AUBURN - The Cayuga County office building will be a buzz of activity during the Presidents Day weekend.
The county Legislature agreed Monday evening to pay $32,000 to Summit Environmental Services Inc. to complete asbestos removal during one weekend.
The East Syracuse firm will remove the cancer-causing material from electrical closets on the first through fifth floors to prepare for the installation of a security system in the 160 Genesee St. building.
The legislature called a special meeting so crews could take advantage of the upcoming three-day weekend. The extra day will act as a buffer in case the first testing is not clean, and the abatement crews have to tackle the closets again.
A New York Homeland Security grant is funding the security system, but only if the county installs it by the end of March. Steve Johnson, director of information technologies, estimated workers will need a couple of weeks to complete the wiring.
The county sought bids from four contractors, two responded, and only Summit submitted a qualified bid, county attorney Fred Westphal said.
The bid included options to have crews work over one, two or three weekends. The more time the firm has, the less expensive the estimate.
In choosing this approach, at least three members of the Legislature pointed to the value of having the office building operating and open to the public as much as possible.
“Even though it is the most expensive, (the one-weekend deal) seems to make the most sense,” said David Pappert, R-Auburn.
He pointed to the potential of having to close the office building after each weekend to remove remaining material if the safety tests come up negative. Cleaning out the five small rooms during the upcoming three-day weekend would provide an extra day that the building would be closed in case crews needed to remove more asbestos from an area.
Also, the sheriff's office will send officers to stand guard near the outside door while a large vacuum-like instrument is used to create pressure in the rooms.
“The sheriff isn't charging us, but it does take manpower,” Chairman George Fearon added.
The group also approved the demolition of the fourth floor of the old county jail in preparation of receiving and having to store new voting machines.
Current lever machines are kept by individual towns and villages, but the Help America Vote Act requires that the county store the election equipment.
Pappert asked about the status of the building's elevator. It is unfit for people to ride in, Buildings and Grounds Superintendent Mike Pawlenko said.
Currently, workers load their equipment into the car, walk up to the floor they want it, and push the button to bring the load up, he said.
Either the 39-year-old elevator will have to haul the machines to the fourth floor, or county workers will, Pappert said.
Fearon said the county is looking into installing another elevator, but not in the near future.
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
The East Syracuse firm will remove the cancer-causing material from electrical closets on the first through fifth floors to prepare for the installation of a security system in the 160 Genesee St. building.
The legislature called a special meeting so crews could take advantage of the upcoming three-day weekend. The extra day will act as a buffer in case the first testing is not clean, and the abatement crews have to tackle the closets again.
A New York Homeland Security grant is funding the security system, but only if the county installs it by the end of March. Steve Johnson, director of information technologies, estimated workers will need a couple of weeks to complete the wiring.
The county sought bids from four contractors, two responded, and only Summit submitted a qualified bid, county attorney Fred Westphal said.
The bid included options to have crews work over one, two or three weekends. The more time the firm has, the less expensive the estimate.
In choosing this approach, at least three members of the Legislature pointed to the value of having the office building operating and open to the public as much as possible.
“Even though it is the most expensive, (the one-weekend deal) seems to make the most sense,” said David Pappert, R-Auburn.
He pointed to the potential of having to close the office building after each weekend to remove remaining material if the safety tests come up negative. Cleaning out the five small rooms during the upcoming three-day weekend would provide an extra day that the building would be closed in case crews needed to remove more asbestos from an area.
Also, the sheriff's office will send officers to stand guard near the outside door while a large vacuum-like instrument is used to create pressure in the rooms.
“The sheriff isn't charging us, but it does take manpower,” Chairman George Fearon added.
The group also approved the demolition of the fourth floor of the old county jail in preparation of receiving and having to store new voting machines.
Current lever machines are kept by individual towns and villages, but the Help America Vote Act requires that the county store the election equipment.
Pappert asked about the status of the building's elevator. It is unfit for people to ride in, Buildings and Grounds Superintendent Mike Pawlenko said.
Currently, workers load their equipment into the car, walk up to the floor they want it, and push the button to bring the load up, he said.
Either the 39-year-old elevator will have to haul the machines to the fourth floor, or county workers will, Pappert said.
Fearon said the county is looking into installing another elevator, but not in the near future.
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
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