Renovation of a municipal facility in Toledo, Ohio. Working plans call for the renovation of a municipal facility.

As of 12/21/2021 The decision has been made indefinitely suspend the restroom renovation project that required us to install temporary restrooms. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/transportation/2021/12/18/tarta-to-implement-project-labor-agreement-for-capital-improvement-work/stories/20211218040 TARTA to implement project labor agreement for capital improvement work Months after being picketed by a construction union for using nonunion labor, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority board of trustees is preparing to adopt a policy that would effectively require union contractors in the future. The TARTA board recently tapped Tim McCarthy, a labor lawyer with Shumaker, Loop, and Kendrick, to develop a project labor agreement with the Northwest Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council. Project labor agreements do not mandate union contractors, but set requirements that effectively weed out many nonunion contractors. The agreement is happening in preparation of major capital improvement projects, Mr. McCarthy said. The transit authority's main bus garage at 1127 W. Central Ave. is slated for a $1.1 million renovation project, with work scheduled to begin next summer. An attorney specializing in labor agreement work was needed for this particular situation, said Joan Rife, TARTA's regular counsel. "When there are issues like this that don't come up as frequently, we often consult with other attorneys who may have a particular focus of practice on a certain area, and that is what Mr. McCarthy has," she said. The TARTA trustees in October directed the transit authority's administration to seek outside counsel for the purpose of securing a labor agreement. Both Laura Koprowski, TARTA's chief executive officer, and Ms. Rife had been in discussions with the building-trades council prior to that decision, according to the board's minutes "I feel that Tim has the credentials and I am glad he is part of our team working on this," Ms. Koprowski said. Police were called Oct. 6 to the main TARTA bus station on Huron Street when a small number of union protestors picketed outside. According to the police report, the protesters represented the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 8 over a work dispute and the protestors placed an inflatable pig holding a money bag on the sidewalk. Ms. Koprowski said that dispute was the result of both union and non-union contractors working on a door replacement project. "The contractor came back and finished the project and we were able to get that resolved," she said. Mr. McCarthy has previously represented contractors in negotiations with the building-trades council, which is an umbrella group of local construction unions. He presented information at the November board meeting regarding the proposed contract, which will have a three-year term and would not be tied to any one project but instead would apply to any project that costs more than $100,000. "The agreement that is being discussed would allow TARTA to hire any contractor, whether unionized or not, so long as the contractor agreed to observe area standards on wages and fringe benefits," Mr. McCarthy said. "Working with the building trades allows TARTA to hire qualified contractors and skilled trades women and men on its more important projects, and to do so on a cost-effective basis that provides opportunities for minority, women's and disadvantaged business enterprises." Federal regulations permit the potential arrangements that are being discussed and the Federal Transit Administration will be consulted on such arrangements, he added. The project at the Central Avenue garage will include a complete overhaul of outdated lavatories to make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act while enlarging the women's area, which is currently much smaller than the men's facilities. The project also includes improved office space, touchless water fountains, new LED lighting, and an updated kitchenette. Andy Cole, TARTA's communications and marketing manager, said discussions about a project labor agreement began "in earnest in the summer." "We would like to assure that we have quality labor on every capital project we have," said Mr. Cole. "It hasn't been that big of an issue, because we haven't had that many projects in the last few years." In a statement, Ms. Koprowski echoed that sentiment, writing, "TARTA's view is that a PLA can serve as a beneficial tool to promote the public and taxpayers' interests in assuring timely, quality, safe, and efficient completion of construction and capital projects. As TARTA is considering managing projects with multiple contractors and bargaining units on a job site at the same time, a PLA is a tool that will allow us to help avoid work disruptions and maintain the continuity of work." A final labor-agreement policy is expected to come before the TARTA board in the form of a resolution at its Jan. 20 meeting ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Deadline for questions and clarifications 11/8/2021 In connection with the carrying out of this project, the Contractor shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, or handicap. The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority reserves the right to solicit or waive a new solicitation for new proposals if sufficient effort, as determined by the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, has not been made to comply with the DBE goals and requirements. The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority reserves the right to reject any and/or all proposals, to re advertise for proposals and to waive any informality in any proposal and to determine the most responsive proposal by its own criteria as described within the specification. The Authority further advises prospective Offerors that all proposals must be filed on the forms provided by the Authority and that all bids must be clearly marked on the lower left side of the outermost envelope with the words, The Owner requests all work to be completed as follows: Central Facility - November 29, 2021 through March 4, 2022 Government Station - March 7, 2022 through April 29, 2022