November 10,2015
By Boyd A. Loving
Ridgewood NJ, For those of you who believe the Village is consistently able to bring a projects in on time and within budget, I offer this as evidence of my concerns regarding the issue.
A seemingly routine contract award by the Village Council in February jumped 288% within nine (9) months due to two (2) change orders.
And this is the same Village Council that may be awarding a contract for a $15 million parking garage.
Enough said.
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February
15-35 Award Contract – Servicing and Repair of Potable Water Pumping Facilities (NTE $66,813.10) – Awards the second year of a two year contract to the lowest responsible bidder, Rinbrand Well Drilling, 14 Waldron Avenue, Glen Rock, NJ
July
15-219 Authorize Change Order – Servicing & Repair of Potable Water Pumping Facilities ($60,000)- Authorizes a change order to the original contractor, Rinbrand Well Drilling Co., Inc., 14 Waldron Avenue, Glen Rock, NJ which is necessary due to additional necessary repairs to pumping facilities
November
15-361 Authorize Change Order – On-Call Servicing and Repair of Potable Well Facilities and Piping (NTE $132,650.42) – Authorizes a change order to the original contractor, Rinbrand Well Drilling Company, Inc., 14 Waldron Avenue, Glen Rock, NJ. This change order is necessary due to additional necessary repairs to pumping facilities.
$ 66,813.10
$ 60,000.00
$132,650.42
_____________
$259,463.20
It is very rare that any government can do work on time and without cost overruns because they do not have qualified personnel to oversee the job.
Government’s rarely can. It’s all due to the nature in which Government’s work, which is all to do with politics. It’s all but impossible to factor-in all the special interests that need to be satisfied until the project is under way. It’s all a very complicated game of what is basically, corruption. It’s how politics works.
I am not sure what this is an example of. the same exact thing happens to every business, resident, etc. You hire a plumber for a price and then they find other plumbing issues that have to be fixed. The Village Hall disaster is a much better example than encountering additional problems in the course of fixing a complex pumping system.
8:48 – I disagree with your “what can you do?” shrug of the shoulders. In my home, we do not constantly have cost overruns when we hire contractors. And if there is one, we question it carefully and the contractor is on notice that this is not acceptable. Our governing body regularly approves these overruns without blinking an eye. This is OUR money that they carelessly spend.
The garage will cost way WAY more than they are saying, and by the time they put in for change orders the whole corner will be torn up and the CBD will be a mess and there will be no choice but to allocate more funds. Here’s an idea, just don’t build the garage at all.
“Authorize Change Orders” are the scam pulled by village engineers to pay more to contractors on state & municipal work, and there is no oversight. This should be.a public private partnership where business owners in the CBD pay for 25% of the cost – at least they’ll be on the watch for cost overruns, delays and the inevitable “Authorize Change Order” from the Village engineer.., is he taking backhanders?
The Village Engineer can do no long. Roberta is bedazzled by her Chrissy Boy
Good thing we have a financial advisory group to rubber stamp things.
Don’t volunteer? Can’t complain!
3:51 – I am sick of this argument. Yes, those who volunteer to serve in office deserve credit for doing so. But nobody makes them do it. They want it, and they want it badly. Those who do not volunteer to serve have every right to complain. What are you suggesting, that if you run for office and get elected then no one can ever dare question what you say or do? Um, no, you are dead wrong there Albert.
Simple answer to the question posed in the title: No!