William Ritchie CPE-CFA-LCS
Anonymous
Forum Replies Created
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In reply to: Track Resurfacing
Eric.
I did a structural urethane top re-coat in 2016 which cost me $120,000. This price included surface repairs, structural spray and line markings. It came out real nice and will last five to seven years. I used a company from New York call Copeland Coatings.
Good luck.
Bill Ritchie. Town of Milton.
In reply to: Fire Alarm System Upgrade
Hi Steve:
I never hired an electrical or fire alarm consultant for just updating and or replacing any of the fire alarm panels and field devices. I just used my current fire alarm companies to provide me with a few different type of systems/options that would work with the current wiring and was able to write a bid specification from that point on.
Did you ever consult with your current fire alarm company for advice or recommendations.
Bill Ritchie. Town of Milton
In reply to: Roof Leaks Due to snow and Ice
In reply to: FM Generator Reference Check – Do you use them?
FM Generator provides both installation and routine service to ten diesel generators in town ranging from 6oo KW to 100 KW. I would highly recommend them for either new turn-key installations and routine service. The the technicians are great to work as well as te owners of the company.
Response by Bill Ritchie, Town of Milton
In reply to: Phone Responsibility
In Milton, the School and Town IT Dept takes care of all the house phones. The Facilities Dept handles all the two way radios and all the cell phones for both Town and Schools. Three years ago my department had all the house phones but I negotiated this responsibility back to the IT folks due to the technology with the phone system.
Good luck, Bill
In reply to: Maintenance Supplies
Hi Denise.
In the Town of Milton we use Home Depot and Curry Hardware. Only certian staff can use these vendors and it is done via account at Home Depot. At Curry Hardware, only certain staff are listed as prefered staff in the system. All staff are required to use ID and a Town ID and we never have a problem.
Bill Ritchie. Town of Milton
In reply to: Bottle Filler Retrofits on Drinking Fountains
Hi Mike. We just installed a few electronic water filling stations with two water bubbles for general use and H/C access. We had to add the chiller and power for the electronic water filling station. Not a cheap option. Unfortunately, the water filters are $90.00 each and based on our usage we will need to be replaced every three months. They are loved by the staff and students.
Bill
In reply to: Classroom Door Locks
Our classroom doors are keyed on both sides. The teachers keep the door locked at all time. It is a small inconvenience if the door is accidentally closed; you have to use your key to get back in. I personally like having doors keyed on both sides because if you break the outside glass to the classroom you still cannot open the door without having a key.
Bill
In reply to: Full Time HVAC Mechanic VS Outsourced Contract
Hi everyone.
In the Town of Milton, our current HVAC Technician earns $41:00 per hour. He is will be maxed out next year at $42:00 and will only subject to cost of living increases going forward. Since we are next to Boston we have to pay a decent wage rate to licensed and skilled tradesmen/women.
In this market, you definitely get what you pay for. Our sub-contractors earn between $125.00-$148:00 per hour.
Good luck,
Bill
Hi Joe and Wayne:
We conducted our cold weather building checks for both town and school buildings on Sunday and again today in those facilities that had no building occupants. Unfortunately, frozen pipes and major issues usually occur when no one is in the building since you really cannot predict when an issue will develop.
I was wondering how many building checks were conducted at Hudson. Were they done on the Sat, Sun and again today.Good luck everyone.
In reply to: Office/Maintenance Area Space
Hi Lori. The space needed for a Facilities Operation all depends on the number of staff between administration, tradepeople and storage. In Milton, I have 600 SF of adminstrative space located in one small building at the DPW Facility. It serves three admin staff. My eight tradespeople have various storage areas within town/schools buildings. It is not dedicated space or suitable for our operations. We mostly work out of trucks like a sub-contractor. We are in the planning stages of designing a new DPW Facility and our department will have about 3,000 SF of space if it ever becomes a reality.
I can say without hesitation that our department would be so much more efficient with additional and suitable space. We make it work now because we are all dedicated and professional.
Good luck
BillIn reply to: In house Maintenance or contract it out?
In Milton we have three separate staffing levels who perform the labor services. Our 27 custodians only clean the physical plant and perform routine snow sidewalk snow removal. Our 5 general and non-licensed maintenance staff perform most of the minor/middle skill level tasks. Our 3 licensed tradesmen perform all the remaining tasks which are usually a higher skill level. It works well for our department. Respectfully, I value each staffing level just as vital to as the other levels. It is a team approach to getting the job done, day in and day out.
Bill
In reply to: Snow removal stipend/compensation
Hi Sandra:
My Operations Manager and I coordinate and manage snow operations around town during off shift hours. We are not compensated for the extra hours and will flex our schedule if needed. If you are actually plowing in a truck during off hours you should definitely be compensated or have the union workers perform these tasks for you as the manager.
Bill
In reply to: In-House OPM Capabilities
Hi Gerry:
You clearly identified the qualifications of an OPM for public projects over 1.5 Million. Personally, in my many years in the construction/facilities arena I have seen the good, bad and ugly with OPM or ‘clerk of the works.
I would much rather see someone who has the seven or more years in the construction business and who has actually built buildings.
Joe is also correct, the time needed to be an effective OPM you really need to dedicate at least 25 hours per week. I really don’t know how any of us could perform both duties with the many responsibilities we have to oversee.Bill
In reply to: Staff Salaries
