September 2020

The world may be unpredictable, but one thing we can count on is hot and dry weather in our Texas summers.  This year has been no different, and has put our Irrigation team to the test.  Our department’s goals are to be good stewards of the University’s groundwater resources and to repair problems and leaks as fast as we safely can.  In the spirit of becoming more efficient and proactive, we have made a few changes to our department. 

Our first change to the department’s structure was the promotion of Daniel Martinez and Ben Freeman to Supervisor positions.  They are the go to resources for our team, and we are proud of their accomplishments on campus.  Campus has been divided into two with Daniel over Main Campus and Ben responsible for West Campus and RELLIS.  They are each responsible for a team of irrigators.  You will also notice a lot of new faces behind our masks.  The team is expanding to allow us to be more proactive inspecting our system to save water and reduce downtime. 

We also made a change to the responsibilities of our irrigators on the team.  Previously, each team member had a small area of campus that they were responsible for, leaving some areas with little coverage.  This method presented some staffing challenges when major problems occurred in different areas of campus.  Going forward, the Irrigation team is working off of work orders that are assigned by Daniel and Ben, giving them flexibility in managing the irrigation system.  They also will be inspecting their portions of campus and scheduling work in the most efficient way they can.

We have been busy finding wet areas on campus and correcting the issues to save water.  Not only does this reduce our reliance on groundwater resources, it makes it easier for the entire Grounds department to do their jobs and keep the campus as beautiful as we expect it to be.  We also have been busy implementing more of the smart features of our Weathermatic control system.  These changes are slowly rolling out over the entire campus allowing us to become more hands off with day to day changes in water needs.  These changes allow us to be more precise in our irrigation amounts and allows for changes to happen more frequently. 

As we finish out the season, we will continue to work on reducing irrigation consumption where possible and fixing problems as quick as we safely can.  If you see problems, let us know!  We welcome the input and want to be the best stewards of the campus’s water resources as we can.

Submitted by: Brandon Haley, CGM -  Project Manager, Grounds

Classroom Preparation

Another phase of pre-planning for the fall re-opening here at Texas A & M University included putting colored dots on classroom chairs in sequential order. Every third classroom chair was dotted with either a red, yellow or blue dot to help indicate social distancing and to help prevent the spread of COVID – 19. The dots were put on the chairs by different custodial employees in each of the different custodial crews. The tasks of counting the correct amount of dots for each classroom in each building was shared by the Custodial Administrative Staff (Ashley Weber and Erica Cruz), Unit Directors, Custodial Supervisors and Barbara Musgrove, Special Projects for SSC. The Regional Director of Operations for Custodial (Ted Dawson) also joined in the fun. This was actually a fun project to work on that took us all back to a time when we were school age children and when doing this kind of stuff was really cool.

by Sheila Robinson

Maintenance associates spent days, August 12th and 13th, assembling over 1400 hand sanitizing stations. These stations were delivered to locations across campus and placed at the entrance of every elevator on every floor as part of the preparations needed for the students return.

The Corona virus AKA Covid-19, has increased claims for time-extensions in construction projects. Contractors, suppliers, vendors and manufacturers are claiming short staffs; material and equipment manufacturers are claiming low supplies, and due to people now working from homes, many vacant buildings are creating increased demand for renovation work.  All lead to the generalized contractor’s statement: “we won’t meet the deadline because of Covid”.   Claiming “Covid” is not a magic wand for contract extensions, however there are circumstances where it may impact schedules. If so, how should these be managed? One, by keeping accurate delay-related project records. These are essential to resolving delay claims to avoid severe financial consequences if a contractual completion date is not achieved.

The most important item in delay analysis is the original project schedule. Great care must be taken to properly coordinate the activities and durations with contractors and subcontractors.  The SSC Uniform General and Supplemental Conditions (UGSC) Article 9.6 requires the contractor to submit an original schedule as well as updates to the schedule at appropriate intervals. It is difficult to analyze delay claims if the schedules are not accurate and regularly updated. The project manager must insist on receiving the original schedule before construction begins, require timely schedule compliance updates, and prompt updates if there is a deviation from the critical path of the original schedule.

The UGSC allows claims for Force Majure when the delay is beyond the contractor’s control.  If the delay qualifies, the contractor must show the impact on the substantial completion date and how the contractor adjusted activities to minimize the delay’s impact. To support a request to delay the project’s schedule, the contractor must demonstrate the planned activities that could not take place and the steps to effectively perform the work as soon as possible.

If a contractor states a need to extend the schedule for any qualified reason, the contractor must submit a change order request. Be aware when considering the impact of change orders to a project, contactors often forget to identify the days that should be added to the schedule due to a change order request.

Another consideration is the timing of the claim of the delay. Failure to raise the delay concern right away is a common problem. The UGSC Article 9.9, requires written notice of the claim within 5 days of the events giving rise to the claim. This by the way includes, weather delays.

Lastly, the contractor should also be aware of providing notice to the correct person.  The agreement between the parties identifies the person to receive formal notices and the manner of providing the notice.

Project managers can eliminate much of the complexity of delay impacts by closely monitoring project schedules, requiring accurate schedules showing the impact to the critical path to support timely delay claims and ensuring thorough documentation of the project.    

Note: Adapted from “Delay Evaluations & Claims Pitfalls” by Joshua Levey, ENR Engineering News Record August 3/10, 2020, Page 35, Print

By Bob Casagrande

We are in a very active hurricane season, so it's a good idea to know what you'll need if a storm was approaching.

Here is a list of important items you should have at home or take with you if you evacuate:

•    Water - at least 1 gallon daily per person for 3-7 days; also fill bathtub and other containers; Gator Aid is good to fend off dehydration

•    Food - at least enough for 3-7 days; non-perishable packaged or canned food; juices; foods for infants or elderly family members; snack foods; food for special diets

•    Telephones: Fully charged cell phone with extra battery; chargers; traditional (not cordless) telephone set

•    Cell Phone charging stations - locations where you can charge mobile devices

•    Cash (with some small bills) and Credit Cards: Banks and ATMs may not be available for extended periods

•    Important documents: Place in a waterproof container or watertight resealable plastic bag: Should include insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, prescriptions, etc.

•    Pet care items: Proper identification, immunization records, medications, ample supply of food and water; a carrier or cage; muzzle and/ or leash

•    Gas: Fill up your vehicles several days before landfall is expected; Gas stations could lose power during a storm and supply trucks may not be able to reach the area

•    Toiletries, hand sanitizer, hygiene items, moisture wipes, dry shampoo

•    Paper plates and cups, plastic utensils

•    Bedding: Blankets, Pillows, etc.

•    Toys, books and games for children

•    First Aid Kit, Medicines, Prescription Drugs

•    Toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags

•    Flashlight, batteries, lantern

•    Radio: Battery operated and NOAA weather radio

•    Tools: Keep a set with you during the storm

•    Bleach without lemon or any other additives

•    Fire extinguisher

•    Mosquito repellent

•    Clothing

•    Rain gear

•    Sturdy shoes

•    Keys

•    Cooking tools, fuel

•    Non-electric can opener

•    Duct tape

401K Retirement Plan

The Compass Group retirement plan (401K) currently managed by Wells Fargo will move to Fidelity Investments effective October 2020. 

Please know that any changes to your investments must be made prior to September 25th. 

There will be a black-out period where no changes can be made starting September 26th. 

Wells Fargo: 800-728-3123 or www.wellsfargo.com

CUSTODIAL NEW ASSOCIATES

Kayla Brantley Clarence Clemons Marie Ferrer Elizabeth Galvan Joctavion Golden Isaac Hernandez Terry Salazar Claudell Thomas

GROUNDS NEW ASSOCIATES

Christopher Arce Erin Briggs Tanner Brock Robert Carroll Martin Comly Sergio Coronado Daniel Hale Bryan Larison Lane Nolte Kelvin Rice Rodrigo Salinas

MAINTENANCE NEW ASSOCIATES

Katelyn Clark Mark Ryan Kevin Vincent

Custodial

Eva Adams

Sonia Bustamante

Yolanda Calderon

Vanessa Garcia

Fernando Hernandez

Mary Ann Ramirez

EDCS Quarterly

Kenny Marek

Grounds

Olivia Berry

Hector Vanegas

Jeffrey Zboril

Maintenance

Jose Hernandez

Sidney Peterson