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(14) Why was this second construction
contract a "design/build" contract that allowed for only an in-house architect,
who turned out to be an officer of Pickus being paid zero compensation
for his services?
(15) Why has there been no further explanation
to the citizens of Waukegan as to why the city paid GSI $146,000 to settle
an apparent breach of contract claim, when the city has maintained that
it was GSI that broke its contract with the city?
(16) Why has TOWN, after repeated FOIA's,
been unable to find in the city's paperwork any records or documents authorizing
changes to the contract time or contract price for any of the contracts
involved in this project?
(17) Did the city repeatedly allow work
to go on for months at a time on this multi-million dollar project without
taking the necessary steps to keep a current and effective written contract
in place?
(18) Is the city currently allowing construction
work to go on without a new written contract to replace or extend the
second Pickus contract, which required substantial completion of construction
by September 15, 2004?
(19) Will Pickus be held accountable on
its performance bond for breaching the second construction contract, since
substantial completion of the Genesee Theatre was clearly not achieved
by September 15, 2004?
(20) Are there actual or apparent conflicts
of interest in allowing Allan Pickus and also Fred Abdula (affiliated
with a major heating/air conditioning contractor on this project), to
sit on the governing board of the Friends of the Genesee?
(21) Who made the decision to put the
heating/air conditioning equipment in an upper floor of the theatre building,
apparently interfering with plans to use that space for a significant
revenue-producing catering business?
(22) What are the total amounts of the
government grants, both state and federal, that have gone into this project,
what are the total amounts of the bonds that have been issued for this
project, and who are the underwriters on those bonds?
(23) What is the total cost of the Genesee
Theatre renovation project, what will be the city's annual debt service
on the bonds, will projected revenues from the theatre be sufficient to
service the debt and to pay operating expenses, and if not, what is the
annual projected shortfall that will be picked up by the taxpayers?
(24) In response to this TOWN report,
will the city council now call for a full accounting and audit, performed
by independent professionals of unimpeachable integrity, of every dollar
that has gone into and out of this project from its inception to its completion?
(25) When this accounting and audit are
completed, will the city council make the information available to the
citizens of Waukegan and then schedule a public meeting for the expression
of questions and concerns by the citizens and the providing of answers
and explanations by the city?
Dated November 7th, 2004.
TOWN
The Taskforce On Waukegan Neighborhoods
Cheryl Graham Ptasienski
Chair, Board of Directors
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