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Schools For The Blind And Deaf Project Likely To Be Scaled Back | NBC 4i
Construction of a new academic campus for the Ohio Schools For the Blind and Deaf is likely to be scaled back, according to the director of the Ohio School Facilities Commission.
In an interview with NBC 4's Patrick Preston, Murray said he hopes to rebid the project within the next two months after the first round of bids exceeded the project's $28 million estimate by 41 percent. State law requires the rebidding after the lowest bidder offered to do the job at a cost more than $11 million over budget.
Murray spoke with NBC 4 after a report released last week by Ohio Inspector General Tom Charles found Murray "abused his authority" and favored unions in school construction contracts. Murray told NBC 4 he rejected those findings.
On Thursday, The Chillicothe Gazette joined The Columbus Dispatch, The Akron Beacon-Journal, and The Cleveland Plain Dealer in calling for Murray to resign, or be fired by Governor Ted Strickland.
Murray told NBC 4 he will not resign unless the governor asked him to do so. Governor Strickland has stood behind Murray the continuing leading the OSFC.
Murray has not officially rejected the first round of bids on the Ohio Schools For the Blind and Deaf project. The new campus, featuring two academic buildings and 16 student dorms, could lose several amenities to save costs, including landscaping and daylighting options.
"I think we need to look at building what we need and attempting to stretch some existing dormitory facilities, maybe stretching their use for another couple of years until there's money," Murray said. ""I think under circumstances, the bridge simply (linking two sides of the future campus) is not affordable in this first go, and we have to put those plans aside.
Murray said the OSFC does not know why the bids on the project dramatically exceeded expections, adding that the Commission has "some ideas" about what happened, but does not know definitively what went wrong.
Bryan Williams, director of government relations for the Associated Builders and Contractors of Ohio said the key factor in inflated costs was Murray's decision to push for a project labor agreement (PLA), requiring contractors to use union labor, pay union benefits, and abide by union work rules. Williams said that scared off non-union contractors, driving down competition, and raising costs.
"This is a decision that, if they were going to make it, should have had public debate," Williams said. "We should have had the opportunity to go to a public meeting and make the financial case why this was a rip-off for the taxpayers, and then he could have made his decision afterwards. But he shouldn't have been allowed to make this decision. This should have been voted on by the three-member commission after a lengthy public debate."
Instead of debating in public, Murray consulted with school officials, then made the final call on his own.
"I have yet to second-guess my decision on the PLA," Murray said.
Williams said if the PLA is kept in place when the project is rebid, it will require the project to be watered down, with taxpayers paying more than is necessary.
Murray said he would leave all options open as the Ohio Schools For the Blind and Deaf project is rebid, but he argued the PLA enhanced the project's quality.
"Taxpayers are best served by the best quality project we can build for the money and I believe the PLA did that," Murray said.
Construction of a new academic campus for the Ohio Schools For the Blind and Deaf is likely to be scaled back, according to the director of the Ohio School Facilities Commission.
In an interview with NBC 4's Patrick Preston, Murray said he hopes to rebid the project within the next two months after the first round of bids exceeded the project's $28 million estimate by 41 percent. State law requires the rebidding after the lowest bidder offered to do the job at a cost more than $11 million over budget.
Murray spoke with NBC 4 after a report released last week by Ohio Inspector General Tom Charles found Murray "abused his authority" and favored unions in school construction contracts. Murray told NBC 4 he rejected those findings.
On Thursday, The Chillicothe Gazette joined The Columbus Dispatch, The Akron Beacon-Journal, and The Cleveland Plain Dealer in calling for Murray to resign, or be fired by Governor Ted Strickland.
Murray told NBC 4 he will not resign unless the governor asked him to do so. Governor Strickland has stood behind Murray the continuing leading the OSFC.
Murray has not officially rejected the first round of bids on the Ohio Schools For the Blind and Deaf project. The new campus, featuring two academic buildings and 16 student dorms, could lose several amenities to save costs, including landscaping and daylighting options.
"I think we need to look at building what we need and attempting to stretch some existing dormitory facilities, maybe stretching their use for another couple of years until there's money," Murray said. ""I think under circumstances, the bridge simply (linking two sides of the future campus) is not affordable in this first go, and we have to put those plans aside.
Murray said the OSFC does not know why the bids on the project dramatically exceeded expections, adding that the Commission has "some ideas" about what happened, but does not know definitively what went wrong.
Bryan Williams, director of government relations for the Associated Builders and Contractors of Ohio said the key factor in inflated costs was Murray's decision to push for a project labor agreement (PLA), requiring contractors to use union labor, pay union benefits, and abide by union work rules. Williams said that scared off non-union contractors, driving down competition, and raising costs.
"This is a decision that, if they were going to make it, should have had public debate," Williams said. "We should have had the opportunity to go to a public meeting and make the financial case why this was a rip-off for the taxpayers, and then he could have made his decision afterwards. But he shouldn't have been allowed to make this decision. This should have been voted on by the three-member commission after a lengthy public debate."
Instead of debating in public, Murray consulted with school officials, then made the final call on his own.
"I have yet to second-guess my decision on the PLA," Murray said.
Williams said if the PLA is kept in place when the project is rebid, it will require the project to be watered down, with taxpayers paying more than is necessary.
Murray said he would leave all options open as the Ohio Schools For the Blind and Deaf project is rebid, but he argued the PLA enhanced the project's quality.
"Taxpayers are best served by the best quality project we can build for the money and I believe the PLA did that," Murray said.