HARTride 2012
August 1st, 2007, 05:05 PM
Walkway Comes With Hefty Price
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By ANTHONY McCARTNEY The Tampa Tribune
Published: Aug 1, 2007
TAMPA - With hundreds of part-time and full-time employees facing layoffs, Hillsborough County commissioners today could approve spending more than $500,000 to replace the walkway that surrounds the government's downtown high-rise.
The money would replace the current granite pavers with new concrete and a "rustic terrazzo finish" that's meant to both complement the Frederick B. Karl County Center's façade, but also materials in a neighboring park.
The current walkway, county officials say, poses a safety hazard. Some places have sunk, forcing crews to fill in the gaps. A line of gray duct tape bridges the gap between the walkway's current granite paving stones and the building's lobby.
But the half-million-dollar expenditure - which comes at a time that Hillsborough says it is cash-strapped and will have to cut jobs and services to residents - likely won't be approved without a debate.
Commissioners Rose Ferlita and Brian Blair have questioned the item, as has the county's internal performance auditor, who recommended commissioners at least discuss the item before approving it.
Blair said he wondered whether the project couldn't be rebid for less.
"That's a lot of money when you're laying people off," Blair said.
County Administrator Pat Bean said the money has already been allocated to an account earmarked for repairs to county buildings. She said it's often cheaper to fix problems at county-owned structures than to allow the buildings to fall into disrepair.
"We could possibly go with another product that's not as sturdy," she said. "I don't want to go out there and find out in 10 years we have to do it again."
The uneven surface also poses a safety risk, county officials said.
"We've patched it a number of times; we've had some documented trips and falls so it's a situation primarily driven by safety," said Mike Kelly, the county real estate director.
Blair said he understood that the walkway needed to be repaired and that its current condition could be dangerous. He said he was concerned that the county was spending too much to fix a problem that could be solved more cheaply.
"My first reaction was that it was way too high," he said Tuesday.
Aesthetics is also a consideration in the walkway's replacement. Kelly said county officials picked materials that would complement the exterior of County Center, a 28-story high-rise at 601 E. Kennedy Blvd.
Those materials represent the bulk of the cost for the project - an estimated $290,000.
County officials have tentatively awarded a bid in the amount of $503,000 to CEM Enterprises of Apopka. A Tampa-based firm had bid on the same project. Its price tag was $570,000.
Vivian Bacca, a community activist who is a frequent visitor at County Center to protest plans to eliminate the Hillsborough's oversight of local wetlands, said she was surprised at the price tag.
She noted that the $500,000 walkway replacement would pay for more than half of the county's current wetlands division program. Eliminating the division would save the county roughly $800,000, according to Hillsborough Environmental Protection Commission estimates.
The half-million dollars would be spent from this year's general fund, which generally relies on property taxes.
Kelly said the granite walkway was installed when the building was completed. The county purchased the high-rise in 1992 for $33 million, and spent millions more on upgrades.
He said the expense was a fraction of the building's overall value.
"The county center is a $75 million asset," he said.
Reporter Anthony McCartney can be reached at (813) 259-7616 or amccartney@tampatrib.com.
http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGB11TK8T4F.html
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This is absolutely ridiculous! The city and the county are laying off workers like crazy and yet the county has even the nerve to do this stupid project. This is yet even more evidence that our municipal govt is corrupt!
Skip directly to the full story.
By ANTHONY McCARTNEY The Tampa Tribune
Published: Aug 1, 2007
TAMPA - With hundreds of part-time and full-time employees facing layoffs, Hillsborough County commissioners today could approve spending more than $500,000 to replace the walkway that surrounds the government's downtown high-rise.
The money would replace the current granite pavers with new concrete and a "rustic terrazzo finish" that's meant to both complement the Frederick B. Karl County Center's façade, but also materials in a neighboring park.
The current walkway, county officials say, poses a safety hazard. Some places have sunk, forcing crews to fill in the gaps. A line of gray duct tape bridges the gap between the walkway's current granite paving stones and the building's lobby.
But the half-million-dollar expenditure - which comes at a time that Hillsborough says it is cash-strapped and will have to cut jobs and services to residents - likely won't be approved without a debate.
Commissioners Rose Ferlita and Brian Blair have questioned the item, as has the county's internal performance auditor, who recommended commissioners at least discuss the item before approving it.
Blair said he wondered whether the project couldn't be rebid for less.
"That's a lot of money when you're laying people off," Blair said.
County Administrator Pat Bean said the money has already been allocated to an account earmarked for repairs to county buildings. She said it's often cheaper to fix problems at county-owned structures than to allow the buildings to fall into disrepair.
"We could possibly go with another product that's not as sturdy," she said. "I don't want to go out there and find out in 10 years we have to do it again."
The uneven surface also poses a safety risk, county officials said.
"We've patched it a number of times; we've had some documented trips and falls so it's a situation primarily driven by safety," said Mike Kelly, the county real estate director.
Blair said he understood that the walkway needed to be repaired and that its current condition could be dangerous. He said he was concerned that the county was spending too much to fix a problem that could be solved more cheaply.
"My first reaction was that it was way too high," he said Tuesday.
Aesthetics is also a consideration in the walkway's replacement. Kelly said county officials picked materials that would complement the exterior of County Center, a 28-story high-rise at 601 E. Kennedy Blvd.
Those materials represent the bulk of the cost for the project - an estimated $290,000.
County officials have tentatively awarded a bid in the amount of $503,000 to CEM Enterprises of Apopka. A Tampa-based firm had bid on the same project. Its price tag was $570,000.
Vivian Bacca, a community activist who is a frequent visitor at County Center to protest plans to eliminate the Hillsborough's oversight of local wetlands, said she was surprised at the price tag.
She noted that the $500,000 walkway replacement would pay for more than half of the county's current wetlands division program. Eliminating the division would save the county roughly $800,000, according to Hillsborough Environmental Protection Commission estimates.
The half-million dollars would be spent from this year's general fund, which generally relies on property taxes.
Kelly said the granite walkway was installed when the building was completed. The county purchased the high-rise in 1992 for $33 million, and spent millions more on upgrades.
He said the expense was a fraction of the building's overall value.
"The county center is a $75 million asset," he said.
Reporter Anthony McCartney can be reached at (813) 259-7616 or amccartney@tampatrib.com.
http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGB11TK8T4F.html
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This is absolutely ridiculous! The city and the county are laying off workers like crazy and yet the county has even the nerve to do this stupid project. This is yet even more evidence that our municipal govt is corrupt!