POSTED: Friday, May 13, 2011 --- 11:00 a.m.
Today the Wisconsin Department of Administration held a press conference to answer long-standing questions about the cost of cleaning up the State Capitol Building after weeks of huge protests in February and March.
This story received extra attention in March, when the DOA was involved in a court hearing over the right of protesters to stay in the Capitol beyond normal operating hours. Hundreds of protesters camped out inside and outside the building, and even set up mini-communities. In court hearings, the DOA suggested the protesters may be causing significant damage to the building and grounds, and also cited security concerns. DOA Secretary Mike Huebsch said in that hearing that one estimate suggested damage estimates could reach as high as $7.5 million, a figure that was called into question by many observers.
MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Administration today released preliminary estimates for law enforcement, clean up and repair costs associated with sustained demonstrations at the State Capitol in February and March. In total, the preliminary total of law enforcement and repair costs is $8,089,215 for the time period of February 14, 2011 through March 13, 2011.
Law enforcement services associated with the demonstrations at the Capitol total approximately $7,819,665. This figure is preliminary, as the Department has not received all invoices from local law enforcement agencies. Nor has the Department audited or paid any invoices.
Law enforcement during the demonstrations was provided by the Capitol Police, Wisconsin State Patrol, University of Wisconsin Police Department, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Justice, and local law enforcement agencies.
Capitol Police, $458,406: This figure represents only staffing costs such as overtime and staffing beyond that which would be incurred on a typical day by the Capitol Police. On a typical day, Capitol Police has approximately 14 staff on duty at the Capitol.
Local Law Enforcement, $3,904,919: The Department signed a memorandum of understanding with 202 of law enforcement agencies from across the state to provide additional staffing at the Capitol. The MOU calls for the Department to reimburse local law enforcement for wages (including overtime and benefits), mileage, lodging, damage to equipment or clothing, and medical expenses arising while providing assistance. Thirty-two law enforcement agencies who have signed MOUs have not submitted reimbursement claims yet. This figure represents expenses submitted by these agencies.
Other State Agencies, $3,034,088: The Wisconsin State Patrol, University of Wisconsin Police Department, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Department of Justice provided personnel at the Capitol to assist with law enforcement needs. The Department asked these agencies to submit to it only staffing costs such as overtime and staffing beyond that which would have been incurred on a typical day. This figure represents expenses reported by these agencies.
Additional Supplies and Services, $422,252: Some miscellaneous costs were incurred by the Capitol Police during the demonstrations that will be paid by the Department. Capitol Police provided food to county and municipal law enforcement officers and support staff who were there to provide security and unable to leave their posts for extended periods of time. Other examples of miscellaneous products and services include: ear buds for the officers’ radios because there was too much noise in the building to use the speaker/handset attached to their uniform, on-site health checks for officers who worked long periods of time, and security for the parking lots where the municipal police parked their vehicles which contained expensive communications equipment and possibly weapons.
CAPITOL CONDITION ASSESSMENT:
The preliminary estimate for repairs to the Capitol and Capitol grounds is $269,550.
In March, the Department hired Charles Quagliana, a historical architect who participated in the Capitol renovation completed in 2004, to assess the condition of the Capitol and recommend remedies. Mr. Quagliana surveyed the stone surfaces in the public areas of the Capitol which include Kasota and Mankato stone, granite, syenite and marble. He examined the surfaces for tape, tape residue, magic marker and other foreign marks, as well as for new nicks and chips in the stone. Mr. Quagliana did not examine the stone or other items like furniture or carpeting in individual offices or legislative chambers as demonstrations did not generally occur in those areas.
In his report, Mr. Quagliana notes, “Essentially, the building experienced 3-5 years of wear within a two week period of late February and early March, 2011.”
Mr. Quagliana recommends using a custom poultice to remove marker and other foreign stains from the stone. He expects this will take between 80-100 hours. Mr. Quagliana also recommends using a skilled mason with expertise in specific stone materials to repair nicks and chips. He expects this will take about 200-250 hours. Finally, Mr. Quagliana recommends using semi-skilled workers to clean the marble. He expects this work to take about 3,500-4,000 hours.
In addition, the preliminary total includes ongoing repair costs related to the demonstrations for items such as broken doors and window frames, as well as overtime costs for additional custodial work.
The preliminary estimate does not include costs for some additional cleaning identified in the report because it predates the demonstrations. The estimate also does not include costs associated with the noted wear on the building that may require future repairs. For instance, during the demonstrations, the building’s HVAC system ran nearly non-stop, a volume it was not designed for, shortening its useful life.
Interior Repair, $161,050: Based on Mr. Quagliana’s recommendations, repair work to the stone in the Capitol is expected to cost approximately $111, 750. Estimated hourly wages for a custom poultice, skilled mason, and semi-skilled workers to do the work are about $50, $120, and $21.40, respectively.
In addition, to date, about $49,300 has been expended for ongoing repairs ($3,100), additional custodial services ($30,500), professional photography to prepare for the assessment ($1,900), and Mr. Quagliana’s assessment ($13,800).
Exterior Repair, $108,500: Repairs will be made to the lawn and a limited number of shrubs and trees will need to be replaced. A planned project to upgrade the sprinkler system on the lawn is not included in this cost estimate. All repair work will be bid out. The bulk of the work will take place in August or later so as not to disrupt planned events on the Capitol Square this summer
