University Daily Kansan
Tuesday, May 9, 1978
9
Architect...
From page one
when it receives shoddy goods."
SMOOT SAID if there was a problem with a KU building, representatives of the office would meet with Warren Corman, facilities manager of Regents, and investigate the problem.
Corman said there was no set policy for dealing with defects in a state building.
“It’s difficult to set responsibility for a defect,” he said. “The state architect’s office should handle the legal aspect. I think if a suit has to be filed against a defendant, that is possible.”
Corman said the Facilities Operations department made some repairs on the board.
BECAUSE THERE is uncertainty over who is ultimately responsible for a state building, few lawsuit are initiated to resolve the problem.
At the time the Senate report was written, only four suits to compel contractors to make repairs had been filed. Each time, the attorney general asked the attorney general to file suit.
State Sen. Norman Gaur, R-Westwood and Senate major leader, whose staff prepared the report on building defects, said the problem lies in the state architect's office. The staff does not carefully supervise the design and construction of buildings.
"Simple incompetence by some of the office's employees are to blame for the grossest example of waste of taxpayers' money" I've seen. "Gaar said."
Gaar introduced a bill last month to the Legislature that would abolish the state architect's post and create a seven-member commission to rename it.
THE BILL WAS passed by the House but amended in the Senate. Although committees from both houses must meet to approve the bill, the likely will bill no into effect July 1.
The bill would abolish the office of the state architect and terminate all employees in the office. Most of the 58 architects, engineers, inspectors and clerks in the office would be rehired as unclassified civil servants.
Under this bill, the state would hire a
private architect for each project of more than $100,000. The architect would be responsible for both the design and the construction of the project.
THE COMMISSION would be responsible for hiring the architect, supervising the projects and inspecting the buildings before final acceptance.
Barcley said the bill would solve the problem of responsibility for the buildings.
"There are three to five parties involved in each step of the process of designing and constructing a building," Barclay said. "When responsibility is shared like that, there's an incentive for no one to take the responsibility."
Barley said most of the buildings with defects in his report were built between two years.
"We were limited by time when we did the study so we concentrated on recently constructed buildings and just listed the major defects," he said.
BARCLAY SAID there were faults in the state architect's office and the best way to
correct the situation would be to completely revise the office with the bill.
Ossmann said the bill was unnecessary.
"The office has already been reorganized since I took over," he said. "This bill writes in bold that it has taken care of and provides some good compensation for a couple of floggings in the legislature."
Sock lover returns to Watson Library
The Watson Library sock locker has struck again, but the time without his earlier free-er excitement.
At 8:38 Sunday evening a man approached a woman studying in a cubicle on the sixth floor of Watson and asked for one of her socks, according to a KU police report.
The woman reported the incident to police a few hours later.
Similar incidents have been occurring in the upper floors of Watson since last spring, pooling.
Campus police began an investigation September 29 after someone started leaving anonymous notes in Watson Library stacks. A witness described the theirs in a place specified in the notes.
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Ossmann said his office now had the associate architect supervise both the design and construction of a building. Before construction begins, the plans are reviewed by the user institute, the office, the architect and the contractor to make sure they meet the plans, the architectural design and the mechanical drawings coordinate he said.
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"It sounds like we might dealing with someone who has a detish," Schultz said.
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yesterday that the investigation was continuing and that the police had a description of the suspect.
In August, before the investigation began, a woman was approached by a man in Watson who said he had dislocated his knee and asked for one of her socks to bind it.
"I WON'T OPPOSE the bill because it just does what's already been done." Ossmann said. "Problems that happened before could have occurred under the present organization of the office."
Paul Schultz, a KU police detective, said
LAWRENCE JAYHAWK
Kennel Club
Dog Show
SATURDAY, MAY 13
Take a break from finals and come out and see the Dogs.
Judging starts at 8:00 a.m.
Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds.
Fri. & Sat., May 12 & 13 On the Main Stage
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FAST BREAK
Doors open----8:00
Three former Treefrog members
Gen. Adm.-2.00
Show Time----9:00
Club Mem.—1.50
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Ossmann has been acting state architect since Louis Kruger resigned from that post in September. Krueger was under pressure from some members of the Legislature who had caused poor construction of buildings and a great expense for Kansas taxpayers.
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Kansas has about $270 million of construction under way this year. The largest project is the $88 million clinical facility at the Med Center. About $200 million of the projects are being supervised by the state architect's office.
THE BILL'S passage apparently would not affect buildings that need repairs now. The bill does not address those issues.
vestigated for their cause and settlements will have to be negotiated.
However, Smoot said the government hoped to avoid future problems with state budget.
"The state's been in the habit of accepting buildings automatically," the Smoot said. After all the problems, agencies shouldn't be behind it, but "there's no reason it doesn't meet the standards agreed on."
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To: FELLOW GRADUATES
From: CLASS OF '78 OFFICERS
RE: Due to the flammable material in your cap and gown, we are strongly urging that graduates refrain from smoking and the use of fireworks. Because of the fewer number of exits available due to the stadium renovation, it is even more important this year to follow these guidelines. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated.