Why does the town of Westerlo have to rid the town hall of asbestos if we decide to sell?

To the Editor:

The town of Westerlo continues to belabor the renovation of the existing Town Hall. Westerlo had its Town Hall meeting on Feb. 2.

What to do? Continue with the option of paying an engineering firm to force a circle to fit into a rectangle at huge expense?

Or look into a pre-engineered building for both the town hall and the highway garage. Metal buildings would work just fine and with landscaping would fit the bill.

It may be obvious to some but it occurred to me that the asbestos inspection in its entirety should have been done and completed prior to any hiring of anyone. That includes Delaware Engineering.

But, because the board did hire Delaware Engineering, we now have this minimal inspection in place that requires more inspection at the town's expense.

After the meeting on Tuesday night, Feb. 2, I was told that an engineer told the members of the board in 2006 that it would cost close to $500,000 to rid the building of its issues. Is that on record?

In addition, the board said the town of Westerlo would have to rid the town hall of asbestos prior to selling the building.

Why does the town of Westerlo have to rid the town hall of asbestos if we decide to sell? What about the people who sold it to the town? Why are they off the hook?

I have to wonder if Delaware Engineering in its position as an engineering firm did not have an obligation (legally) to tell the town that a proper and complete inspection of all known issues should be in place prior to making any bids or making any payments towards the current project. In doing, so they may have been obligated to decline the project all together.  

“Engineers shall advise their clients or employers when they believe a project will not be successful,” according the National Society of Professional Engineers Code of Ethics.

In addition, there is the very real possibility that the project will be broken into increments therefore avoiding any permissive referendums and forcing the town taxpayers to pay basically without their sanction. The board refused to eliminate this option at the Feb. 2 meeting even at Leonard Laub’s request to take this option off the table.

Mimi Dygert

Westerlo

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