News Analysis: Transportation Committee Investigates…Finally
by Christine Stuart | July 5, 2007 10:00 AM
Posted to State Capitol
Next week the legislature’s Transportation Committee will be asking a bond company why they rehired a contractor that cost the state millions of dollars in repairs for its shoddy work on a three-mile stretch of I-84 in Greater Waterbury.
The contractor L.G. DeFelice reformed as Hallberg and is still working for the state on other projects including one on Route 7, but until recently the Transportation Committee chairmen didn’t seem too concerned about the situation.
On April 30, Transportation Committee Co-Chairman Sen. Donald DeFronzo, D-New Britain, said he wanted answers about the botched project, but didn’t think a legislative investigation was merited.
“We can do it, but a legislative committee is not the most efficient or effective way,” to investigate, he said in April.
That same day in April, Republicans weren’t shy about calling for the Transportation Committee to step up to the plate and investigate. Sen. John McKinney, R-Southport, said the Democrat-controlled Transportation Committee needs to do its job and use its oversight power to conduct its own investigation.
Once the legislative session ended and contract reform failed again for lack of action in House, DeFronzo decided it was time for a legislative investigation.
He told the Associated Press in June that his panel and the Public Safety Committee have sent letters to numerous people involved in the project, inviting them to appear before lawmakers on July 11 and 13. He said the investigation may lead to ideas for new laws and some of the proposals may be related to contract reform.
There has already been an independent audit of the project, and both federal and state authorities are conducting criminal and civil investigations into what went wrong with the project.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has also filed a breach of contract action against the contractor, L.G. DeFelice and Maguire Group, the company hired to inspect the work.
Click here to read what Stephen Hallberg formerly of L.G. DeFelice had to say about the situation.
Comments (7)
Posted by: S.Hallberg | July 9, 2007 10:18 AM
Christine Stuart wrote:
"Next week the legislature's Transportation Committee will be asking a bond company why they rehired a contractor that cost the state millions of dollars in repairs for its shoddy work on a three-mile stretch of I-84 in Greater Waterbury."
She is wrong. The CDOT just recieved the bid proposal from Empire Paving, Inc. to do the repairs. The funds for the reapirs has been secured from the bonding company and Defelice. So, in essence, it has not cost the State "millions of dollars in repairs". This is all part of the public record. Ms. Stuart should get her facts correct.
Posted by: Christine | July 9, 2007 4:53 PM
Mr. Hallberg,
I believe you read the first paragraph wrong. I didn't say your company was hired to do the repairs on I-84. I meant they were rehired by the performance bond company to do work on other roadways in the state, including Route 7. Sorry for the confusion.
~Christine Stuart
Posted by: S.Hallberg | July 9, 2007 8:29 PM
Christine-
No confusion here. Defelice is whom I wrote about and the Waterbury project. As I said " it has not cost the State 'millions of dollars in repairs'" since the repairs have yet to commence and the State has secured the funds from the surety, ect.
Posted by: Christine | July 9, 2007 9:56 PM
If you want to get into specifics, actually the state only secured $17.5 million from the surety. Yes, there was about $27 million in the bond, but so far the state has received only $17.5 million. The repairs will cost about $19.36 million according to this press release from the Governor's office. That's $2 million less than it has secured. Now the state may be suing for more, but there's another lawsuit you may be forgetting about: The one where the bond company is suing the Hallberg family. Here's the link to that story. And here's the one that spells out the math.
Posted by: Doug | July 9, 2007 10:09 PM
Seems kind of odd that Rell's press release says no additional tax dollars will be spent, but puts the price of the new bid at $2.3 million higher than the state has received from the bonding company. My head is spinning from all that... spin.
Posted by: S.Hallberg | July 9, 2007 10:27 PM
1.)From your linked article: "Nursick said the state had yet to pay the contractor $1.5 million which brings the amount available for the project up to about $19 million". That's not $2 million less.
2.)There's also the $5 million now available that the Federal Highway Admin. held onto.
3)The bond is not for $27 million - that's what the suritey's lawsuit is suing for, and has no bearing on what the State recieved, other than to try to recupe their costs.
This again is all in the public domaine
Posted by: Christine | July 14, 2007 12:45 PM
You're right Stephen. I apologize my math was off I forgot about the $1.5 million the state withheld from you and I'm just learning of the $5 million in FHA funds now available. Did you watch the hearings this past week? What did you think?