More Claims from Vieste Even Though Stop Work Order Issued

More Claims from Vieste Even Though Stop Work Order Issued

County Commissioners issued a stop work order for the Jail Project at their March 6th meeting pending further review. The following additional 4 claims were submitted by Bryan Messmore for Vieste, PSA Dewberry, and London-Witte at the April 3rd Commissioners Meeting for consideration for payment at the next commissioners meeting Tuesday April 17th.

TOTAL BILLED BELOW: $66,904.94 This plus the last billing constitutes about 1/3 of the total $612,000 allotted to this project. What do we have to show for this?

1.London Witte-Group, LLC………………………..$4,125.83

for Progress Billing – Building Project – 36 hours of work detailed from 1/4/2007 through 2/21/2007

2.London Witte Group, LLC………………………….$5,173.53

For Progress Billing- Building Project – 38.25 hours of work detailed from 1/2/2007 through 1/30/2007

These billing dates overlap, however they are for different services from different people at LWG. Some are at $70/hour, some at $200/hour.

3. PSA Dewberry, Inc………………………………….$17,727.49

For period 2/23 through 3/16/2007 as compensation for basic services on an hourly basis plus reimbursable expenses. They list the project to date cost of $28695.50 + 745.43 reimbursable. They note a previous billing of $11,705.50 + 7.94 reimbursable. This leaves $16,990 + 737.49 reimbursable for the $17,727.49 total.

[NOTE: The jail design was on stop work order as of 3/6/2007. How much of this bill was after that time period? There is no breakdown of the expenses on this. PSA Dewberry was under Vieste before- now they are billing separately. Did the county bid this work out? Who authorized further work?]

4. Vieste, LLC……………………………………………$39,877.50

Capital Program Management on Criminal Justice Facility from 3/1 through 3/31/2007 approved from appendix 5 of the phase 1 report approved by Dearborn County Commissioners 1/23/2007- NO DETAILS.

[NOTE: Again- there was a stop work order March 6th- are we paying Vieste even when there is no work to manage? JUST WHAT KIND OF CONTRACT DID THE COUNTY SIGN?]

[NOTE: I found out some interesting things while trying to get copies of these claims for the past 2 weeks. First Pickens asked for another formal written request, which I emailed him 4/4/07. I was informed a week later (4/11/07) that he did not think the claims were public record yet as they were not processed. I told him I thought they were public as soon as they were presented at a public meeting. I called the Public Access Counselor, Karen Davis, on 4/11/07 and it turns out WE WERE BOTH WRONG. They are public record as soon as they are delivered to a public agent or agency. Therefore, when Messmore receives the claims, they are public record, even before presented at the meeting. I emailed this information to Pickens 4/11/07 and asked to have it by Friday before the meeting. (4/13/07) When I did not hear from Pickens Friday, I called Pickens office Monday morning (4/16/07) and he had his office return my call saying he did not have them, I would have to check with Messmore. So I called the Adm. Building and explained what I was looking for and Sue Hayden, Messmore’s assistant put me through to his office. There was no answer and no answering machine option. She was unable to locate Messmore. (I wondered if his lunchtime workout at The Athletic Club was shifted to mid morning… Can’t be Member of the Month down there unless you come in often…) Sue Hayden then tried to find copies on one of the commissioner’s desks and offered me Commissioner Hughes’s phone number when that didn’t pan out. Hughes was not due to be in today, so I called Commissioner Thompson, who graciously agreed to get copies to me this afternoon on his way to town.]

Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township