The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-01-26

Federal housing authorities may
resort to the penalty clauses as In
cluded In the contract of the City
Construction Company Of Bridge
port, because Of the latter's failure
in. meeting the prescribed compile
ton date set for the construction
Of Long Hill and part Of the Ham,
ilton Heights housing projects. Sim
liar penalties may be imposed in re-
cards the Porter site project.
The penalty clauses pertaining to
what are termed "liquidated dam
ages" call for the payment of spe-
cific fines by the contractor for
every consecutive calendar day re-
quire6 for work completion, occur
ing beyond the prescribed compile
ton date.
Relative to the Long Hill and
Hamilton Heights projects, 1t was
revealed the contract was awarded
to the City Construction company in
May, 1913, and specific dates for
completion were set as determined
by the original date OF contract
award.
Pertaining to the completion OF
the Community House at Hamilton
Heights o period of As consecutive
calendar dates was established for
completing the work subject to-
penalty for ''liquidated damages" OF
s26 per day for every day Of in
completion, thereafter. A similar
penalty applied to the completion
of the same type building at the
Long Hill site, except that q 80
day construction period was prede-
termined. Relative to the child-care
centers at both sites 100 day per-
iod was set.
At present none of these afore-
mentioned constructions have been
completed and a heavy fine accu-
mutation has accrued.
Relative to the construction on
the dwelling units at the local nous
ing sites, penalties of 81 per day are
contained within the original con-
tract, to be imposed on the same
basis for contractual failures.
The Long Hill project, contract for
which was awarded last May, Is
still incomplete at date far beyond
the original determined completion
dates. For example, original terms
called for completion of 100 dwelling
units in a period of rs consecutive
calendar days; 100 more in period
Of 80 days and the remaining "a
units in 100 days; all completion
periods to originate from the date
of contract award, May 1913.
Similar penalties pertain to work
On the Porter housing project, con-
tract for which was awarded Nov. 4,
1913, with work to start Nov. 8 and
4 completion date set for January
%. latest reports reveal that only
foundations of the dwelling units
are now completed.
Local housing authorities last
week pressed for action on the part
Of federal authorities In an attempt
to speed-up the final execution Of
construction work. Imposition Of the
penalty clauses rest solely in the
hands Of the Federal authorities.
A parallel case, relative to penal
ties imposed for failure to meet cor
tractual terms, Is to be found in
the case Of the L. q. DeFelice Con-
struction company Of New Haven,
successful bidders and contract re-
cipients on the Pitch reservoir at
Morris, Conn, the city's third res
ervoir.
A great deal Of contractual con.
fusion has entered in this latter
undertaking centering on failure to
meet completion dates, revision OF
original estimates and similar term
difficulties. Although the reservoir
Is about completed, at this date. and
1t Is expected the water will be
drawn from it this year for city use,
the original contract called for
finishing the construction in 1912.
This construction undertaking Is
subject to an extremely heavy fine
of $3.50 per day for every day of
incompletion beyond the date called
for by contract.
In the early part Of 1913 the con-
tractor admitted the need for esti-
mate revisions which resulted In
such an increase in the original es-
timated cost Of the construction that
the city was required to issue for
sale, q total Of $185,000 In city
bonds. The pipe line relative to this
construction has already required
the city to sell 81, 485 900 in bonds.