BUYING A TAXPAYER FUNDED ROOF. WHAT YOU MUST KNOW.

BUYING A TAXPAYER FUNDED ROOF.  WHAT YOU MUST KNOW.

A Private owner may do anything they like (following code, and safety requirements).  It’s their money, and can spend it without question, or oversight.

Publicly funded projects are just the opposite.  The taxpayers are the “Owner”, and all aspects of the project are subject to scrutiny.  Administrators do not possess either the credential, or experience, to make such complicated decisions. 

NO Administrator has the right to “exclude’ fair competition in favor of a “single “Preferred Vendor”.  That is called “Collusion’, and in some cases “Bid Rigging”.  An Administrator’s job is to provide “Serviceability, and Value” to the public, and not play favorites.

 

You might find yourself in a position to “explain” your actions to those you serve, and I suggest you be excessively prepared, or be made a spectacle.  “Ignorance’ isn’t going to cut it in court, I promise.

What can a Public Administrator do to achieve “Serviceability, and Value”, without exposing your district to suit?  I see this quite a bit, and one roofing manufacturer was recently fined $65,000,000.00 for abusing GSA contracts.

I happen to think they deserve it for strangling Administrators with a “Predatory Sales Model”.  If you ever hear the phrase “We handle it all”, RUN.  Anyone with knowledge can sue your district in a ‘Qui Tam” (Lincoln Law) suit, and probably win.   So, at that point, you’ve been ridiculed in court, lost your job, and your school district is on the hook for huge sums of money. 

Please do not take my word for this, and contact your School District Attorney.   They will confirm what I’ve said as true, and will advise the same, I’m sure. 

So Ron, how do we navigate this maze, and buy a roof without the problems you’ve described?

1.)      NEVER buy a roof through a “Purchasing Cooperative”.  The Purchasing Cooperative is nothing but a commissioned salesman, makes money on commission, and therefore have no incentive to compete.  Quite the opposite is true.  STAY AWAY from this obvious scam.  You CANNOT buy roofing material in “Bulk” for less money than I can.   Then, there’s the issue of storage, and triple handling.

2.)      Manufacturers offered by Purchasing Cooperatives (normally Tremco, or Garland) will typically charge 40-60% MORE, and they don’t even make many products they sell.  They have it made by someone else, and then “Private Label” it.  The only difference is that it’s marked up 300-400%.

3.)      Contact Roof Consultant’s Institute, and ask their ethics board how to move forward from there.  RCI is highly respected, and I know many of them personallty.  Factually, I was trained by the first, and only two time President of RCI, the late Mr. Bob Lyons.

https://wikiroof.blogspot.com/search?q=RCI  

RCI, Inc.
        1500 Sunday Drive, Suite 204
Raleigh, NC 27607-515
800-828-1902

        http://www.rci-online.org/

4.)      They will help you establish a “Standard” that best suits your needs, and will serve as an “apples to apples” type comparison.  This is normally included with the names of 4 manufacturers who will competitively bid the project.

These are names you know, like GAF (world’s largest roofing material manufacturer).  Firestone (backed by billions in Bridgestone assets)., Johns Manville (A Berkshire Hathaway Company), and Carlisle Syntec, leaders in fairness, and quality roof systems.

5.)      RCI will share the names of several respected roofing consultants in your area to draw up bid documents, roof plan, details, warranty term, etc.

NEVER allow one person to read sealed bids in privacy.  The best method is in an auditorium, where bids are opened, and read aloud to the public.  Any protests can be done with everyone present.

Playing with taxpayer money can ruin your life if not careful.  The Garland, and Tremco, Sales Representatives get a 25% “Commission” for getting you to sign up (unlike GAF, Firestone, Johns Manville, and Carlisle).   

NOTE: Retired 2003, do not solicit nor accept compensation, or personal advancement of any kind.

Type ‘School Roofing Scam” into your browser, and then do the same on YouTube.  The only two manufacturers listed are Garland, and Tremco.  What does that tell you Mr. Administrator, who is preparing to replace a $2,000,000.00 roof?

Roll the dice if you must, but will strongly suggest not gambling with your future, and freedom.  NO amount of money is worth that.

“The “Sole Source” argument is a foolish one, and a “come on” to certain heartbreak.  I’ve seen enough of it to last 4 lifetimes, and still, feel sorry for them each time.  Many of them are actually featured on this blogsite.

Friends, I do not share opinions, but hard data.   If you need assistance, or have a question, feel free to write to my central address:

RobertRSolomon@aol.com

I help all people who ask for help.  It is my privilege to serve you.  I DO NOT ACCEPT MONEY for any reason, so you can compare that to the Salesman’s 25% “Commission”, and make a literate, logical, informed, decision based upon public record..

Our schools are wasting literally billions of dollars listening to slick sales representatives, holding slick paperwork.  Not one bit of that matters if there is no true “Competition” among manufacturers. 

The manufacturers compete, and each manufacturer notifies their applicators to bid the final installed roof.

Manufacturers do not submit “Final” bids, their applicators do. 

My best advice:  Stay away from Tremco, Garland, and Simon.  99% of your problems lie with them.  And it gets worse when I start comparing manufacturer warranties.  Much worse. 

I am very thankful you care one bit about what I have to say, and very appreciative of the time you spend with me here.

Reject negativity in all forms and always remember to keep looking “UP”.

Respect.

Robert R. “Ron” Solomon

Public Procurement Analyst

Florida State Certification

CCC 1325620

Tampa, Florida  33647

RobertRSolomon@aol.com