Friends,
Happenings in your Village
1. Sewer Lines: Our engineers have sent to TxDoT the Sewer Line Plans. Once approved, a permit will be issued. This is a major step that leads to the bidding process.
2. The Permit for the Sewer Plant and the Deed to the six acres have been received. That, too, will soon go through the bidding process. While the lines are being placed in the ground, the plant will be built. All must be completed by mid-fall next year.
3. Stagecoach will begin renovation of their restaurant in June or early July. According to the owner, it will take approximately 5-months to complete. Their architects have contacted the Village Office for permits.
4. TxDoT is pushing James Construction to have the Salado portion of I-35 completed by July, 2016.
This date is holding firm.
5. A visit to the Governor's Office will be either 15, 17, or 18 April. The completion date and the 3 million damage request will be at the top of the discussion list.
6. The Mayor will be meeting with 6 Developers who are planning subdivisions in and around Salado in the near future. The subject: How can we work together for the good of Salado?
7. Many, many compliments to the Chamber and the triple event of last week. One of the reasons for success was the planning up and down Main Street. It started with the Episcopal Church and went to College Hill. Businesses up and down Main had equal opportunity to experience the crowds of people. The rave reviews are still being heard like "there were more people in Salado for this event than the Christmas Stroll."
Great events this weekend. Please take advantage.
VR/Skip
Many throughout will continue to monitor the quality of the final product. We fully expect that all work will be in strict compliance of the contract. We don’t want to see substitutions made after the fact to accelerate the work that will change the beautiful design provided that we expect will be the final work product constructed. We expect the final work product to meet the visual appearance, consistent throughout, and excellent quality standards the contract mandates.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn’t us that created the problem and continue to do so. It isn’t us that is enabling their management teams. We didn’t bid the project nor agree to provide work as contracted to complete. It is very evident where today’s problems begin and end. Many of their senior managers speak very openly about how greedy and unreasonable our demands are, we aren’t. We could care a less if they like us or not. We are fully cognizant who’s responsible for the problems and why the project continues to go backwards and latent defects. It isn’t us managing their contracts or field work. Their non-verbal communication says more than they realize. Their eyes are the window to their souls and provides tell-tale signs says someone isn’t being truthful.
When I drive and I look at the new PCC pavement either my eyes are playing a trick or something looks visually off. The cross-slopes don’t seem to be consistent like they are adjusted between stations. Visually they appear to be varying not a constant slope like PCC should be on the vertical curves. As I drove north through Lane Construction’s project and the Williams Brothers portion, those cross slopes look correct. Someone might ask TxDOT to use a smart level or verify the PCC cross-slopes are constructed correctly. If they are right then I will get my eyes fixed but if they aren’t, it would smarter, wiser, better to do the corrective measures before traffic switch occurs or permanent striping unless the contract deductions will reimburse our taxes for non-conforming work.
We love Sherman. We know but not for him and his highly skilled dedicated teams, we’d really be screwed.
ReplyDeleteWe hear how James Construction Group management teams speak to TxDOT and their consultants trying to convince them they are smarter than everyone else, when in reality they are dumber than a box of nails. We laugh when they throw their temper tantrums and their PM’s & Supers eyes pop out. It’s funny when Sherman in on the grade and he’s just smiling as he’s shutting them down or making them tear it out and do it right or don’t do it all. He smiles knowing they simply just don’t get it and PSC seems to enjoy spending money enabling arrogance.
If Sherman ever thought about retiring anytime in the future, he might consider working for PSC and let him fix what’s obvious to everyone except PSC what’s broken. Some of us tend to think Sherman would have a mass firing on day one and hire personal that understands how contracts work and what it takes to make money. A happy client loves spending money whereas an unhappy client having to constantly babysitting contractor’s management really hates throwing taxpayer monies away.
What we witness isn’t typical of Primoris. Brian Pratt wouldn’t have ever allowed any of this continue. Brian is respected throughout the industry and he’s built quite a company. If Mr. David King isn’t able to make the corrective action items that work, someone else will. The clock is ticking we’ve heard. The rumor on the street from their management teams is they’ve projected some $50 million, wishful thinking and not very accurate if the payment trend on Site Manager continues.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a betting person, I wouldn’t bet against Mr. David King. It’s doubtful he is aware of the truth or he’s being fed erroneous information. It’s also doubtful he’s gotten into trenches with Sherman or their project consultant teams and asked them what they deal with and how can Primoris better serve the client and help mitigate the damages.
It’s comical listening to their employees laugh about their manager’s internal strife. They can pick out which manager or long-term JCG employee that they feel either has knowledge or knows something about the big bosses so they are protected without fear of being terminated for all the stupid stuff they get away with. Yet we have to tolerate the dysfunctionality. I am happy that TxDOT and their teams are doing the best they can under the difficult conditions worked. We are very thankful for their service and for caring how our taxes are spent wisely. They do care and that's refreshing knowing we are in good hands.
I agree. Anyone that has the smallest amount brain cells would know never to use machine controls to make substrate finish grades. Maybe that could be reason we keep seeing those knuckleheads tear out more work than anybody I’ve ever seen. In addition, the PCC paving does appear to have varying cross-slopes along the vertical curve lines where those typically don’t vary. TxDOT will find any contract discrepancies when they perform the IRI quality assurance verifications. If what appears to be varying cross-slopes then that could be quite a substantial deduct where our mayor could ask for more than the measly $3 million.
ReplyDeleteNonetheless TxDOT has to use low bid and follow the contract protecting our taxes from being wasted or spent foolishly. I could care a less if it cost PSC $50 million or $1 billion out of pocket to complete the corridor projects. We have bond so the jobs will get completed one way or another. They bid the work and agreed to build the work as contracted just like everyone else does that signs a contract. Shame on them for bidding the work using personal that is clearly out of their league or don't have clue what to do. We aren't the whiners, we didn't change the phasing or sequencing or do what their managers get away with. We hope TxDOT uses the contract and beats them over the head using it. It's our money. We appreciate knowing TxDOT believes in the contract and all the rights afforded to them to use. For all that I care they can be years out here working knowing the contract is being followed and holding everyone accountable for enabling their management teams.
Today should be an interesting day on the project. Overheard their employee's complaining that Rudy AKA Sleepy and Phil AKA Scrappy arrived flexing their might. The two were talking putting a together a side bet who's going to be fired and who isn't. If what they were speaking about has any merit then my money is Mr. Fillips giving Sleepy & Scrappy their walking papers for honestly making such a stupid directive and honestly mean it. This is better than watching cartoons, never ceases to amaze me how so stupid people survive in their industry and they get paid for it.
ReplyDeleteWe feel for TxDOT and the pain they must go through babysitting that group. It's strange how someone can take a simple bid build project that supposed to make money and screw it so much and make such a mess and appear to like it to the point they continue to follow their trend if site manager reports are accurate.
Absent of a full blown recovery schedule that is resource loaded, quantity driven with accurate man-hour productions, I don’t believe a word James Construction Group says. In order for them to be believed, they must show they can do something right on a consistent basis. In defective work alone and rework anyone can see that work is going to take months to bring into compliance of the contract.
ReplyDeleteRegardless we have accepted James Construction probably won’t be completed until sometime in late 2017 providing they do work right the first time and stop the nonsense. Short of TxDOT micromanaging every aspect of the work, it’s doubtful anything will get better. It might be beneficial getting with TxDOT and ask if they are willing to micromanage every aspect of each activity to help the work progress along. TXDOT might be willing to staff the project accordingly and help. That alone would save time and money and get the work done sooner. They live nightmare daily and deal with much more so it wouldn’t be a big surprise to them if you asked.
And with what is rumored to be true that Mr. Poselli directed Mr. Fillips use a dozer and sheepsfoot to place CTB or Flex is another example of the level incompetency we hear why nothing seems to go right. For anyone to make such a recommendation is absurd and shouldn’t be involved with any TxDOT work.
TxDOT should request as-built surevey data or self-perform themselves the completed work and verify the accuracy and how the parts and remaining pieces will fit together. Visually seeing PCC transitions and traffic flows with ramps and slabs, it doesn't appear a true 3-D model was used to marry the poly lines up. Someone might let them know to not to cut approach slabs as well and verify the expansion joint locations and alignments on the barriers.
I agree with the above. The amount of work left to complete with productions being what they've been, another story told to you knowing it would be passed along to shut you up. Another attempt to appease the moment or what we call, more untruths. Until such a time that a recovery schedule is provided for TxDOT to work from that takes into account the entire remaining scope of work including 100% defective work, any schedule told passed along is pure garbage. A full blown recovery isn't unusual for TxDOT to demand when a project is this screwed up and this late. But then again we must take into account the contractor’s management team so it's doubtful they have clue anyways. If I didn’t know better Willy Wonka and his Oompa Loompa’s were managing the work. But then again if the rumor is true they hired the hired two people that came from TSC to fix them, they hired two of the dumbest the industry has to offer. Know I know someone at their executive fell off their rocking chair. Anyone knows that a dozer and pad foot roller can’t be used place CTB.
ReplyDeleteI would bet if you ask TxDOT to their project office and look at their document control and current up to-date set of conformed drawings I tend to think they won’t exist. I have yet to witness anyone in the field hold a set of drawings in their hands on the grade and see what they are building and if it's correct. This action alone tells me that the staff doesn’t know their work flow and processes. With so much work being left uncompleted and the bouncing around being done, someone doesn’t have a clue what they are doing or how it's supposed to be done. In the industry we call that the blind is leading the blind. I would even go insofar that they probably don't prepare accurate or any detailed work plans for crews to work and none of them knows what the contract entails or what’s required. I even doubt they have a current set of as-built drawings updating the model used for the remaining work to insure the remaining work can be accurately calculated on the remaining finish grades.
There will come a point in time when TxDOT must put public safety and convenience first and use the contract to cure their problem. Understanding the process and the liability up the corridor, the clock must be ticking where TxDOT will have no choice but to protect the taxpayers and the public. Patience only goes far before TXDOT must accept reality and what isn’t occurring. Enough will be enough.
It is very sad listening to their workers and the pain they feel. A few cocktails later when they open up I am shocked what they speak about and all the problems they deal with internally. If what is spoke about continues they don't think Salado Plaza will open anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why their executives allow what I hear from their workers to continue without at least trying to make positive changes for their most important asset. I'm going to miss my cocktail time talks with these guys when they quit and go to Austin!
We will miss them as well. We wished them well last week. Cocktail hour won't be as entertaining when they leave.
ReplyDeleteA couple of guys came in for lunch yesterday talking about the dirt-work and road base issues. We saw they had a TSC logo showing so we wonder if they are coming to help by the way they were talking about the project and some of the stuff they noticed being done that they would do differently.
This should be an interesting week next week. Mother Nature will provide yet more excuses why work isn't progressing along. We need to be sure that everyone with a camera takes their date and time stamped photographs documenting the conditions for our Mayor to insure we keep Salado Beautiful. Pay particularly good attention to paved roadways and tracking mud off-site, discharge points and drainage inlets. We need to protect our water shed and water ways.
ReplyDeleteAs elegantly inferred above, the Oompa Loompa’s might not think about working in wet weather conditions. What a concept, prepare the project and plan the work knowing wet weather conditions exists. Watching Hunter and Williams Bothers when they prepare their projects gives a better insight how planning the work does work. They plan their work and work the plan without enabling erroneous excuses. But then again, they weren’t low bid. By the looks of PSC stock price today, PSC can take their time and continue as they have been. As a taxpayer and understanding the RUC fees and LD’s, we truly do appreciate the contributions your CEO appears to enjoy giving back to us taxpayers. Take another year or two, we love it. Many of us have prepared our activities around the work and would rather see millions given back to us than rush anyone only to have it torn out and redone. We've seen what happens rushing the Oompa’s. That isn’t conducive to us as taxpayers and we would rather have done right as contracted to provide.
We will miss them too. The drunker they got the funnier they became listening to their internal strife. Nothing like a good belly laugh to make our day. We still think of Ira and wonder how he's doing. Maybe he'll swing by again.
ReplyDeleteA few of them on Monday night were defiantly up in arms over what their big boss was upset over. They were definitely funny. We never laughed so hard listening to them. They might consider quitting construction and become the trio comedian show. We suggested they use Jonny's place for their opening night or Bo's Place. They could use their daily work experiences for the basis a comedy stint. A day in the life as an operator and his faithful sidekicks.
ReplyDeleteAlfonso is a riot but the other two remind me of Larry the Cable Guy. Zoom-Zoom-Zoom play machine control run up, run down, and run machine control everywhere!
ReplyDeleteAgree, it is very sad.
When firing competent personal to further their own plight, don't expect anything different to occur. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Mid-Level management isn't the solution, they are the creators. TxDOT is the best ever to have worked around and what many have learned about the right and wrong way of constructing the two projects will be a valuable asset that will be carried forever.
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