Public Policy has published reports and policy briefs about prevailing wages - www.alleghenyinstitute.org
Bill Lewis
Didn't President Cappucci say in a response to a citizen's question about change orders that the reason it seemed like there were so many was because this board wanted to be Open and transparent on the project?
I guess things like walls being out of plum, lack of roofing warranties just aren't that important, right?
Wonder... did we ever get a determination from the flooring company how they were going to level that gym floor?
8:32 AM, Elaine Cappucci did say that. She also told Dan Remely that they would never post the list of change orders on the website, when he indicated that the "local blogs" just put up numbers. Of course, the change orders are listed in the monthly meeting agendas. And there is such a list for the school board directors, but not for the public - unless you file a RTK.
The Public Safety Building, another fine product of Nello Construction, has been a nightmare. The roof and flashing have never been right from Day 1. Everything is out of warranty and has cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to correct. Police officers have sustained numerous injuries due to ice build up. You would think our dynamic duo of Cappucci and Remely would have learned something from the Public Safety Building fiasco. Maybe we should release the trombone player from his duties as construction tour guide, and get someone in there who knows construction.
Elaine
A question was asked, why there were no windows on the stadium side of the athletic building.
Can you imagine how valuable that giant blank wall is?
I'm thinking MAIL POUCH would pay thousands and thousands to paint the side of that huge barn!
A $150,000 tour guide to boot.
Maybe we could make this an educational experience for all our kids thinking about going into architecture.
We could call it the DOs and DON'Ts of public building projects.
#1. If soul testing tells you it's not wise to put a huge building on this spot... DON'T!
#2. If your hired architect gets indignant and will charge wildly inflated hourly fees to meet with volunteer (CAC) construction experts... DO listen to the people that won't be making a buck off the project.
#3. if you're going to have your highest paid employee spending inordinate amounts of time conducting tours and taking pictures of the project, DO make sure he understands what he's looking at. Otherwise put him to work on the job he's suppose to be doing.
9:57 AM, i am assuming you meant soil testing, not soul testing. I could make a comment about souls, but I won't.
Elaine
The post with 26 high school pictures had at least 10 pictures of the expensive bridge. Parking fees anyone?
Seem to recall that bridge had an original price tag based on the Master Design Team (Remely)specs of about $1,000,000 which was subsequently "value engineered" (cheapened with delete alternates applied) down to some $750,000.
What we abused taxpayers don't know is that the bridge was not required because of zoning restrictions. The District was advised privately by the Municipality that if they requested a zoning waiver, the Commission would have approved it. The Master Design Team (Remely) kept it in so little Johnny & Jane would not get wet or cold in inclement weather crossing the heavily traveled and extremely dangerous Horsman Drive to/from the over $25 million Taj Mahal athletic boondoggle.
Then, of course, the District shortly thereafter sued the Municipality on another zoning violation issue and made fools of themselves when they lost.
That's funny about extremely dangerous Horsman Dr. It reminds me of these steps over the Blvd. of the Allies.
http://www.frontiernet.net/~rochballparks2/towns/duquesne.htm
We need steps over Cochran Road and on Washington Rd. by Timmy's church parking lot. The kids at Washingon Elementary can fend for themselves.
Elaine
8:54 you're so right, I remember the discussions on that bridge and the rational used to justify it.
That is perfect symbolism for the absurdity that exist in Lebo logic. We'll let kids of all ages walk to their schools in all sorts of weather, in the dark, during rush hour on busy streets, yet a $800,000 bridge is an absolute must so that 14 to 18 year olds can safely cross that (laughter heavy) high speed, high traffic Horsman Drive.
Markstudents are expected to walk Cedar and 4 lane Bower Hill Road when they move up to Jefferson. But oh heaven forbid they cross Horsman when they get to the high school.
Had they gone with Rothchild's idea, they wouldn't have needed a bridge, to tear down and ship bldg C to a landfill or buildthe new athletic wing. But the board knew better. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
Many years ago students walked to school only to be told the health department had closed the schools because it was too cold so administrators sent kids walking back home. The Superintendent at the time (I think his name was Greene) was in Florida during that winter.
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