Here are some of the Change Orders, err excuse me, the Construction Change Directives issued by the City for the Stadium. Take a look and see if you think they are realistic and timely for the completion. Was the addition of 70 some odd televisions necessary for the opening of the ballpark. Who designed the original plans that they didn't have the necessary "exit" signs. And was it really the developers fault to add them weeks before the completion date and then expect the project to be code compliant?
I think the City hired the architect and it was their responsibility to be code compliant. Now I know things happen, a vent in an elevator shaft additional electrical connections for signage, these things happen, but not weeks before a scheduled opening if your timetable makes sense.
Yet, the Hartford Stadium Authority continued to say they were on schedule and on time for a May 17, 2016 opening
, anyone looking at the extensive Construction Change Directives would have to realize that.
I think the City is going to have a hard time proving their "innocence" with the delays before this mess gets before a Judge and we will pay.
Fix it and get the Stadium open, stop the nonsense, Luke
Armageddon. And the Lord said here would be retribution.
ReplyDeleteThe truth will set you free.
ReplyDeleteThe lies will get you votes.
6:49PM
ReplyDeletemaybe the first time around, but probably not the second time
Who can wait; PETITION THIS FOOL OUT OF OFFICE and his little dog Sarah too!
DeleteRECALL, RECALL, RECALL...
HELL NO LUKE MUST GO!
Dibella too, Enough Already;End this shit Now!
We have a right to live and prosper in Hartford.
So Kevin are you no longer Pro Bronin?
ReplyDeleteWhat do you want from Luke? I know he has been in office for 5 1/2 months now but no one should expect miracles in such a short time. Remember what a mess he inherited, it's going to take years to correct and repair everything.
ReplyDeleteLuke never created this Stadium of Lies. Remember that "guy" Segarra wanted a new palace/city hall built for a few hundreds of millions next to his stadium.
Let Bronin do his job, you need to give him some time to breath and do whatever he has to do.
There is no recall provision in the Hartford City Charter
ReplyDeleteI would have expected better decision making than what we are seeing. The problems are only being compounded, not corrected
ReplyDeleteI think if you look back at my record, I supported Bob Killian. I was willing to give Luke a chance, as many of us did. And yes, I am disappointed at this time
ReplyDeletevery strange that the first construction change directives were issued a month before the completion date and covering so many revised drawing sheets. Also these arent even signed by anyone. I would have also expected actual change orders to be throughout the project...what about the change order for the 10+ million in over runs?
ReplyDeleteWe aren't supposed to call them change orders, they are CCD's
ReplyDeleteoops, my bad. I do find it pretty hard to believe that the first changes on this project came in april of this year...there has to be some kind of change documentation be it change orders or ccd's as the city prefers to call them buried somewhere
ReplyDeleteCenterplan and DoNo are digging a s--t hole for themselves. The first thing they must do tomorrow morning is get rid of their legal advisor. Immediately. They better open their mouths next time in front of a judge to defend themselves.
ReplyDeleteAre these lawsuits going to be heard by future judge Pedro Maria?
ReplyDelete9:47pm
ReplyDeleteNo, we need a conclusion before Hell freezes over
8:06 pm ,Please don't join that crowd that gives Bronin a free pass because of what he inherited . Have you paid attention to what HE has done in the last 5 1/2 months ? Just the deal he brokered in January proves he's dangerous AND stupid as the city's last few mayors,in case you forgot because it was so long ago,,,,The stadium construction was going to be halted due to a 10 1/2 million dollar shortfall so Bronin commits 5.5 million of the taxpayers $ ,,,,the team owner Josh Solomon commits 2 million dollars of his own money with the stipulation that the stadium gets delivered on time (I hope you are following along 8:06 pm) and lastly, Centerplan's Robert Landino commits the balance of 3 million dollars to be paid as follows -$225,000 a year for the next 25 years! 8:06 pm ,I don't mean to pick on you but how do you pin that idiotic/costly decision on Segarra or Perez or whoever ??? HOW DO YOU CORRECT AND REPAIR SOMETHING YOU MAKE WORSE??! And dont worry about giving Bronin time to breath ,he's doing just fine in his palace/brownstone overlooking Bushnell Park.Kinda funny that you can see the restaurant Salute from his place,,,,CAVIAR ,CHAMPAGNE AND BABY LAMB CHOPS,,Kevin its seems so long ago!
ReplyDeleteThe mess with the 'Stadium of Lies' started quiet some time ago. Centerplan/DoNoT weren't able to deliver ANYTHING on time, especially after an amazing mild winter. (Just imagine going through a REAL northeast winter).
ReplyDeleteWithin days of the new Bronin administration the crisis exploded in his face and, yes, he should have dismissed the ENTIRE embarrassment called "sports authority."
Too early to criticize and judge, give the man a chance.
9:50am
ReplyDeleteWhen is the proper amount of time then? How long are we supposed to overlook and accept incompetence before it becomes an issue?
And if even you see the problem and admit he should have dismissed the Authority, when should he have done that, and how long is his lack of action acceptable to you, after maybe another six months, maybe a year, before the next election?
It's a bit late now, but better late than never, to dump/dismiss/fire these connected only, unqualified members of the Stadium Authority. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
Delete@10:02
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point about Hell. I have good news and I have bad news. First the bad news. Hartford is going to hell faster as each day passes. The good news is that considering all, Hell may not be such a bad place to be - besides being in Hartford.
First, I don't have the drawings to refer to these references. As you might expect, the A refers to architectural changes, M are mechanical, and E are electrical. I also saw reference to SSK drawings which are structural sketches, which you typically don't see this late in the process such as when someone claims the project is substantially complete. The problem with all of this will be who is responsible. When a CCD is issued the contractor is directed to make the change and then provide a cost and time to do it. Typically they would describe the work, show the total price of the change (whether an add or deduct) and then show the previous contract amount, the new contract amount, and then whether they are asking for a time extension to the contract. If it then gets approved then bingo, they get paid. If not, then they still have to make the change unless there is a process in the contract to argue over them. When the government tells you to make a change, you are forced to do it or you get thrown off the job. Changes can run into the millions at times, and you may not get paid for months or years. It can be a brutal process and many time the contractor doesn't want to be the owners bank, but that is how it works under most contracts.
ReplyDelete"We live in an era of fraud in America. Not just in banking, but in government, education, religion, food, even in baseball.
ReplyDelete"What bothers me isn't that fraud is not nice or that fraud is mean. Fraud and short-sighted thinking has never, ever worked. Not once. Eventually you get caught, things go south. When the hell did we forget all that? I thought we were better than this, I really did."
Mark Baum, played by Steve Carell,
"The Big Short"
"FRAUD IN GOVERNMENT, EDUCATION, EVEN IN BASEBALL."
DeleteHEY, THIS IS HARTFORD YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THANK YOU / 12:27PM
If Bronin gets rid of I. Charles & his 'friends', it's almost admitting wrong doing by the city.
ReplyDelete12:27 PM
ReplyDeleteSounds like The Big Short is telling Hartford story, just add some dosage of incompetence to it.
3:30pmDo you really think needs to admit that/ It should be pretty obvious to anyone with a pair of ears, a set of eyes and even just half a brain.
ReplyDeleteForget the Yard Goats, the New Britain Bees is the real thing.
ReplyDeleteInstead, move all the emplyees, each and every department from 550 Main, also known as disfunctional city hall, to the stadium open space. This way we'll all be able to see how they work - if they ever do, all their private and personal activity during working hours, their endless tea and coffee breaks, all that stuff.
I am the God of hell fire, and I bring you fire.
ReplyDeleteSigns; Pedro Maria Segarra.
I have been accused of being a Hartford Hater. But I am not. I just believe in calling a spade a spade. There are so many things that have gone wrong in Hartford. Newer influx of residents have turned most neighborhoods into slum. City Hall departments are often so dysfunctional to the point of embarrassment. A previous mayor decides to spend money it didn't have with pie in the sky dreams of it jump-starting development forgetting that downtown Hartford was already a hot spot. A new mayor who appears to be faulting and going defensive instead of being on the offense.
ReplyDeleteWe have streetscape blight throughout. And there are no signs that Hartford has reached bottom. The bad news is that Hardord cannot attract new business because there is no reason on earth to relocate here. No, I am not a Hartford Hater. I just don't have much to like about Hartford.
@6:29
ReplyDelete...and watch how many of them can run waddle around the dimond without stoping.
The Governor of Michigan, Rick Snyder, declared a financial emergency for the city in March 2013, appointing an emergency manager. On July 18, 2013, Detroit filed the largest municipal bankruptcy case in U.S. history.[12] It was declared bankrupt by Judge Steven W. Rhodes of the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on December 3, 2013; he cited its $18.5 billion debt and declared that negotiations with its thousands of creditors were unfeasible.[13] On November 7, 2014, Judge Rhodes approved the city's bankruptcy plan, allowing the city to begin the process of exiting bankruptcy.[14] The City of Detroit successfully exited Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy with all finances handed back to the city at midnight on December 11, 2014.[15][16][17]
ReplyDelete========================
I'd go for bankruptcy here in the Insurance Capital, but I'd never give back control to the City. Who needs an elected municipal government with its venality and stupidity matching those qualities existing in the electorate?
Peter, I wouldn't condemn all council. I can name two council deadbeat members who will be re-elected because of their ethnicity only. Not because thay add any insight, vision, fiscal sustainability. They are Cynthia (non-resident and stadium backer because we need jobs) Jennings and then we have that woman who wears red all the time. Forgot her name but I guess she probably feels the color red makes her look sexy. But no dear, I don't care if you wear hooker stockings, red garters on both legs and a see-through skin-tight red blouse. The moment you open your loud, ignorant mouth, any sexiness evaporates. Oh, and I know that half the council and mayor are roaring with laughter. Wouldn't it be swell if someone was willing to walk up to the podium on public comments night and expressed this?
ReplyDeleteThose are two. It remains to be seen if the others will act for the best interest of sustainability. And unfortunately, this means slashing programs for the poor and everyone else. Hartford cannot sustain the increasing numbers of dysfunctional, illiterate, mostly unemployable socially and mentally challenged, sex predictors now on the predictor list post prison. And if you think I am over playing this last point, use software to find all the addresses that give locations of these special guest living next door to you. Go ahead and park outside one of their addresses and wait for the detestable creti to walk outside. Oh, and did I forget that since narcotics is the new alcohol, that major auto accidents have spun out of control. Oh please, may I return to my garden of thorn bushes?
Peter Brush for Mayor !!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt remains to be seen if the others will act for the best interest of sustainability.
ReplyDelete=============================================
The City is fundamentally unsustainable. At this point it is entirely a creature of the State which manages it like its other cruddy cities as a ghetto for the alienated and dysfunctional. The muni government is irrelevant, and is simply a sop to the pride of the electorate; makes work and careers for insiders and hangers-on. We can't pay for more than half the government imposed on us, but our pols flatter us with baseball stadiums, science centers, convention centers, and busways. We are not actually self-governing, yet we still manage to mismanage. I say get rid of the pols (and the Charter). Let Dannel Malloy appoint a board to govern us openly with less fraud and abuse than by our locals.
On the other hand, let's do away with Dannel Malloy's School District(s). Vouchers, por favor.
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Brush's announcement was not unexpected. Republicans have in the past nominated place-holder candidates to prevent a gadfly from seizing a spot on the ticket.
``This is not a sham or joke,'' said John B. O'Connell, the council minority leader and Republican city chairman.
``Without [Brush's] help, anybody who came in and took out papers could get the slot. This was a way to protect the integrity of our nominating process.''
O'Connell said the city GOP does not have the resources to challenge Peters and doesn't particularly care to, either.
http://articles.courant.com/1999-09-16/news/9909160148_1_mayor-michael-p-peters-republicans-work-petitioning-candidate
Hartford cannot be saved. It is now a pan-neighborhood ghetto of the lowest strata of society. I am not castigating them only expressing a fact. A city cannot survive when it's middle class and middle income flee. The downtown commercial district is the only component that barely survives. Even then, many storefronts remain vacant on account of greedy management. Hartford lacks the small store independently owned ones that other cities like New Haven have. We have Dunkin Donuts, Panera Bread, mcDonalds, Burger King...
ReplyDeleteThe neighborhoods are for all intent, gone. Pockets of stability in an ocean of ghetto//blight infested with narcotic addicts and sex perverts. Do I hate Hartford? No, I love Hartford. I dream about this promised land every time I go nigh night amidst gun shots fired in the distance. It's pure Mozart to my ears.
The new Trinity College president once bragged that Trinity couldn't resist bidding on a building on Constitution Plaza because it was so cheap. Imagine that. Even Trintiy served Hartford by taking another property off the tax rolls because it was had to walk away from a flip.
Mr Brush, perhaps when we file for Chapter 9 Bankruptcy which I believe will happen in late winter or early spring we can ask the Trustee In Bankruptcy to file with the legislature to de-charter Hartford and be subsumed by the surrounding towns or if the towns don't want us, have the state take us over.
ReplyDeleteif the towns don't want us
ReplyDelete==========================
Not much of a question about that. Nor do they want to get rid of the exclusionary State school districts or the State-granted power to operate exclusionary land use laws. The suburbs are not much more self-governed than are we, but they retain the power to shape their demography. The liberals out there are all for bringing in thousands more "Syrian refugees," but don't let kids from Hartford sneak into their schools. That's a crime.
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Vieux said her office prosecutes theft of service cases regularly and she does not know why cases like these have not been brought to the police department in the past.
"It is a theft," she said.
McDowell's case is the first time anyone can remember a parent being criminally prosecuted for sending a child to a school out of district. Larry Cafero, the state House Minority Leader and former Norwalk Board of Education chairman, has served as hearing officer on residency cases for the past 19 years and said he commends Vieux for prosecuting McDowell.
Cafero said parents accused of sending their children out of district are usually given a chance to defend themselves in a school hearing. He said in most cases parents pull their children out of school when confronted
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Homeless-woman-s-arrest-for-sending-son-to-1346603.php