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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1970 CS City Hall Contractor Escapes PenaltyCS City Hall Contractor Escapes Penalty By FRANK GRIFFIS Eagle Staff Writer The College Station City Council Monday night decided not to penalize Barsh Con- struction Co. of Waco for delay in building the new city hall and police -fire station. Councilman Jim Dozier cast the . only negative vote, saying he thought the council was making a mistake. The contract with Barsh in- cluded a penalty clause of $100 per day for each day past the deadline. The contractor was 71 days late in completing the project, and was granted a 74- day extension by the council. Architect C. R. Watson of C. R. Watson Associates had granted an extension of 20 days earlier without consulting the council. The council agreed during a special meeting last Feb. 3, that the architect was the council's agent with the contractor. "In view of what has tran- spired, it is my decided opinion that the contractor ... has dutifully and conscientiously pursued the project construction and has requested no ;lay other than for that which was beyond his control. The requests for extensions for tir_:e have been reasonable and with just cause," Watson said in a memo to the council Watson listed the delays as: —55 days for delay in receipt of pre -cast concrete panels "through no fault of the con- tractor." Caused by a request for installation of a drive -in counterette unit for which a change order was issued Oct. 17, 1969 -unit was recieved a' the job site Jan. 5, 1970. — Caused by a request for changes on the council room seating platform which were made Dec. 29, 1969, and "were accomplished shortly thereaf- ter." Other delays were reported caused by requests for adding birch plywood paneling for the city manager's and mayor's offices on Dec. 29, 1969; and the manufacturer's late ship- ment of resilient floor covering and a "mix-up" by the freight company. "No request was made to delete the floor covering in certain areas, however, score the material had not been in- stalled this deletion could be accomplished without extra cost or additional delay," Watson siad. Said Dozier, "It is not justified. He ( Barsh) as much as admitted that the delay was not justified. He said it was due to his supplier. "He holds an indemnity bond against his supplier just as we hold one against him. He could get damages from his suppher; everyone admitted the supplier was negligent," Dozier said. GREAT SAVINGS PLANS made even better by new legal rates at FIRST BANK & TRUST. Adv "It is a sad state of affairi when a city cannot give an extension, but we have to pay him on time and not hold the contractor to particular bids." Dozier said. He added that he was not criticizing the architecl or the contractor. "But it was caused by someone along the line whc should be subject to a penait5 and there is only one way tc penalize him," Dozier said. "We hired the architect, bul don't always agree with him, I hire my sons to mow the lawn, but I don't always agree with the damn job," Dozier said.