Bubble soars: PTC’s Kedron pool cover cost now over $650K
Sunday, February 19, 2012 - 11:27pm
Submitted by John Munford
Submitted by John Munford
The cost of replacing the bubble over the Kedron pools officially soared over the $650,000 mark Thursday night, as the City Council approved spending an additional $93,468 in change orders for the project.
That’s nearly $200,000 more than the original expenditure approved by the City Council in June. And the cost could creep a bit higher, as the city is negotiating with the contractor over another $52,702 in change order charges that the city is currently disputing, officials said.
The good news is that after several delays, the bubble opened for business last weekend and local swim teams have been using the facility in earnest, according to city staff. The facility also holds open swim hours in addition to other swim-related classes.
The bubble, which had to be custom-made, was originally supposed to cost over $454,000 under the June contract with Airzon Companies.
Council authorized the $93,468 payment at least in part on the hope that the company might drop pursuit of the remaining $52,702 in charges. But City Engineer
David Borkowski noted that the city couldn’t justify the additional $52,000 in payments.
The city is also backcharging the contractor for what it felt was damage and other items that were covered in the construction contract, Borkowski said.
The city is paying, however, for changes such as additional unforeseen problems that had to be addressed, including additional waterline relocations necessary for
installing the new anchoring system, electrical repairs and unsuitable soil, Borkowski said.
The entire cost for the bubble, which includes a new air exchange system, is being paid for by the $3 million facilities improvement bond OK’d last year which also is footing the bill for the remainder of the bubble
That bond is also expected to pay for renovations and improvements to existing city facilities from tennis courts to the Gathering Place senior citizens center.
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 9:03pm
#2
$650k divided by 36,000 citizens is more than $20
Try $18,000. What do we get for that? This thing is a mile from my house and I have never been there. Why $18,000?
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 10:07pm
#3
Actually Mudcat
I think your math is correct, here's the breakdown:
Total Population of PTC approx: 36,000
Illegals = 6,000
Exempted from taxes due to low income = 24,000
Exempted from taxes due to too much income = 5,964
Those mandated to pay for the bubble = 36
Ninja is illegal and low income so he's doubly exempted, so he will look for a return from the PTC government for $18,000, send it to the care of the manager at Best Buy.
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 10:23pm
#4
Mudcat, Yes Please Follow
PTCO's instructions, but mark it attention of 'The Comfy Chair'. But, I will not receive it until football starts again next season and I am in need of a TV, though I might watch the first and second rounds of the NFL draft, but I usually do that at Taco Mac!
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 9:09pm
#5
Mudcat, You Must Be Using
a calculator made in the US! 650,000 divided by 36,000 is $18.05. I guess you did not attend FC schools! You a mudcat and c'aint swim!?
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 10:02pm
#6
What I don't get
Is the 36,000 figure. Can we just think about this?
This is funded by a new loan the city is now in debt for. 3 million bucks worth.
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 6:47pm
#7
Okay Spy, thanks
now how about "citizen"? Are we talking resident, taxpaying citizen or twenty bucks for each man, woman and child here? Just asking.
Is a family of 5 going to pay $100. year for it? And a single guy who owns his own home going to pay $20.00?
I think everyone appreciates the amenities. Whether they use the or not. Sounds right. And if the cost gets to, say, $40. a citizen, what do you do, shut it down for the winter? Up the user fees?
What do you say to the person who says $20. sounds unfair to me. I mean, other than you don't give a hoot what he/she thinks and you can move if you don't like it. Just asking.
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 1:19pm
#8
This is what happens when
you rush a huge project or when you have only ONE bidder for a structure such as this. In this case, it's both.
City staff has been consumed with this and the City Council are responsible for ALL of these costs, as they are the ones who approved ALL of this.
How much is budgeted for a facility to store this bubble for 6 months of the year?
How much money are you willing to pay? Name a figure, those of you who say this is a feature the city cannot do without and you are willing to pay "extra" for it. How about an amount you feel everyone in this city should contribute on our taxes, regardless of our income or home values or if we ever plan to dip our big toe into the 78 degree water there on a 38 degree day?
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 2:00pm
#9
MoeLarryCurly, You Are Right!
It would be better to knock down and plow under all the good stuff we have here in PTC, starting with the library, gathering place, BMX track, parks, cart paths, tennis courts, pools, amphitheater, and other amenities because not everybody uses all of them all of the time! Then, we can all sleep peacefully at night knowing that nobody is paying for anything they don't use! The freed up space can be rented out for a profit to grow collards for the school lunch program and to hold revenue-generating Flo Rida concerts! We will all be better off. Thank you for the great idea!
Also, when you go to Wal-Mart to stock up on Pringles and grapefruit juice, ask them to knock off a few cents at the register because your wife dropped you off and you didn't use the parking lot!
I think Oliver Wendell Holmes said it best when he said:
Happiness consists in activity. It is running steam, not a stagnant pool.
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 6:49pm
#10
Ninja-do I detect
any relation to a former blogger on here?
So, after all of that you just said, where is your answer to my question?
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 8:41pm
#11
MLC - Ninja
is genetically linked to Bonkers, et alii.
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 10:50pm
#12
mlc, with ninja it is the genetic link to Bonk AND the collards
but I think mostly the collards--the constant eating of collards has produced so much gas that it went to his head and those brain cells have just been exploding all over the place, let's hope that gas does not travel to the nether regions or we may all have to leave PTC and the bubble and many other things re PTC may become moot.
Thu, 02/23/2012 - 9:46am
#13
MYTTRITE
I have yet to muster up my Ninja courage to attack a bunch of collards for consumption, but if I can walk barefoot on upturned razor-sharp, flaming swords blindfolded carrying 200-pound weights on both my shoulders, then I should be able to overcome a clump of leaves! Continued meditation on the matter is needed!
Do they ever play Flo Rida at your geriatric exercise classes?
I think Flo said it best when he said:
Woke up on the side of the bed like I won
Top like a winner, my chest to that sun
G5 dealer, U.S to Taiwan
Now who can say that, I wanna play back
Mama knew I was a needle in a hay stack
Thu, 02/23/2012 - 12:36am
#14
mymite & ninja
Sorry I brought this up. I should have followed Cal's lead and just banned Bonk from my comments on here. Ninja does seem to be a bit more lucid than the aforementioned windbag. And I do stress "a bit". I'll leave it at that.
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 9:47pm
#15
PTCO
I am so glad you confirmed that. There can't be 2 separate gene pools like that loose on here.
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 10:19pm
#16
MLC, PTCO Knows Not
what he sayeth. I am not Bonkers, Courthouse Rules, Roundabout, or any other incarnation thereof. I never me him, don't know who he is or where he is gone! That goes for all the other bloggers that got disappeared in the great purge as well. I have never met, impersonated, talked to, bumped into at Wal-Mart, eaten next to at Smokey Bones, crossed paths with at Best Buy, or otherwise shared the same physical space as any other blogger on this forum. I am the one and only Ninja--only.
Can you eat collards and walk at the same time?
I think Cee Lo Green said it best when he said
And when you're out there without care
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn't because I didn't know enough
I just knew too much
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Possibly
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 7:28pm
#17
MoeLarryCurrly
As far as I know I am not related to any bloggers on here past or present, but the Internet makes the world a small place, so like Franklin Graham said recently about Obama being a Muslim, I can't say categorically say its not true, but it ain't likely!
I think we ought to pony up $250 bucks per head on top of what we already pay in city and county taxes for all the good stuff we have here! This will ensure that we have plenty of good stuff in good condition to look at and use, plus it will run the riffraff and inactive out of our fine and pristine city!
That answer your question?!
BTW, who do you like better--Flo Rida or Cee Lo Green?
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 8:27pm
#18
Ninja
As far as you know
Yes
Neither
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 12:27pm
#19
Bubble..
$52,702 in change order charges that the city is currently disputing, officials said...
Most of not all change orders are approved in advance by both parties..This whole bubble construction sounds likes another example of city mismanagement..The orginal cost for any project is never the actual cost and over runs are common cause its other people money..
Mon, 02/20/2012 - 4:50pm
#20
Contract ????????
I thought that when a contract was issued that both parties agreed to the document herein. It should specify all of the terms, scope of the work and other pertenaint info that makes the job facilitate. How do you argue a point that is not contractual or that has not been approved prior to the work. If the 2 parties have not allowed allowances or said that it was ok to proceed , where is the discussion. Usually when a contract between a municipal party and contractor is issued, it has been heavily ladened with terms that are beneficial for the city and for the outcome to be in favor of the city. I realize that change orders sometime occur for projects, but they are usually approved before going further.
Sounds fair to me.
I appreciate the amenities that PTC has to offer, even they ones I don't directly benefit from.