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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/16/1990, C-5 - CITY HALL ASBESTOS ABATEMENT (CITY PLAN NO. R32X) �y�I�IIIII'I�IpAn��ll MEETING GATE: M i u �II�IIII city of San LUIS OBISpO October 16, 1990 M911 NUMBER COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT FROM: David F. Romero, Public Works Director PREPARED BY: David Elliott, Administrative Analyst SUBJECT: City Hall Asbestos Abatement (City Plan No. R32X) CAO RECOMMENDATION: By motion, 1) award the contract for Asbestos Abatement at City Hall - City Plan No. R32X (in the amount of $67,797) to REMTECH Restoration Corporation 2) authorize the mayor to execute the contract (Contract documents are available for review in the city clerks office. ) DISCUSSION: Background. In September 1989 a section of sprayed-on acoustical ceiling containing hazardous asbestos separated from its drywall backing and fell into the main stairwell at city hall. For- tunately, this accident occurred over a weekend and did not expose people to hazardous conditions. Cleaning up the fallen material and removing other potentially hazardous material nearby required a specialty contractor. After consulting with representatives for the Environmental Protection Agency and asbestos abatement consultants, staff j determined that all potentially hazardous asbestos ceilings should be removed and disposed of as soon as practical to avoid a recurrence of the September 1989 accident. Following the stairwell cleanup, public works has also removed asbestos ceilings in the administration/city clerk, administra- tion/personnel, and finance areas in conjunction with remodeling activities. The contract with REMTECH will include all the remaining areas of city hall which have asbestos-laden ceilings: • the computer room, breakroom, personnel conference room and adjacent hallway • the city attorney offices, city council office, mailroom and adjacent hallways • the council chamber and rotunda • the main entrance and adjacent hallways Contractor Selection. Previous abatement work was relatively straightforward, allowing public works to select contractors through informal quotations. Because the remaining work is more complicated (requiring more elaborate and technical procedures) , Lo 0.2s M 41110I1Pi11li city of San Luis OBlspo COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT City Hall Asbestos Abatement page 2 staff had planned to solicit proposals from specialty contrac- tors. When the recreation department issued a request for proposals last July for asbestos abatement at the recreation center, public works staff realized the sensibility of tagging on to that procurement for work at city hall. Both Dave Elliott and Dave Smith participated in interviewing contractors and selecting REMTECH for the recreation center work. At staff request, REMTECH submitted a proposal for the city hall work. FISCAL IMPACT: The council approved this project as part of the Mid-year Budget Review Fiscal Year 1989/90 (pages D-12 and D-13) . Budget is $125,000 and contract cost is $67,797. Significant savings from the budgeted amount are available because REMTECH will perform the work continuously under a single mobilization. SCHEDULE: REMTECH is tentatively scheduled to start work on 10/26 and finish up by 11/17. From 10/29 to 11/9 the following areas will be shut down entirely: • the city attorney offices, city council office, mailroom and adjacent hallways • the council chamber and rotunda • the council hearing room Meetings usually held in the council chamber and hearing room will be conducted instead in the community room and conference rooms at the new library. Marilyn Cox will schedule these changes. OTHER ISSUES: When the council awarded the contract for asbestos abatement at the recreation center, it directed staff to find out if the Environmental Protection Agency still considers airborne asbestos to be dangerous. Federal law empowers local air pollution control districts to enforce EPA asbestos regulations. Karen Brooks, a senior air pollution specialist with the local air pollution control district, reiterated that federal and state regulations: • prohibit any harmful release of asbestos fibers within an G 'S'� city of san lues osispo ISMIZe COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT City Hall Asbestos Abatement page 3 occupied building • require abating any friable (crumbly) asbestos which might be disturbed by building maintenance or remodeling Penalties range up to $25,000 for each day harmful concentrations of asbestos fibers are released inside a building. Recent newspaper and magazine articles criticizing asbestos abatement focused on unnecessarily removing non-friable asbestos in areas not affected by maintenance or remodeling. That is not the situation at city hall. The acoustical ceilings at city hall pose an ongoing potential hazard because they will crumble easily when touched and will separate from their backings during fires, earthquakes, and changes in temperature and moisture. By remov- ing those ceilings now the city can prevent health hazards to city hall occupants and avoid costly liability.