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When Lansing voters approved two capital projects last December the expectation was that work would begin on an energy savings plan this summer, and a new roof on the Elementary School would be completed before school starts in the Fall.  While the energy contract work has been tied up in paperwork, the roof project has gone forward.  But according to Buildings & Grounds Supervisor Glenn Fenner the work has not been going as expected.

"We had a real problem with our carpenters," Fenner says.  "They were kind of slow.  If you looked up there and saw something moving it wasn't the carpenters.  Those carpenters are no longer here."


Fenner was appointed 'Clerk of the Works' for the project, the person who inspects the work in progress and makes sure it is being done to the specifications laid out by the architect.  While he is extremely pleased with the performance of Tetra Tech architectural firm, the contractor has been another story.

"We had to hire a Clerk of the Works, which is somebody that is our eyes and ears on the roof, literally making sure that everything is constructed properly," says Superintendent Stephen Grimm.  "Instead of going outside of the school district to hire a private firm we hired our Supervisor of Building and grounds Glenn Fenner performing that function for us."

Multiple no-shows, damage to school sidewalks, bad weather, and shoddy work have plagued the project.  Fenner says that workers didn't show up on four days in particular because it was raining in Oswego where they are based.  However it was not raining in Lansing.  The first group of carpenters the firm sent evidently didn't do much work, so Fenner requested that they be replaced.  A new crew was sent a week ago last Wednesday.

"They were just dragging the job out," he says.  "I've got the statistics on how much they laid in per day and it was ridiculous.  The new carpenter crew they sent to replace them laid more in six hours than the first carpenter crew did in four days.  It's a vast improvement."

Fenner says there have been additional problems with the work not meeting specifications, which has resulted in redoing the work and delays.  "On July 2nd they started ripping the perimeter blocking off and screwing new blocking on," he says.  "I caught them using the wrong screws.  They were supposed to be using stainless steel screws instead of ACQ.  They had to order them, and they didn't come in until July 13th.  That put them way behind on that."

After the screws arrived he noticed that they were too long.  As carpenters installed the rim over the cafeteria the screws were lifting the angle iron that the planking is fastened to.  Fenner called the architect, and the carpenters were given instructions on the proper installation.

"The next day I went up there and they were trying to cheat," Fenner says.  "They took a 2x6 plank and plywood and were going through both.  Now the screws are too short!  After they left one day I went up to inspect it.  They had the right number of screws in I reached down and picked up three tiered planing off the roof.  The next day I made them replace them."

Fenner says the project is falling behind in part because of the weather.  Nine out of 23 days showed no progress because of rain.  The rain Sunday actually helped Fenner identify six leaks that have developed in the roof.  He says that no major water damage was done beyond about a half dozen ceiling tiles.

Tetra Tech has helped make up for some of the problems, riding herd on the contractor and monitoring the project carefully.  Grimm says that one of the deciding factors in choosing the firm was that they employ Lansing people, including Roger Vanderpoel.  Tetra Tech maintains offices in Syracuse, Ithaca, Farmingdale, Rochester, Newark, Delaware, and Princeton, New Jersey.

"Last Friday night the wind blew all the insulation across the parking lot," Fenner told the Board Of Education at last Monday's regular meeting.  "I called Welsh and they were already on the other side of Syracuse.  So I came down and guess who was down here stacking insulation?  Roger.  He's great."

Despite delays Fenner says that most of the project will be complete before school begins.  "The building will be complete except for the gym wall by August 26th," he says.  "The roof should be complete."


He says the Town highway Department will repair the damaged sidewalks at the contractor's expense.  Other work to be done includes new terrazzo steps by the school elevator, painting the inside of the gym (which must wait until the upper walls are finished), masonry repairs on bricks and step cracks, and school officials are considering additional parking spaces and a new loading dock.

District Business Administrator Mary June King reported the project will cost less than expected, and the school has obtained a Bond Anticipation Note (BAN) to cover costs until the bonding is secured.

The project is being paid for by EXCEL (Expanding our Children’s Education and Learning) funding in combination with state aid.  No additional taxpayer money was used to fund the roof.

Grimm told the board that Fenner has put off his summer vacation and has been spending an estimated 20 hours per week watching over the project.

"Somebody asked what we need a Clerk of the Works for?" he said.  "To insure that trust factor to get quality work out of contractors."

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