County rushes to get FEMA money for government center
By Edie Johnson
GOSHEN — Although still bogged down over whether to renovate the county government center or build a new one, lawmakers are hurriedly drafting a request for proposals toward the eventual hiring of an engineer.
As the Federal Emergency Management Agency's March 12 deadline approaches, county administrators have a renewed sense of urgency. Deputy County Executive Richard Mayfield and Public Works Director Chuck Lee pleaded with the Physical Services Committee this week to compromise, lest the county forfeit federal compensation for damage caused by hurricanes Irene and Sandy.
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers are still figuring out finances, as they try without success to make sense of the numbers.
The county executive, Ed Diana, who faces liver failure, is in the hospital getting tests. And a FEMA representative was also unable to make the meeting, where administrators had hoped to press legislators on a compromise.
Legislators promised to meet every week until they find common ground.
The government center was built in the 1960s by an eminent American architect, Paul Rudolph. His reputation has suffered because his poured-concrete buildings in the Brutalist style are unpopular with the public. The center is on the World Monuments Watch List.
Both sides still entrenched
Both sides in the controversy say they want to save taxpayers money. And they
Republicans say demolishing the center and building a new one will not cost more than the Democratic plan of "just fix it."
Diana last year suggested gutting and renovating one section in order to preserve a portion of the historic Rudolph design, while tearing down two other sections and replacing them with a more energy-efficient and personnel-friendly office building.
The idea was met with some disdain. Democrats asked: How is that a compromise when Diana presented the idea without even talking to us?
Muddying the calculations is the huge disparity between estimates for renovating the building. An early report by LaBella Construction estimated that renovation would cost about $70 million. Democrats countered with expert estimates of their own that said renovation could be done for $30 million to $40 million. Both sides have already agreed to an additional $10 million to renovate ancillary county buildings, including the 1841 Courthouse.
The county lacks detailed drawings of how the finished product will look. Diana's first design, at $135 million, was found too costly. His second design was better received, but some legislators insisted the design reflect historic Goshen, and that it not include flat rooftops, which are a chronic source of leaks in the Rudolph building.
Republican Legislator Leigh Benton said the Democrats' $40 million estimate isn't realistic because it is based on a similar Rudolph building at Yale University, which did not have the same imperative to provide efficient office space.
Democratic Legislator Myrna Kemnitz suggested settling on the general layout first and filling in details about office space later.
Pete Hammond, deputy commissioner of Environmental Services, said a working plan, at least, is needed to satisfy the FEMA requirement, This led legislators to draft the request for proposals.
Legislator Patrick Berardinelli recommended that lawmakers continue to "hash it out behind closed doors." His suggestion was quickly drowned out by demands for open meetings and transparency. But Roxanne Donnery, who is considering a run for county executive and has pushed for transparency in government, was incensed at the prospect.
“We need to listen to the people and get their work done," she said. "We look like fools!”
Legislator Matt Turnbull, who has a construction background, said if the firm the county recently hired to determine the true extent of damage to the Rudolph building says the building is still good, "then we renovate. If they say its bad, then we demolish....If one thing costs $75 million and another costs $40 million, it should be a no-brainer."
The study, authorized by the legislature last fall, will take six weeks to complete and cost $75,000.
But Leigh Benton, who chairs the committee, was not as optimistic. He warned that even with a gut renovation the problems could come back, and that the improved energy efficiency of a new building could provide major savings in the long run.
Hammond said the project is high on the state inspector general's list and will be watched closely as it develops. It will likely receive a string of six-month extensions. Each time, he said it will be vital to show progress. The extensions can continue up to 30 months.
Even holding weekly meetings will count in their favor with FEMA.
Officials said air monitoring in the main building to prevent the spread of mold has been costly, to the tune of $400,000 a year. With the building standing empty, the county is including this as a storm-related cost while FEMA calls it a regular operating cost. The county is still appealing the decision.