Major work at Bay City Hall is on hold until an electrical contractor is hired.
"We're still looking at numbers," said Dana Muscott, city clerk and deputy city manager for administrative services. "We haven't decided who we're going with yet."
Speaking of numbers, she could not provide provide a price tag for the project so far, saying Friday that she had been unable to speak with the insurance adjuster that day. In August, a city attorney said the insurance company, Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority, already had paid out $5.5 million.
The extensive project, in the wake of an Oct. 12, 2010 fire that occurred during the city's $1.6 million reroofing project, has not led to higher insurance premiums, she said. "We had a renewal last year, and it did not affect it at all."
Her understanding is that MMRMA goes after the contractor's insurance company to recoup costs.
The city sued Gregory Construction and Mihm Enterprises in June, seeking an unspecified amount of damages from three incidents that caused water damage at City Hall. Officials have said the fire that shut down the historic building was caused by a grinder used on the roof by a Mihm employee. Muscott has no idea what happened to the employee.
The city received a letter Thursday saying a case evaluation has been scheduled for Aug. 2. A settlement conference was set for May 9, but it now has been adjourned to Aug. 9. Proceedings will take place in Bay County Circuit Court.
The roof has been a continuing issue, with tiles blowing off as recently as October. "That's all been inspected," Muscott said, and the Bay City Commission should hear a report from the architect soon.
"The main thing that's been going on right now is the HVAC system and the demo," Muscott said.
The HVAC installation — by Goyette Mechanical of Flint — has worked out very well, she said, because those workers could proceed without other contractors underfoot. All of the hot and chill water pumps have been installed. A spiral tube will be delivered this week and tubing then can be connected.
The city did not put the electrical work it is waiting on out for bid. That was the job of SERVPRO, a Zilwaukee-based disaster recovery company.
Electrical bids were due back the first week of February. SERVPRO reviewed them, and has presented qualified bids to Muscott and the architects, who have sent questions back.
Plumbing and other contractors are lined up, but the city must sign off as a a package, Muscott said. "It just makes sense to do it that way and we're almost there."
If for example the insurance provides for carpet and she wants to go with refinishing an existing hardwood floor, she gets a financial credit for carpet. That money might then be applied to work on a ceiling in a different room, for example.
"There's just going to be deducts on some items and additions on others, so we just have to make sure that all balances so we're not spending any money at all," she said.
The aim is a zero net effect, except for items that are paid for by grant, such as reproduction lighting, or that the city specifically approved spending for, such as the $1.28 million HVAC system.
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