Date: Fri 28-Feb-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Library-Petco-Asbestos-Buckley

Full Text:

Contractor Stops Asbestos Abatement Work Until He Is Paid

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

Mike Buckley wants his money, and he's not working another day until he gets

it.

The project manager for Petco Insulation, the company in charge of the

asbestos abatement work at the library, showed up at Tuesday's meeting of the

Public Building and Site Committee to demand he get paid.

Mr Buckley said he and his workers will not return to work until the town

hands over the $92,000 he has coming to him for work he did over the past

three months. Payment on a December 17 bill of $48,000 is long overdue and

others are nearing overdue status.

Concerned about the amount of the bills, especially the December 17 bill,

members of the building committee have been reluctant to pay up. Chairman

Frank Krasnickas finally told Mr Buckley that he would get his money, but that

the town would not be issuing any checks until March 7. Meanwhile, he

requested that the abatement work continue.

Mr Buckley maintained the town pay up or the asbestos removal halts. Finally,

after a lengthy debate, Mr Krasnickas said he would make every effort to pay

Petco half the amount by Friday. Mr Buckley said he would consider it.

Once, and if, it returns to the site, Petco will only have about two days of

work left.

"I appreciate the fact they have to go through procedures, but I need to get

paid. I had to finally pull the plug," Mr Buckley said Wednesday. "I'm not

making a ton of money on this thing. I would like nothing better than to

finish this job."

Town officials have not been happy about the December 17 "fire watch" bill for

$48,000. They believe it was just too much money. From early November to

mid-December, employees from Petco had to be on the site 24 hours a day to

ensure that the propane heaters being used inside the building did not start a

fire. At a cost of $68.70 per hour, they also monitored carbon monoxide

levels.

According to Public Works Director Fred Hurley, the 713-hour "fire watch,"

requested by Fire Marshal George Lockwood, had to be conducted by asbestos

abatement licensed workers. The heaters were used to prevent sweating and

cracking during the abatement work, Mr Hurley said, adding that during the

"fire watch," Petco's workers weren't just sitting around reading books.

Petco employees were on the site as late as Monday afternoon, but Mr Buckley

said he shut down all other work indefinitely until he has his check in hand.

"You don't work for free and you don't play the bank of Newtown. We're running

on capital," he said.

At Tuesday's meeting, architect Bruce Tuthill said, despite all the glitches

during the construction, he expected the new building to be completed by June

1.

"I've got to keep a positive outlook. The nasty work is done," he said.

To keep costs down, the town will conduct a training session next week at Town

Hall South for sub-contractors to learn how to do abatement work so that it

doesn't have to hire another abatement contractor.