UPDATED 11:30a 8-9-16 (Edits with additional and clarification)
Kenosha---The chairman of the city council's Public Works Committee is predicting that the full body will endorse a settlement agreement between the city and the contractor that installed the faulty surface of the Dream Playground.
Ald. David Bogdala made the prediction after his committee met in closed session Monday night with Mayor Antaramian for well over an hour.
The proposed settlement would give the city $230,000, far short of the $588,000 cost of replacing the spongy flooring.
Expenses related directly to installing the original surface cost $163,000, according to the city's public works director.
Straight cost comparisons between the surfaces would be unfair, city officials say. For example, the new floor is being billed as stronger and longer-lasting than a cheaper alternative that was rejected. Also, the cost for the new work includes removing the existing floor.
Speaking to a reporter after Monday's meeting, Bogdala declined to characterize aldermen's comments in closed session as "concerns." Rather, he said, the committee wanted to clarify costs and the legal implications of approving the agreement.
Even though Public Works took time with the details, the council’s Parks Commission approved the settlement unanimously with no discussion, either in open or closed session.
Public Works' approval of the settlement and an earlier vote to hire a new contractor won't end the committee's involvement with Dream Playground-related issues, Bogdala said. With the mayor's input, Bogdala wants the committee to examine the city's bid process, which may or may not have contributed to the Dream Playground mess.
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