Commissioner irked at being left out of loop on prison
Fayette County Commissioner Vince Zapotosky said that he has been left out of the loop in essential communications concerning the construction of a new prison facility in Dunbar Township to the extent that he will block the advancement of the project’s next phase until the matter is resolved.
Zapotosky alleges that he and minority Republican Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink have been excluded from various correspondence between the county commission office and Sleighter Engineering Inc., the firm hired to design the planned lockup, and Crabtree Rohrbaugh & Associates, the contracted architectural firm.
“There are three commissioners, not one,” said Zapotosky on Friday. “Whether we agree this is the right move for the county or not, we all need to be included in what is taking place at this time.”
He cited an earlier email about the planned construction which circulated among commission Chairman Al Ambrosini, Crabtree, Sleighter, county solicitor John Cupp and prison administrators. Omitted were Zimmerlink and Zapotosky.
“It is inexcusable,” said Zapotosky. “Why are we being left out of the communication loop?”
Crabtree, of Mechanicsburg, and Sleighter, of Uniontown, were hired earlier to provide design and engineering services for the project.
Since the commission voted last year to proceed with the construction, Zapotosky has joined Ambrosini in supporting measures to: purchase a 62-acre tract where the lockup is to be located; allow the use of general fund money to finance preliminary work; hire consultant Mark Lundquist to advise the officials about financing the estimated $32 million project, and; contract with Crabtree and Sleighter.
“I still support the project,” he said. “It is needed, but, we all need to be included in the decisions.”
Most recently, alleges Zapotosky, bid solicitations for the prison project were published in a Pittsburgh construction trade magazine — an action not authorized by him or Zimmerlink.
“I give (Ambrosini) all the credit in the world for this project, but this is not about him and without a second signature from me or Commissioner Zimmerlink, it can not be advertised, and it was,” said Zapotosky.
Because of the scope and estimated cost of the project, the county code requires the county to advertise in a local newspaper, he added.
Craig Zimmerman, Crabtree project manager, said Saturday, that posting of upcoming construction projects in the “plan rooms” of various construction trade exchanges and journals is not a legal advertisement of the project, but instead a notification to contractors that the project will be bid in the future.
“This is not a public or legal advertisement of the county (prison) project,” said Zimmerman. “We have not printed any plans or specifications of the project for public distribution and will not until the county advises us that it is being advertised in the local newspaper.”
The “plan room” information included what will likely be the legal advertisement for the project, when authorized by the county, he added.
According to a copy of the notice, the bid notice was prepared by Crabtree on July 1 and listed the various services being sought by the county for the project, including a general contractor, heating ventilation and air conditioning, plumbing and electrical construction and detention equipment.
To aid likely bidders, the county was to hold a pre-bid conference on Aug. 7 at the Joseph A. Hardy/Connellsville Airport with bids due to the county controller’s office on Aug. 28.
The notice indicated that bid documents would be available “on or after July 25” and required contractors to contact Crabtree for copies of the plans and specifications. All interested parties would be required to pay a $450 non-refundable fee for the copies.
The notice did not specify a day or time for the opening of the bids, only that a meeting would take place in the county courthouse after Aug. 28.
Zimmerman said that contractors are aware when visiting the “plan rooms” that dates may vary, but it is the pertinent information, including the types of services being sought, that is most important.
“(Contractors) realize that this is for information purposes only and not a legal advertisement,” he said. “When it is legally advertised, that information will also be posted in the ‘plan rooms.’
“This is a big project and we want to have as many bidders as possible.
“In addition to word of mouth and published stories, (the plan rooms) are another way to garner interest in this project.”
Seven “plan rooms” have been notified of the proposed project and in addition to the Pittsburgh area, others are located in Florida, Ohio, Georgia and Arkansas.
Zimmerman added that the county has yet to inform the architectural firm when the legal advertisement will be published.
“Right now, we are in a holding pattern until we hear from the county,” he said.
Ambrosini said that the notification via the “plan rooms” is not a legal advertisement, but a tool being employed by the architectural firm to advise contractors of the construction project.
Ambrosini said he was not aware of the process of “plan rooms” until recently and was not required to authorize the posting.
While he will continue to move the project ahead, Ambrosini said that he can not without the support of a second commissioner.
“I do not have the sole authority to legally advertise this project and I have not,” he said, adding that he has added his signature to paperwork that would allow for the publication. “A second signature is needed before it can be done by the chief clerk.”
Ambrosini said that he anticipated Zapotosky’s signature to be added after the two had a lengthy conversation early last week about the project and the need to advance it.
“At that time I agreed to hold a public meeting to explain the bidding process,” said Ambrosini. “It would be the largest project ever undertaken by the county and it should be discussed in a public setting.”
Zapotosky, meanwhile, said that he is adamant that a public meeting will be held and Crabtree and Sleighter be directed to communicate with all three commissioners in the future.
“This is not a political maneuver,” he said. “It is to be sure we all know where we stand.”