By Dan Atkinson
Voice Writer
West Haven City Hall has had its problems since it opened in 1971, and one of the biggest is the windows, which have have been a blemish on the buildings for decades. The 160 single-paned windows, some of which were put in place 60 years ago, had countless structural issues and did not protect employees from the elements. For example, the flimsy windows failed to open and close correctly. City government officials were aware that for a long time the windows would eventually need to be replaced.
Members of West Haven’s ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) Committee, led by Chairmen Ken Carney, asked the City Council to strongly consider replacing the windows of City Hall, and the project was ultimately approved roughly a year and a half ago. While the process of soliciting bids for removing and then installing new windows was more complicated than council and ARPA Committee members initially expected, employees of the companies carrying out the project were able to begin working on the windows this summer. They finally completed the entire project of installing 160 new vinyl just days ago.
Carney went into detail about why it was so essential for the windows at City Hall to be replaced.
“The existing single-paned windows were constantly not opening or slamming shut and did not lock. The committee went out in the winter and used an infrared camera to examine the windows, and you could see heat escaping out,” Carney said. “The windows also got dirty very easily. Finally, because of their flimsiness, sounds from outside the building could easily be heard, distracting employees.”
“With all these issues, it made sense to committee and council members to put in new windows. We think that because new vinyl windows will make heating and air conditioning costs for City Hall lower, this entire project will pay for itself in 12 years,” Carney said.
Before the bidding process began, the ARPA Committee received assistance from Jim Twitchell, the senior industrial hygienist at the Stamford-based engineering consultant firm Pennoni. Last summer, Twitchell told members the steps required for moving City Hall’s windows to meet state laws. Twitchell and Carney already had a strong working relationship from when Pennoni contributed to the process of remodeling West Haven High School a few years ago. Prior to bidding, West Haven’s Hoffman Architects joined the project and would design and inspect the windows that were installed.
When the ARPA Committee first put out the bid last summer for the project of replacing City Hall’s windows, no company ultimately bid on it, which Carney indirectly attributed to all the steps needed to effectively complete the project. The committee responded by separating the project into multiple bids, with one bid specifically geared towards demolition crew work and the other installation of new vinyl windows. Prism Response LLC and 4 You LLC were awarded their bids early in the spring. Ian Shea, the estimator and project manager for Prism, and Oleg Volincuks, a Business Manager a 4 You, each discussed why their companies bid on the window replacement project.
“Our company is based in West Haven so the site was right in our backyard, and we thought this would be a great opportunity to make City Hall look nicer,” Shea said.
“We’ve done several jobs before on the same scale. We thought both the work required and the general idea of working on City Hall was a good fit for our company,” Volincuks said.
Prism Response and 4 You LLC workers began their work at City Hall at the end of July. During the period between the bids being rewarded and windows being replaced and installed, Hoffman Architects needed to choose the exact type of window and associated materials to be installed, and all parties involved in the project had to agree on these choices. Carney discussed how important it was for Hoffman to agree to installing vinyl windows at City Hall.
“The committee and I needed to push the architects hard to use vinyl windows since it was the first vinyl job the company had ever done. Vinyl windows were within our budget, and by using them we saved hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Carney said. “The vinyl window has a better warranty, can save energy costs, allows for easy cleaning, and does not suffer scraping, termite damage or weather rot. They are just a much better product for this project.”
Carney pointed out the selections of companies and the procurement process met all of the stringent federal guidelines.
Once physical work began on the 160 windows in late July, the crews involved quickly established a daily rhythm. Early in the day, a team from Prism Response came and put down two layers of 45-millimeter plastic before going outside and removing windows. A crew of carpenters from 4 You LLC then came and installed new windows. After doing so, they removed the plastic and then trimmed both the inside and outside of each window with polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Four to six windows were consistently installed each day throughout the project’s duration. While these employees did their daily work on City Hall, employees from Pennoni performed monitoring on site, which included tasks like air sampling and visual clearances. Pennoni, which was hired by Hoffman, acted as a representative for them throughout the project.
The administrators at Prism Response, 4 You LLC and Pennoni whom the Voice spoke to each said in late September that the work their company’s did on this project was going very smoothly. These individuals also said they and their employees had strong working relationships with the staff at City Hall and employees experienced a welcoming environment every day.
“The installation is coming along great and everyone on our team is happy so far,” Volincuks said. “The employees at City Hall are very grateful that they can finally open their windows and get fresh air.”
Carney praised the employees at City Hall for how accommodating they were towards these workers during the two-plus months while windows were removed and installed. Examples of the employee’s behavior that Carney praised include removing belongings and changing their work schedules so that individuals could enter their offices to work closely on each window. He agreed that there was no tension between the workers from Prism Response and 4 You LLC and City Hall staff, verifying that there were no official complaints lodged against them. Ultimately, the staff was just excited to have quality vinyl windows and blinds in each office.
Volincuks, Shea and Twitchell each said that working on the City Hall window replacement project was a rewarding experience for their company and its employees, and that they valued having the ability to work with and give back to the city government and West Haven residents. Twitchell did an excellent job of summing up the appeal of working on large civic projects such as this.
“Working on projects for the city is always intricate and interesting and involves a lot of community interaction. They are great to see the whole way through.”
Carney passionately supports large-scale civic projects in West Haven and has helped make many of them a reality as the ARPA and Building Committee Chairman. Carney believes these projects showcase the positive attributes of the city.
“Civic projects like putting in these windows show we have a community that is willing to invest in itself. They can help make West Haven more attractive to prospective homebuyers.”