As I attempted to explain at the Board meeting, New York Education Law
mandates that school districts approve their bond referenda before the
preparation of construction plans and specifications.  As a result,
preliminary construction estimates are merely that – estimates.   In order
to insure that the estimates presented to the public are as accurate as
possible and that the ultimate costs of the project are properly
controlled, the District has taken a number of steps, to wit:

1.    The District hired an architect with a solid track record of integrity
and accuracy in estimating construction projects and getting the job done
in budget (e.g. White Plains High School).
2.    The District hired a construction consultant to examine these estimates
in great detail.
3.    The District put together an independent committee of citizens to
critically examine the work of both the architect and the construction
consultant.   This committee included architects, accountants, a real
estate broker, a builder and other serious and dedicated citizens.  (Of
note, a number of the committee members, including its chairman Michael
Graessle, had initially been openly and vocally critical of the
referendum. After working diligently all summer, this committee
unanimously supported all of infrastructure work noting that the estimates
“should reflect the most current market conditions” and that “if these
repairs and improvements are not made the impact on future capital project
costs and operating budgets could be severe.  This is a classic case of
‘pay me now or pay me more later.’”) 
4.    The District has contracted for six additional re-estimates as the
bidding and construction process progresses to further insure that the
costs of the projects are properly controlled.

Getting back to Mr. Lederman’s latest accusation, it may be true that
about a dozen of the over 250 line item estimates examined by Mr. Lederman
shared a common denominator of 365 (as does the number of days in the
non-leap calendar year).

  Mr. Lederman and the public should note, however, that the preliminary
estimates which Mr. Lederman found suspect had already been re-evaluated
and modified by the architect and construction consultant under the check
and balance process I describe above.  The proposed bond is actually based
upon these more refined and precise numbers which are quite different from
the preliminary estimates studied by Mr. Lederman.  

I do appreciate Mr. Lederman’s acknowledgment of the necessity of
physically improving our schools and his obvious interest in the well
being of our community.  I suggest however that if he would like to
continue in his zealous, watchdog role, he attend more Board Meetings so
that he can work with reasonably accurate and up-to-date information and
perhaps one day he might provide some constructive input.

 
                    Peter Bassano

The CitizeNetReporter Notes:  For the record, Mr. Lederman originally became interested in what appeared to him to be excessive costs when costs were presented at Board of Education meetings discussing the bond issue where he attended. He spoke out particularly on the Dammann House windows, which prompted Mr. Bassano's Capital Project Committee to take that up. I know because I saw him speak.

Mr. Lederman, one of the few citizens to speak out publicly about costs on the project, before Mr. Bassano's Capital Project Committee was formed, despite Lederman's demonstrated concern, was not invited to serve on the Capital Project Committee.

The independent construction manager works with the architect on other projects.

It should also be noted that projects did decrease in cost as Mr. Bassano indicates, but the overall cost of the bond increased to $69.6 Million from $66.7 Million over three months. The Dammann House construction was reduced. (See previous WPCNR Stories).

With respect to the relatively minor internal $28Million High School renovation that the architect designed, that project took twice as long to complete as originally planned, lasting four years,and forcing one entire class to live through ongoing construction in their school for four years. The project at the high school was originally supposed to take 18 months.

A $30,000 tile floor covering at the main entrance had to be redone because of a preexisting condition not discovered.

It also gave WPHS a new cafeteria design that cannot feed the 2,000 student population in the time the student body is given for lunch. (This is a documented and well-known condition at the high school which the school district has failed to find a solution. Ask any student at WPHS whether they have adequate time to eat lunch. It is pretty, but the poor cafeteria setup is one of the main reasons WPHS students leave campus for lunch. However the architect can hardly be blamed for amateur management of the cafeteria and unrealistic lunch schedules.)

The construction project was plagued with delays and union disputes. (See WPCNR Stories of the past)