The Short Version:
Place: State of Washington School District
What happened?
The district agreed to hire Tremco Roofing,
headquartered in Ohio, through King County
Directors’ Association
headquartered in Ohio, through King County
Directors’ Association
Who protested?
Scott Henden, school board member, voted
against the
contract, saying he saw it as a “single source” contract.
He would have preferred the roofing contract go out to
bid and that local companies be allowed to submit
bids. "I am not comfortable going single source at
$400,000,” he said.
contract, saying he saw it as a “single source” contract.
He would have preferred the roofing contract go out to
bid and that local companies be allowed to submit
bids. "I am not comfortable going single source at
$400,000,” he said.
Now there's a good man!
How many of you have seen this scenario before?
A School Board is approached to fund a new roof - by a manufacturer. You know, the you know who's going around duly licensed architects and engineers to "sell" products direct, at E-N-O-R-M-O-U-S prices.
Or the Facilities Director says it just has to be one manufacturer and NOW.
In this case, two commissioners and the President of the School Board vote it in - after the President of the School Board de-clares in no uncertain terms their kids don't need to be rained or snowed on....approving a $400,000 contract to Tremco - with one lone dissenter.
We'd love to know how much product that was sold to them was applicable, and how much was left over after the job was done on the winning contractor's yard....it's not returnable.
But we also all know what will happen next. That dissenter will be off the board in no time - just like Assistant Maintenance Directors and staff architects, etc. forced off the job for questioning their bosses as to why why why are we doing something that has no checks and balances in it and costs so-so-so much and redoing them soooooooo quickly?!?!?!?
For instance: The Facilities managers at the largest high school district in California, after years of questioning new bosses ramrodding through purchase orders for roofing, go to the FBI, who does nothing and then the concerned facilities managers take it to the Legislature- with a Legislative aide apparently sending the FBI documentation to the School District (the very men involved).
The concerned facilities managers, harrassed because they were good and doing bidding the right way - then find themselves fired and frankly slandered by the Superintendent in a closed School Board meeting in order to get them fired. (Just proven in depositions in June, 2013).
Men who were doing their jobs, felt something was terribly wrong, did not go along with the Garland Purchase Order Scheme brought in by new managers and directors from various parts of the state that seemed to know each other from certain organizations (CASH and CASBO, apparently)..... to the tune of $200,000 a year plus broken-up construction contracts going to a relative of the Garland rep at one point....and one contractor on most of the work....putting products into warrantied roofs and you know what happens to the real warranties....
Did you get that?
You have probably seen it hundreds of times.
So one North Kitsap School Board member in Poulsbo, Washington, Scott Henden, has that familiar "Queasy" feeling that somethings' not right - but he can't stop the ramrod machine.
Here's part of the article:
"
Scott Henden, school board member, voted against the contract, saying he saw it as a “single source” contract. He would have preferred the roofing contract go out to bid and that local companies be allowed to submit bids. “I am not comfortable going single source at $400,000,” he said.
Dave Dyess, director of maintenance and facilities for the district, said it was important to get the work done quickly while the weather was cooperative. He said there were leaks in 13 different places during the last school year.
Henden took issue with the hurried nature of the bidding process, saying someone knew for years the roof at Vinland was a problem."
So here we see the ol' hurry up and fix the years-long problem - without normal checks and balances.
How much of the structure was looked at by a structural engineer?
Hmmmmm.....good question, Scott Henden.
We know what will happen next, Scott.
1. No FBI investigation. He doesn't know what the kickbacks are....or why that door is slammed shut real tight to competition, as required by law.
2. Certainly no State Attorney General Investigation will happen - this is liberal Washington, and if it's a liberal area, you can bet nothing will happen. It's been the pattern......
3. The Architects and Engineers, afraid of losing work, go wibbly-wobbly. What they don't know is that if that roof has the asphalts shorted, it could cause leaks, damage to the structure and in snow country, possible roof cave-ins over time. In essence, it threatens the life, safety, health and welfare of everyone inside and who owns the structures...what Architects and Engineers hold licenses for in the first place.
Just ask the nervous former Hickman Reps calling me from New Jersey, after they inherited their own jobs as Viridian, as to how to keep from honoring the warranties. The roofs were leaking after one year because.....drum roll!.....the asphalts were shorted because, according to one of those reps, "My bosses took me to lunch last year and told me they were pulling $40,000 out of a job (job was in the low $100,000's) to pay off the folks they needed to - and shorting the asphalts - that's how they got the money out of the jobs to make payoffs!"......are you getting this?
One of the involved manufacturers' reps wrote in a recent spec, in a disdainful "joke" - showing three incompatible systems being done on one roof for a "clueless" school system in southern California.
That's how much respect they have for their Marks.
Specified were SBS Modified parts, APP Modified parts, and Coal Tar listed all as parts of one roof....Holy Moly! Clearly, the reps had no respect for their "Marks"!
A few months later, numerous persons were arrested and indicted for taking kickbacks, including most of the School Board for that School District. No kidding.....and no surprise.
So to the one lone member on the School Board, Scott Henden, don't you stop what you are doing. Yes, you will catch hell - but guess what?
Someone on the East Coast sent me your newspaper clipping. There are people all over the US and in other countries, watching - and they are here for you.
See the story here:
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/jul/12/north-kitsap-school-board-approves-roofing/#axzz2Z4tn1sdo
