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The Honolulu Advertiser
Elevator costs keep going up | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper
Posted on: Wednesday, February 28, 2007

ON THE MONEY TRAIL
 Elevator costs keep going up

By Jim Dooley
Advertiser Columnist

STORY IDEAS

If you know of a boondoggle or excessive spending, reach Jim Dooley at 535-2447 or jdooley@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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Since last June, the Hawai'i Public Housing Agency has awarded seven nonbid contracts for maintenance and repairs of elevators in public housing projects, at a cost of $1.3 million.

That's on top of $200,000 for two consultant contracts to study public housing elevators.

Now Gov. Linda Lingle's administration is proposing spending $15 million for "elevator modernization" at Kuhio Park Terrace and five other housing projects on O'ahu.

From the files of the State Procurement Office:

  • Sept. 25, 2006 — request from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority for permission to award a nonbid contract of up to $450,000 to Hawaii Vertical Transportation "to perform regularly scheduled maintenance service of elevators at public housing sites." Justification: "The breakdowns and the down-times of the elevators pose a health and safety issue to the residents, especially the elderly and infirm." Length of contract: Oct. 2, 2006, to Jan. 31, 2007.

  • Oct. 3, 2006 — request to increase the Hawaii Vertical Transportation contract to $475,020 and to add "approximately $715,000 more in additional repairs that need to be addressed on a priority basis." Total new contract value: $1.19 million. Length of contract: Oct. 10, 2006, to Jan. 31, 2007.

  • Oct. 25, 2006 — request to increase the contract by as much as $38,000 by extending it from Jan. 31, 2007, to June 30, 2007. "With the additional five months, the HPHA will have the time to secure an Elevator Consultant to inspect all HPHA's elevators." New value: $1,228,020.

  • Nov. 2, 2006 — request to extend the contract to Sept. 30, 2007, at an additional cost of $75,000.

  • Nov. 2, 2006 — request from HPHA for separate "emergency procurement" of $50,000 contract with Hawaii Vertical Transportation to repair elevators at Kuhio Park Terrace. "With the elevators out of service, hundreds of families who reside at Kuhio Park Terrace are forced to use the stairwells and must walk up/down as many as 16 floors."

    "Several of the elevators have also been vandalized while the person waits in frustration for the elevators to arrive. It was found that many of the earlier repairs were undone by vandals and the elevators continued to shut down."

    Last month, state elevator safety inspectors notified the housing agency of continuing safety deficiencies in all six elevators at KPT. One of the elevators was not working at all and had been out of service for a year, according to the inspection report. The public housing agency was given until the end of this month to repair deficiencies in three elevators in one KPT building and until April 1 to fix the other three.

    The public housing agency now wants to hire a new consultant to inspect all public housing elevators and prepare and oversee the competitive award of elevator repair and maintenance contracts. Plus spend up to $15 million over the next two years on the public housing elevator modernization work.

    If you know that a particular money trail will lead to boondoggle, excessive spending or white elephants, reach Jim Dooley at 535-2447 or jdooley@honoluluadvertiser.com

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