MONROE - The Monroe Common Council nixed in a 4-3 vote Tuesday a chance to reach a compromise with the company hired to remove asbestos tiles in a beleaguered City Hall project.
Work on the building has displaced staff to an assortment of locations throughout the city since mid-August. Their materials sit in storage containers outside of the building. Comptroller Bridget Schuchart announced during the meeting that auditing materials needed for an annual review are still loaded on one such vehicle, which will likely cause a delay in that process.
A problem with the new floor tiles not adhering to the cement floor has caused months of uncertainty. KPH Environmental and Construction of Milwaukee made attempts to rectify the issue, but those ideas were rejected by council members in late December. Contractor Dan Scharf met with city officials to offer two separate change orders as a way for the company to retain some revenue while also finding a solution for the city. Neither were accepted.
City Administrator Phil Rath said KPH spent $110,000 to help finish the project, from grinding the subfloor to a second cleaning of the surface with a vinegar agent to offset possible damage done with an oil-based cleaner. Workers also removed additional sources of asbestos found by an independent company after initial work had concluded.
On Tuesday, council members were faced with another order. This time it was a cost of $50,000 for an epoxy system, which was reduced by roughly $5,000 at the company's expense. Liquidating costs of $15,000 would have been waived as well.
After a closed session to discuss details, Alderman Charles Koch moved for the council to agree to the term. He voted in favor of the agreement along with fellow council members Tom Miller and Brooke Bauman. Aldermen Richard Thoman, Michael Boyce, Ron Marsh and Jeff Newcomer voted against it. Chris Beer and Reid Stangel were absent.
"If this was our own money or anybody else's money, we wouldn't be voting to accept this," Boyce said.
The council decided to declare default by KPH on the project, a move which should prompt its insurance company to investigate if the company is at fault.
City Attorney Dan Bartholf recommended the city hire an expert to research and be certain in its assessment that KPH is at fault for the project's failure, an idea that failed to get council approval.
If KPH is found at fault for the malfunctioning floor tiles, the city will be able to recover costs associated with finishing the project. If it was the result of an unforeseen malfunction, the city would need to hire a new company to complete the work at its own expense.
Work on the building has displaced staff to an assortment of locations throughout the city since mid-August. Their materials sit in storage containers outside of the building. Comptroller Bridget Schuchart announced during the meeting that auditing materials needed for an annual review are still loaded on one such vehicle, which will likely cause a delay in that process.
A problem with the new floor tiles not adhering to the cement floor has caused months of uncertainty. KPH Environmental and Construction of Milwaukee made attempts to rectify the issue, but those ideas were rejected by council members in late December. Contractor Dan Scharf met with city officials to offer two separate change orders as a way for the company to retain some revenue while also finding a solution for the city. Neither were accepted.
City Administrator Phil Rath said KPH spent $110,000 to help finish the project, from grinding the subfloor to a second cleaning of the surface with a vinegar agent to offset possible damage done with an oil-based cleaner. Workers also removed additional sources of asbestos found by an independent company after initial work had concluded.
On Tuesday, council members were faced with another order. This time it was a cost of $50,000 for an epoxy system, which was reduced by roughly $5,000 at the company's expense. Liquidating costs of $15,000 would have been waived as well.
After a closed session to discuss details, Alderman Charles Koch moved for the council to agree to the term. He voted in favor of the agreement along with fellow council members Tom Miller and Brooke Bauman. Aldermen Richard Thoman, Michael Boyce, Ron Marsh and Jeff Newcomer voted against it. Chris Beer and Reid Stangel were absent.
"If this was our own money or anybody else's money, we wouldn't be voting to accept this," Boyce said.
The council decided to declare default by KPH on the project, a move which should prompt its insurance company to investigate if the company is at fault.
City Attorney Dan Bartholf recommended the city hire an expert to research and be certain in its assessment that KPH is at fault for the project's failure, an idea that failed to get council approval.
If KPH is found at fault for the malfunctioning floor tiles, the city will be able to recover costs associated with finishing the project. If it was the result of an unforeseen malfunction, the city would need to hire a new company to complete the work at its own expense.