MONROE - When will City Hall be done? It's still anybody's guess.
A completion date for work at the downtown municipal building is still unknown, according to an update from City Administrator Phil Rath during the Monroe Common Council meeting on Tuesday. Rath reported the contract attorney hired by the city suggested seeking an expert to identify what was verified in the test results that found contractors weren't at fault for the work.
Flooring was removed by KPH Environmental and Construction of Milwaukee in late August 2016 to rid the building of asbestos tiles that had begun cracking. However, the work that was expected to take six weeks was stalled when workers began trying to replace the flooring with new material that would not stick.
In December, different tiles were ordered and laid, but the same problem occurred. Council members met with KPH contractor Dan Scharf to discuss their options. Aldermen were met with an estimated change order for $163,000, more than the original $150,000 estimate for the project.
Rejected, Scharf met with council members once more in the final week of December to make another offer of $141,000, but was again met with a refusal. Council declared KPH to be at fault for the problem.
In January, the tests by KPH surety Liberty Mutual began. Reports were meant to identify whether the cleaning process performed by KPH workers was the cause of the lack of adherence by the flooring tiles or if the problem was caused by an unseen issue. After months of little correspondence, Rath received notice at the beginning of July from the insurance company that the claim had been denied.
Council members appeared to grow frustrated with the issue that has left city staff relocated to a number of municipal buildings, from the Parks and Recreation Department at the Streets Department building to the city comptroller working out of the city's wastewater treatment facility.
Alderman Tom Miller expressed dissatisfaction at the process and said it may have been better to just tear down City Hall, referring to the structure built in the mid-1960s as an "old building." Alderwoman Brooke Bauman noted that the process of trying to rectify the adhesion issue has cost the city money and time that could have been used toward other priorities.
"This has turned into the most frustrating process," Bauman said.
Fellow council member Chris Beer said the process may take time, but the end goal is to ensure work is done correctly the first time. Jeff Newcomer pointed to the fact that the issue of why floor tiles would not stick was never properly identified.
If litigation is necessary, Rath said city costs would be at least $50,000, which does not include the costs the city has yet to pay to have the work completed. On July 17, KPH sent a memo to Rath with an offer to complete the project for $174,215. If a case against the contractors' insurance company was won, the city would be able to recuperate some of the costs.
Mayor Louis Armstrong clarified with City Attorney Bartholf and Rath that "we're moving as fast as we can" and all options are still being considered.
Rath said finding a company to verify reports would not be as much of a problem as finding a company to legally testify to its findings. He added that if the insurance company were to instead decide to drop the ongoing process and pay for the work to simply be finished, the project could be completed quickly. However, that is not likely. The city will continue to pursue options.
On Aug. 15, it will be one year since City Hall renovations began.
A completion date for work at the downtown municipal building is still unknown, according to an update from City Administrator Phil Rath during the Monroe Common Council meeting on Tuesday. Rath reported the contract attorney hired by the city suggested seeking an expert to identify what was verified in the test results that found contractors weren't at fault for the work.
Flooring was removed by KPH Environmental and Construction of Milwaukee in late August 2016 to rid the building of asbestos tiles that had begun cracking. However, the work that was expected to take six weeks was stalled when workers began trying to replace the flooring with new material that would not stick.
In December, different tiles were ordered and laid, but the same problem occurred. Council members met with KPH contractor Dan Scharf to discuss their options. Aldermen were met with an estimated change order for $163,000, more than the original $150,000 estimate for the project.
Rejected, Scharf met with council members once more in the final week of December to make another offer of $141,000, but was again met with a refusal. Council declared KPH to be at fault for the problem.
In January, the tests by KPH surety Liberty Mutual began. Reports were meant to identify whether the cleaning process performed by KPH workers was the cause of the lack of adherence by the flooring tiles or if the problem was caused by an unseen issue. After months of little correspondence, Rath received notice at the beginning of July from the insurance company that the claim had been denied.
Council members appeared to grow frustrated with the issue that has left city staff relocated to a number of municipal buildings, from the Parks and Recreation Department at the Streets Department building to the city comptroller working out of the city's wastewater treatment facility.
Alderman Tom Miller expressed dissatisfaction at the process and said it may have been better to just tear down City Hall, referring to the structure built in the mid-1960s as an "old building." Alderwoman Brooke Bauman noted that the process of trying to rectify the adhesion issue has cost the city money and time that could have been used toward other priorities.
"This has turned into the most frustrating process," Bauman said.
Fellow council member Chris Beer said the process may take time, but the end goal is to ensure work is done correctly the first time. Jeff Newcomer pointed to the fact that the issue of why floor tiles would not stick was never properly identified.
If litigation is necessary, Rath said city costs would be at least $50,000, which does not include the costs the city has yet to pay to have the work completed. On July 17, KPH sent a memo to Rath with an offer to complete the project for $174,215. If a case against the contractors' insurance company was won, the city would be able to recuperate some of the costs.
Mayor Louis Armstrong clarified with City Attorney Bartholf and Rath that "we're moving as fast as we can" and all options are still being considered.
Rath said finding a company to verify reports would not be as much of a problem as finding a company to legally testify to its findings. He added that if the insurance company were to instead decide to drop the ongoing process and pay for the work to simply be finished, the project could be completed quickly. However, that is not likely. The city will continue to pursue options.
On Aug. 15, it will be one year since City Hall renovations began.