Tuesday, February 13, 2007
2 of 5 library construction contracts still not signed by contractors
The library construction has not started because 2 of the 5 contractors have not yet signed the contracts that had been awarded to them in Decembe by the Town Board. We were advised yesterday that the major general contractor, EW Howell, will sign by Thursday of this week. Once we receive all the contracts the Town Attorney will review the contracts - match the signed documents to the awarded bid documents. Once the Town Attorney completes his review the contracts will be presented to me for signature.
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The contracts for the library,have not been signed,maybe the contractors see that the monies are not going to be enough. when were the contracts drawn--last year? MAYBE THE CONTRACTORS know that they cannot do the work that the committee wants them to do ,for the monies alloted to them.
Is it possible that our Town Board is conspiring with their outside attorney to circumvent the laws regarding the municipal bidding process?
Certainly, while the lesson of the Valhalla School District is still fresh in their minds, they wouldn't want to find a way to get around existing law and practice?
Certainly, when so much money is at stake they wouldn't want to hide things from the public -- the same public which has saved them from embarrassment in the past on all aspects of the Library project.
Then why is the Town Board giving residents the "runaround" and not making FOIL requested documents available?
Why did Al Regula, back in early December, give the winning bidders the go ahead to proceed? He had no authority to do so.
Why have all the contracts not yet been signed, if no substantial changes were effected? Changes which would not require rebidding?
Why is the outside Attorney claiming "Attorney-Client" priviledge and encouraging his "Client", the Town Board not to release information about contract bids that have already been accepted. While the Attorney may claim this privilege because he works for his Client, the Town Board can forgo this voluntary status (remember that the residents have paid for this legal opinion) and that the only reason that the Town Board would have to withhold same is knowing that they are traveling a shaky and questionable path in the sake of expediency.
In other words, if someone sues us we will be in deep manure but that the chances of this happening are small.
Life after the Comptroller has apparently not changed. After all, it is the LIBRARY.
Finally, without the status of the geothermal drilling, not only does this contract become moot, but the direction of the whole project may have to change and this would entail expensive change orders -- orders which are no surprise and by waiting until concluded, one way or the other, the conclusion should have already been included within the project.
This screw-up may also require rebidding as it may be a "new" project. Thus, by not signing the contracts, Feiner is taking the rational approach, rather than falling victim to pressure. Remember that the geothermal permits were to have been obtained in March 2006; so far the Library team has not yet even applied.
To taxpayers and the Town Council, add up the bids and then look at what what remains in the project cost outside of these five contracts and you will be unhappy to know that the project is still way over budget, even after reducing the scope of the project and without having to pay rent for temporary space.
They can't hide this fact much longer. so be prepared because you were warned and preferred to assume the ostrich stance, head in the sand.
Again thank you Samis. PAUL PAY ATTENTION ,to the written word.
The situation is even more dire than postulated. I urge that NO contracts be signed until the Project has obtained drilling permits. That this should have been done BEFORE the bidding process commenced is an example of how yielding to pressure (not geothermal) can lead to problems.
Incompetence should not be rewarded and what this reaffirms is that the early on request from the Supervisor for hiring an independent Project Manger to save time and money was not a pie in the sky event or figment of his imagination. We are paying the price right now because the milk train has come to a grinding halt.
The bidding process was undertaken prematurely merely to assure that public that the Project was happening -- even though it wasn't.
Not unlike a ground breaking ceremony that only broke wind, not ground.
This rush to collects bids (not unlike the rush to referendum) has caused a multitude of problems which are apparent because all the winning bidders have still not returned their signed contracts. Since the bid awards were made in early December, even a lay person would recognize that there is something more than meets the eye; in this case it is where the robber meets the rogue. Lest you insert the wrong names, think along the lines of the outside "talent" that were hired because they were professionals and then think of the town employee who assured the Town Council (at "information" sessions, no questions permitted from the public) that everything was on budget and on track.
Then think train wreck.
The Project is way over budget. So when you are asked where you work, live or bank, to give generously, don't be churlish and say "haven't I already done so when I allowed the ongoing Library Fund to exist in the Town Budget" and "didn't I already give when I also allowed a substantial contingency fund in the operating budget" and "didn't I give generously when I allowed, without question, the $308,000 repairs and maintenance in the Library opertaing budget even though the Library moved out of the old building in mid-January", and "didn't I allow the $120,000 for a Library Director even though one doesn't exist...?"
Oh yes, what the Library doesn't spend of their operating budget they get to transfer to their Library Fund.
Yep, "everthing's ok at the ballet" and the Greenburgh Public Library. Just ask Al Regula.
Don't touch the dial, stay tuned to this station for more reports as I get time to berate. And, while you're waiting, ask yourself this question: What did they know in Elmsford that we in Greenburgh didn't?
Once again it must be asked, why is Diana Juettner the liasion from the town board to the library? Juettner has no financial interest in the library. As Mr Samis has reported, the library has not even filed for permits to drill for the geothermal energy to heat the new library, yet Al Regula has "approved" contracts for such drilling! Mr. Samis says train wreck. That may be too kind. The cover-up is now being exposed and its much worse. Juettner at the helm is like having Anna Nicole Smith as your babysitter.
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