Repair work on marquee moving ahead

Delays in repairing downtown Port Orchard’s marquee following the discovery of lead-based paint could end this week, when an independent company will be brought in to conduct a demolition test, city officials say.

TEC Construction won a $112,000 bid at the May 29 City Council meeting to upgrade the marquee, beginning with removing the famous picket fences from atop the facade. The company also will make repairs to the overhang structure.

But work that was set to begin the week of June 12 had to stop almost as soon as it started when a test on the blue paint revealed it was lead-based.

State Labor and Industries regulations require special handling of lead-based materials for workers during demolition and disposal.

Matt Zawlocki, assistant city engineer, said the city could be faced with additional expenses in taking down the wooden fencing. That’s why a second company has been called in to test exposure levels this week in what will amount to a one-day demolition exercise.

Workers will use protective measures and wear special tags that monitor exposures to the paint. The city should have results back within two days, Zawlocki said.

“It’s hoped that because it’s an outdoor cleanup, there won’t be any exposure and we can keep going” in removing that portion of the facade, Zawlocki said.

City officials would try to recoup some of their money from TEC Construction to pay for the test. If exposure does occur, a new plan – along with the additional costs – would have to be submitted to City Council.

Zawlocki said on Friday he was awaiting a confirmed date when the company could conduct the test since workers already have had at least two false starts.

Signs were set up along Bay Street on June 12 announcing the work, but had to be removed later in the week when the paint discovery was made.

Officials want to limit the amount of interference the work could have for local businesses, most of whom have removed their signage from the marquee in anticipation of the start of the upgrade.

Zawlocki said he doesn’t expect disposal of the painted wood to cost the city any additional funds because of the small amount of painted wood that will be thrown out.

“My gut feeling is that all of this will take one day,” Zawlocki said. “We’ll have to pay some money, but it’s not going to be that much. Hopefully it’ll be a minor drop in the bucket and we can get the project done.”

Work on the rest of the marquee probably won’t commence until after Fourth of July festivities.

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