Can a mess committee be "fired" by higher?

[JesseWZ]

- PWGSC provides a quote that professionals within the unit know is ludicrously high.
- The mess committee questions the numbers and wants to see what the quotes actually say to justify the cost
- The spanish inquisition.
Have I got this more or less right?

To be fair to the OP, I betcha no one was expecting it...

 

[Remius]

I see nothing here that invalidates Throwaway's original concern. I don't read that as the mess is trying to get out of accountability for anything here. It seems they're merely questioning an outlandish dollar amount that's been quoted them. We're talking about a hole in drywall here, after all. If the mess as a legal entity is being expected to pay for the damage, it's perfectly reasonable for them to want to see clear accounting of the costs. I'd go so far as to say that the mess committee has an obligation to its members to make sure their money is spent responsibly. Fair to say?

Yes. Fair to say.  My comments were aimed at those wondering why there may have seemed to be a heavy hand.

 

[AirDet]

Yeah, there is quite a bit more at play here in terms of details

There always is...

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Except that one cannot just 'fix' things in a heritage building or else they risk losing the heritage status and the benefits (some say hassles) that come with that.

Dude, it's a five hundred dollar dry-wall job we aren't talking major renovations here so let's not be so dramatic.

In any case this whole thing appears to me to be "beyond retarded" and the CoC is just as ridiculous for even putting this up to Public Works. 

It's $500 bucks and if someone even made a stink about the building losing it's heritage status the Honorary Colonels and Regt Associatrion would be all over their ass and in the papers.  It's not even an issue! 

 

[cupper]

$500.00 is too much.

A couple of rolls of duct tape and a new coat of paint. Shift the trophy cabinet and everything is fine.

 

[Remius]

Dude, it's a five hundred dollar dry-wall job we aren't talking major renovations here so let's not be so dramatic.

In any case this whole thing appears to me to be "beyond retarded" and the CoC is just as ridiculous for even putting this up to Public Works. 

It's $500 bucks and if someone even made a stink about the building losing it's heritage status the Honorary Colonels and Regt Associatrion would be all over their *** and in the papers.  It's not even an issue!

He isn't being dramatic.  Heritage buildings have extremely strict guidelines.  Even putting a nail in the wall for a picture requires their attention. 

 

[Strike]

She He isn't being dramatic.  Heritage buildings have extremely strict guidelines.  Even putting a nail in the wall for a picture requires their attention.

FTFY  ;D

 

[Remius]

FTFY  ;D

I stand corrected. 

 

[x_para76]

Part of the problem with some of these old buildings and why repairs or renovations can't just be done adhoc is because many of them contain asbestos and even just taking down some drywall can run the risk of exposing people. The C.O of my former reserve unit made this mistake and ended up exposing 10 troops to asbestos. I'm not trying to be the health & safety police here but this could be another reason as to why the repair work can't just be done by anyone.

 

[Tibbson]

He isn't being dramatic.  Heritage buildings have extremely strict guidelines.  Even putting a nail in the wall for a picture requires their attention.

Agreed.  My old reserve unit went through the process of having one of their 2 old stone armouries declared a heritage building at a time when they were concerned the Govt was going to be closing/amalgamating reserve units.  They thought that it would somewhat protect them and the building.  I have no idea of their logic but the point is they now have very strict guidelines about what they can do within the building and there is a detailed inspection once a year to ensure they still comply.  My brother is the chief clerk back there and it's a big deal.  Just to get permission to repaint the Coy OC's office took almost 3 months with the paint colour even having to be approved.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Dude, it's a five hundred dollar dry-wall job we aren't talking major renovations here so let's not be so dramatic.

To support what others are saying I've experienced the headache in how freaking hard it can be to put a nail in a wall to hang a picture. Compounding the difficulties are members of the CoC who interpose themselves in the process.

Someone "Signing in" to the sound of $210 to come in and meet with someone to discuss the process of possibly having someone come in to inspect a brick wall to see if a nail will destroy the structural integrity.

 

[a_majoor]

There was an incident a while back where a hole was made in drywall during a mess event, and now the time has come to fix the damage. We are in a heritage building, so obviously PWGSC has to be involved and it cannot just be fixed by one of the numerous general contractors, drywallers, or civil engineers within the unit. The hole would require two sheets of drywall to be replaced, and PWGSC's quote totaled $2600. We asked for an itemized quote, and magically the total jumped up to $3100, of which $2600 was "disbursements". Naturally, this did not pass the sniff test from the many engineers and contractors that we have. Their estimate (and remember, these are their trades) was that it was a $500 job. Despite trying to be fiscally responsible, the unit authorized the repair (at $3100), issued a fin code, and essentially ordered us to pay for it with our mess money (non public funds).

I would be very concerned about that invoice, it is not kosher at all. Some people have mentioned heritage or the possibility of Asbestos, but if those were factors then they should be clearly stated in the invoice (i.e. "Heritage inspection", "Asbestos remediation" or something along those lines). I would go so far as to demand a formal investigation as to the invoice, including who these "disbursements" were made to and for what reasons. The fact that the estimate jumped almost a $1000 after the request for an itemized invoice should also have raised alarm bells, and merits looking into.

After all, if PWGSC is issuing non itemized invoices and their costs are not even remotely in line with what commercial practice and common sense would indicate for this case, what exactly are they charging for other, more routine items? (and why?).

 

[kratz]

I agree with Thucydides.

When I had CFHA (a different public contactor) fix the hole we made in my RHU (PMQ),
it was only $38 total. I was worried about long delays, high costs ect...for nothing.

I think Throwaway is right in questioning the cost. CAAP standards expect itemized bills for payment,
so it is not unreasonable to expect it.