|
Costly consultants, bridge failures topics at Assembly
hearing on transportation
By DEBORAH A. MILES
At an early March hearing before the Assembly Standing Committee on
Transportation, PEF President Roger Benson highlighted the issue of paying
expensive consultants to perform work for the state Department of Transportation
(DOT) that state employees could do for less.
Testimony from DOT Commissioner Thomas J. Madison Jr. actually bolstered the
union’s position.
The surprise at the hearing came when Madison told the committee, “The 2006-07
budget has $12 million for state workers to do bridge inspections, and $25
million for consultants.
“We have 27 state-employee bridge inspection teams, and 40 consultant teams to
conduct biennial and interim inspections on approximately 9,500 state and local
government-owned bridges in New York state,” Madison testified.
It’s not surprising Benson’s testimony focused on how “the state could save
almost $100 million annually by using state engineers rather than consultants.”
After all, the union has been pushing for state fiscal accountability for more
than a year with its Go Public campaign.
“PEF analyzed a number of bridge inspection contracts and found the cost of
bridge inspection work performed by private consultants is about 50 percent more
than the cost of state employees, even after accounting for state employee
health and pension costs,” Benson testified. “There is a solution. Use state
workers, and allocate the “consultant money” to pay for bridge repairs.”
Apples vs. oranges
Committee member Ronald Canestrari asked Madison if the work consultants provide
is different than the work of state employees. “The work is identical,” Madison
answered. “The DOT teams take pride in their work. Both teams follow the same
quality control standards.”
But PEF member Darlene Morabito, a DOT civil engineer from Auburn, testified,
“state engineers are motivated by a kind of pride of ownership, not a profit
motive.” She cited examples of state workers agreeing to collect asbestos
samples while inspecting bridges, and receiving an “Award of Excellence” for
saving the state more than $700,000.
“Our major concern is the safety of the traveling public,” she said. “The focus
is different with a consultant. It is a business enterprise, and sometimes they
may try to stretch themselves a little too thin, maybe fit in too many bridges
in the same day.”
Morabito also testified the lack of staff is the chief risk to the department’s
ability to maintain the bridges throughout the state.
Vacancies cause problems
Some of the need for consultants is DOT has not filled the approximately 900
positions vacated by people taking the early retirement incentive in the 1990s,
according to Lou Ferrone Jr., PEF’s DOT labor-management chair, who also
responded to questions at the hearing.
Assembly Committee Chair David F. Gantt grilled Madison, who is new to the
commissioner position and inherited problems, after his testimony about
positions not being filled.
“We have not seen the money spent that the budget gave you last year,” Gantt
said.
Canestrari and committee member Sam Hoyt also questioned Madison about bridge
failures, particularly the Dunn Memorial Bridge in Albany that shifted and
dropped last August.
“It was a convergence of factors that caused the Dunn Memorial Bridge to shift,”
Madison explained. “Today, we need more vigorous durability standards because of
heavier traffic volumes and punishing weather.
”DOT has plans to address the significant infrastructure challenges and be
pro-active in approaches to finance mega projects,” Madison said.
Although the hearing concluded, Madison is still on the hot seat. Gantt said
further discussion is needed to address some of the statistical information
provided in the commissioner’s written testimony.
| |
The Communicator April 2006
Features
Agencies wastes $ on
consultants
Members
work to stop bad budget
DOT members
meet lawmakers
PEF gets
support in stopping cuts
DOT members
tell all at hearing
New program
addresses grievances
Battle for
accountability heats up
Departments
President's Message
You Said It
Retirees In Action
Membership Benefits &Travel
Union Matters
PEF political
endorsements...
Probation
officers want fairness
Parole
officers caseload is murder
Nurses must mobilize
to pass...
Performance
award checks coming
Progress: Stop Workplace Violence
Promotion Test
Battery update
PS&T
Contract Survey
2006
Conv. Delegate Information
State must
re-bid Rx contract
New web site
shows benefits
Other Links
Professional Directory
Members' Classified
Member Communicator Feedback
Prefer The Online Edition?
How To Advertise Here
The Communicator Staff
Questions on this
site?
Email the
Webmaster
|