Faulty Construction Forces Council to Spend $143,000

The Encinitas City Council voted unanimously at its Wednesday night meeting to appropriate $143,000 from the General Fund to repair the 's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, which has experienced leaks and rapid deterioration. The library is relatively new—only three years old—and for it to experience problems of this kind is unusual.

Because of what city officials have determined is faulty construction, the library has been forced to fix a myriad of problems, including replacing the chemical treatment system and repairing pipe leaks and a chemical leak in the chiller. Faulty pipes also caused the building to overheat in some areas, while other parts of the building are too cool.

The HVAC was eventually pushed beyond its capacity and worsened to the point of repair. The system failed to yield a comfortable temperature in the library, forcing employees to manually adjust the settings, which further strained the system.

Encinitas Public Works Department revealed that the groups who constructed and inspected the building did not properly execute their duties. In addition to faulty installation, building materials were incorrectly sized and excessive joints and fittings were used. Building inspectors also failed to see or correct any problems.

According to Public Works Management Analyst Bill Wilson, C.E. Wylie was the general contractor responsible for the improper installation. His company has since gone out of business. Similarly, the mechanical engineering firm and the mechanical subcontractor who designed the system are no longer in operation. “Obviously they did a shoddy job—there’s a reason they’re out of business,” Mayor James Bond said.

Furthermore, the council agreed to aggressively pursue means to obtain legal remedies to recover costs. Currently, the city has not recovered any of the loss, but with the council’s blessing, the Public Works Department hopes to remedy the situation. “Sometimes you unfortunately get what you pay for,” Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar said. “This is the worst case scenario.”

The council agreed to a two-step plan for the library. First, the HVAC system will be replaced and repaired as necessary. City Manager Phil Cotton will be responsible for authorizing a contract with low-priced yet responsible contractor.

The second phase of the plan will provide HVAC system controls, pressure relief windows and energy efficiency improvements. The building may also qualify for LEED certification, should the council agree to it at a later time.

Public Works Director Larry Watt estimated Phase II would cost roughly $130,000 in addition to the $143,000 for Phase I. Public Works will present the financial request for the second phase during the next fiscal year.