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NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

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SbSI i pants over the past several months. They are verifying records and seeking to ensure that any rumored bogus claims and overcharges are caught. In addition S£2»« to KPMG, the task is also being handled by the city’.s Dept, of Investigation,? and its consultants. “FEMA is committed to reim­ to- bursing 100% of eligible costs,” .says Brad Gair, FEMA’s WTC federal recovery offi­ cer. _...... The process has been daunting for firms, as auditors spend days or weeks poring over existing records and asking for more. ““We had 16 requests for pay­ w ■ ments, and each submittal was 3 to 4 inch­ es thick,” says George Wittich, senior vice president of Weeks Marine Inc,, the Cran­ ford, NJ,, firm that managed marine­ based debris removal, Tully says he’s now flVESSIfilT FEMA will reimburse city for payouts once eligible costs are reconciled. down to “only six” staff members involved in Ground Zero paperwork, “but one of not uniformly followed. “There’s nothing costs “should get reimbursed dollar for my vice presidents is ready to jump out in a union worker’s contract that says he dollar,” he says, adding that FEMA has the window almost every day” as new has to sign in and out," says Grace Maz- paid 95% of payments requested by DDC. invoices and receipts are found. zochi, president of Mazzochi Wrecking ’While allowed profit is about 10%, some While many Ground Zero In ms are Co., East Hanover, N.J. There is still dis­ firms may earn as much as 40%, says one resigned to not recovering some response pute over reimbursement for numerous source. “Some firms did OK but they had costs for patriotic reasons, amounts left site supervisors, a much-needed safety to finance things for so long,” says unpaid have put some on the financial precaution on a hazardous site, she says, Abadie. “That is eating away at profits.” edge, “A lot of cash has not yet been Mazzochi’s record.? show 73,000 man­ But some worry about future liability recovered,’’ says Andrew D, Walker, presi­ hours in the first phase alone. For some and the still-uncertain status of FEMA’s dent of Nicholson Construction Co,, the firms, payroll rose to between $200,000 promised fl-billion indemnification Cuddy, Pa,, subcontractor that installed and $300,000 a week during the cleanup’.? fund. While contractor officials cannot many of the site’s 1,100 slurry wall peak, say.s Janies Abadie, Bovi.s Lend confirm any firms yet named in lawsuits, tiebacks, “It’s simply taking a long time," Lease senior vice president. they worry that the fund may be siphoned One sore point is reimbursement for Some firms are still haggling with DDC by die city to pay for police and fire dis­ labor costs. Authorities are withholding over rental equipment reimbursements ability claims. 20% of payroll costs until timesheets are and over definitions of “severe” condi­ Despite financial strains. Ground Zero audited. Firms say it is impossible to track tions, Cote says the city i.s increasing Blue firms have gained valuable experience. who was on site during the cleanup’s ear­ Book rates for severe conditions for con­ Many speak of lessons learned in quick ly days and that a sign-in sheet system was tractor-owned equipment. All eligible mobilization, work force management, site control and creative solutions. “We learned a lot about structural failures and rebuilding in areas we weren’t even sure were stable,” says Tully. Bovis and Tully have already been named to the city’s emergency contrac- | tor list. Mazzochi is on call to Philadel- phia, Newark, Atlantic City, N.J., and | other nearby cities. 5 Weeks Marine was called on to han- 2 die an emergency repair when an ® undersea cable broke near New | Rochelle, N,Y,, last May. “This was part- § ly due to our relationship with ConEd g but also to our experience at the World | Trade Center,” says Wittich. Nicholson’s Walker says the firm is | getting more calls from New York City S contractors “asking us to bid on jobs g there.” Adds Grace Mazzochi; “This has g given us a certain amount of name L recognition.” □ 5 OS 81® Firms worry that haphazard worker check-In complicates cost verification. By Debra K Rubin g

SEPTEMBER 9, 2002/ENR 13

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