In order to designate a place for discussion regarding the DPW facility issue I made a Google Groups page - "COH DPW"

If you go to Google Groups and search the title the page will come up. Everyone is invited to join, so that as a community we can have back and forth discussions regarding this issue.

In order to designate a place for discussion regarding the DPW facility I wrote the above letter.

Stephan, I couldn't agree with you more! Perhaps the nay sayers will want to reserve judgement until Monday after Irene blows through and the building is still standing!

Stephan,

The whole point of structural engineering, adhering to building codes, and such is that you DON'T want to watch the building collapse and say, "See! I TOLD you it wasn't strong enough."

If some firm said that the DPW building was built to codes, and cannot prove it, then that firm has failed, and has insurance money ("Errors and Omissions") to pay for their oversight. There is a system in place to take care of issues like this.

Or, perhaps, YOU would like to take on the insurance, since you seem to be claiming that it's really OK, and that everyone else is just over-reacting.

In all honesty, building are supposed to be made a little stronger than they need to be. Unless someone was there taking deflection measurements during the storm, or the earthquake, etc., you don't know how close it might have come to collapsing.

Steve Sywak, PE

I believe that there will always be those who try to make political hay out of this issue. The fact that the DPW bldg got through one of the worst winters in recent memory and the worst earthquake in memory won't matter a scintilla to certain people. Stephan hit the nail on the head.

In order to designate the standards and practices according to which buildings in this state are to be built, there are state and local building and fire codes.

So it's not the snow, or the earthquake 400 miles away, that matter. You don't build a building and do "full scale" testing to see if it collapses. You build it according to code.

Some think that the DPW building is exempt from such regulations and inspections. If it were, it would be simple to demonstrate that exemption to the Department of State Division of Code Enforcement and solve the problem.

But alas, it's not.

New York is a home-rule, state, Jon, so in effect the DPW building IS exempt from State Division of Code Enforcement regulations and inspections. What home rule means is that the municipality decides what to do, and its decisions overrule the State's as long as they don't violate the State constitution (which in this case they don't).

And Stephen, actually we do at least roughly know "how close [the building] might have come to collapsing": It was by sheer coincidence that DPW Superintendent Dave Halvorson, the structural engineers, an architect and village Trustee Mark Edsall were inside the building at the time of the earthquake, so the entire incident was amply observed by experts.

Good--let them sign off on it, and be done with it.

I'm sure they have no vested interest in declaring this whole thing a non-issue.

Just make sure their insurance is up to date.

Stephan Wilkinson - How do you know all of that? And if you are so in the know, are you aware WHICH "structural engineers" and what "architect" were in the building with Halvorsen and Edsall? Was it Fitzsimmons and Weibolt? Was Mark Edsall acting as a PE?

Engineering construction and design are not supposed to be conducted like that - visual observation.

Also, do you know if that work was approved by the Board for payment? Do the contracts with Weibolt and Fitzsimmons cover that? They just HAPPENED to be in the building at the time of the earthquake?

I just posted a message on the COH DPW Google Groups site outlining what I plan to add onto the site. I have gotten several views already, please take the time to check back with that site for further factual information - I will be adding in quotes and citations

Melissa! Relax a bit. Possibly Mark Edsall was in the building yesterday doing his job as Trustee for the Village.

What you may see as a "coincidence", others may see as " a divine intervention"

Thank you.

"They just HAPPENED to be in the building at the time of the earthquake?"

No, Melissa, not at all. They knew the earthquake was coming. They have a special earthquake-predictor Zen monk in Japan, and he'd ninja-mailed them about it that morning.

Get a grip. Deep breaths...

Dave - If Mark Edsall was there doing his job for the Village, why were the other Trustees and the Mayor not present? If Mark Edsall was present specifically because the holds a PE, was he acting as a Licensed Professional Engineer?

Melissa- I can't answer your questions, I don't know.

Why don't you call Edsall at Village Hall and have an Engineer to Engineer chitchat?

Thank you.

"If Mark Edsall was there doing his job for the Village, why were the other Trustees and the Mayor not present?"
Correct me if I am wrong, but if the other Trustees and the Mayor were present wouldn't it be considered an official meeting and therefore have to be announced according to Open Meeting Laws? Is Mark Edsall not the board liason for DPW? Is he not supposed to make every effort to be available to act according to the requirements of being said liason? If every Board member is to be present when a meeting takes place with the respected departments and or department heaads, not a lot would be accomplished would it?

You are absolutely correct Sean. It is part of Mark's responsibility as trustee to make himself available for these matters. I consider the Village to be very fortunate to have an engineer of Mr.Edsall's professional caliber on the board to act as a liason for the DPW's situation.

Are there structural problems as to an independent study from an engineering firm? Yes

Shall the citizens pay for the repairs to the building to bring it up to code? I believe not

So with these two simple questions how are we proceeding?

If I spent $900,000. on my house and a few years down the line I was told it had structural problems, I would absolutely spend what was required to do the repairs. $900,000. is a HUGE investment to walk away from. Personally, I don't see how we can afford NOT to do the repairs.

Personally, I don't see how we can afford not to find out who's responsible for the repairs being needed.

Strangely, Mr. Edsall has not only intricate knowledge of how the site work was done, but has refused to yield to the Village Engineer, either in 2005 or now, concerning what should be done.

To me, he protesteth too much.