Integrated Construction Inc. says it is "not true" that it was noncompliant when installing the tennis court fence poles and top rail at Kala­heo High School, as the Department of Education’s Facilities Branch asserted in the April 23 "Kokua Line" (is.gd/U0DsgS).

The company also gives a wholly different explanation of why the tennis court renovations, just one part of the Kala­heo High Campus Structural and Drainage Improvements project, have not been completed.

The DOE is not backing down from its assertions, and each side is giving a different spin on why work on the tennis courts has not yet been completed.

The original completion date for the project was Oct. 22, 2011. The projected end is now mid- to late summer.

The DOE maintains "the contractor has continuously been notified of failure to meet the project schedule," said DOE spokes­woman Dona­lyn Dela Cruz.

However, Michelle Saka­moto, project manager for Integrated Construction, said the tennis court should be completed in July within the contract requirement.

Here are both side’s versions of the project delays:

The initial contract:

» Integrated Construction received the Notice to Proceed on the project on Aug. 10, 2010, Saka­moto said.

However, on Sept. 8, 2010, the DOE decided to change the court surfacing material and notified the company "to stop all work and related costs for the project." At that point Integrated thought it had lost the job, Saka­moto said.

In December 2011 the DOE issued a change order for the new court surfacing material and additional work and notified the company to resume work, she said.

After consulting with the school, Integrated Construction resumed work April 12. The original contract time was 427 calendar days, Saka­moto said. Change orders and "rainout days" extended the completion date to July 31.

» The DOE did request changes to the court’s surfacing material in September 2010, Dela Cruz said. At that point, she said, the state offered to cancel Integrated’s contract.

"Furthermore, Integrated was provided with the first right of refusal due to the surface material change" but decided to take the project "aware of the updated request regarding the new surfacing material," Dela Cruz said.

She also said, "Integrated failed to provide a cost proposal for the surface change from December 2011 to February 2013, causing further delays."

Installation of the fence and top rail:

» Integrated and its fence subcontractor Pacific Island Fence "reaffirm that all the materials that were installed for the tennis courts complies with the project specifications," Saka­moto said.

She said that specifications required posts be made out of "hot-dipped galvanized welded and seamless steel pipes," which is what was installed.

"None of the posts or rails will be replaced," she said. However, "at no cost to the state," Pacific Island Fence agreed to coat the posts to match the color of the existing "chain-link fabric, which was not specified to be matching."

» Dela Cruz said Integrated "incorrectly interpreted the specifications" for the posts and rails, which called for PVC-coated, corrosion-resistant materials.

"The contractor and subcontractor proceeded to install materials that neither met prior approval nor were in accordance with project specifications," she said.

"However, in the interest of meeting the overall project cost and completion, the contractor was allowed to paint the posts and top rails with protective coating versus having to remove and replace with PVC-coated material."

Landscaping:

» Sakamoto said the only noncompliance cited by the DOE inspector was for weeds growing behind the buildings, which are part of the maintenance of the new landscaping area, plus graffiti on a wall, "which is not part of the construction project to prevent."

What this all means is that "the delay in the project was not due to unacceptable work by the contractor, but by project construction changes," she said. "We would like to reiterate that all work that has been installed for the project has complied with the project plans and specifications."

» The contractor has failed to maintain the landscaping and improvements at the construction site, and has been issued notices of nonconformance, Dela Cruz said.

Bottom line for Kala­heo: the courts should be ready for play by July 31.

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