Dear Sierra Sentinel:
It's all too clear that without Gary Tofanelli, there is no one who understands the workings of this big jail contractor and can take them on when they "put the screws to us" with their outrageous change orders.
Chair Callaway doesn't even try to stand up to them; she just isn't capable of challenging them and is allowing them to run all over the Board. The three new board members let her know how they felt about it at the last meeting on the 14th.
Tofanelli knew that the big money is in bidding the jobs low and filing change order after change order for things that should have been in the original bid.
Tofanelli understood their game and he challenged nearly every one. Now Callaway says we "have to wait until the job is complete to challenge".
Is she getting too old, or is this new board just more in line with the people than the old one was? They went against her on other things too.
I'm hoping that these three new faces will not eventually be brainwashed in to following the Chair's bad ideas like Spellman does.
This could mean "new board, new policies, new county!"
Dave in Valley Springs
3 comments:
Good comments.
Many change orders result from design problems which are not the contractors responsibility which is to follow the plans and specifications. Sometimes change orders are needed for clarification purposes with no change in cost.
When plans and specifications are too vague, the owner can expect many change orders. In the recent change order, the plans called for fire suppression by sprinkler in an area containing electronic equipment. A non-water system would be more appropriate. Apparently, at the end of the project, adjustments will be made for design flaws. It seems this is what Merita was referring to. Cost of change orders are presently about half of the budgeted amount.
Usually the owner is responsible to pay to correct minor design problems short of gross negligence. This should be covered in the design contract. It is very important that the design be clear and when it is not, to expedite design clarifications, as cost of delay can be huge.
The county taxpayer group is trying to review and comment on these expenses.
The owner, designer and contractor need to be honest and fair with each other.
Sometimes specification writers call for extensive use of "as directed by the owner" in the specifications. If there is no allowance, this can be an open checkbook as cost may not have been clear at time of bidding. When design is not clear, the courts almost always rule in favor of the contractor. - Al Segalla
I agree with the letter writer, Tofanelli is most missed for his expertise with contracts. Is the amount set aside for change orders part of the original bid?
Tofanelli did challenge every single change order and always got something taken off of the bill.
Ah, it's sad, Tofanelli is gone along with his one expertise. Didn't he say the county was solvent in an exit interview on public tv? Now we find out the county has a $2million deficit. Two & Two equals??????
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