No overruns! ‘We stayed to the cost’ - James P. Todman
The official handing over and opening ceremony was held last evening February 20, 2020. Among those in attendance were Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A Fahie (R1), and Deputy Premier and Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Carvin Malone (AL), along with all other Ministers of Government, Leader of the Opposition Honourable Marlon A Penn (R8), former Premier and Minister of Finance Dr D. Orlando Smith, and former Health Minister Mr Ronnie W. Skelton.
Addressing the ceremony, the owner of James Todman Construction Ltd, Mr James P. Todman, cleared the air as it related to the funding of the project in the face of a number of delays experienced.
On October 19, 2029, BVI News inaccurately ran a story with the headline ‘More than $1M cost overrun announced for construction of Iris O’Neal Medical Centre’. The news article stated that phase one of construction of the new Nurse Iris O’Neal Medical Centre on Virgin Gorda is “costing the government more than one million dollars in overruns.”
"James Todman Construction, James Todman himself and his team give you a cost and we stayed to the cost unless you changed it. So I want that to be noted, "Mr James Todman of James Todman Construction Limited stated on February 20, 2020.
The project stretched back from 2009 when then government purchased the land and architectural plans were released.
In June 2014 then Minister for Health, Honourable Ronnie W. Skelton had announced the first timeline for the completion of the project which was set for December 2017. Ground broke on March 30, 2015 and, with the contract awarded to James Todman Construction Company Limited, works commenced in June.
Changes to contract
The work came to an halt when the hurricanes of 2017 devastated the Territory but work recommenced the following year at which time changes were made to the original contract, according to Mr Todman.
"I stress this area, we started, changes were made to the original contract so the project did not run over. Additional things were added so the cost had to move up. So the project was never over-run. So let us get that area clear."
Speaking in the House of Assembly on Thursday, October 17, 2019, Health Minister Hon Malone said the total value of the contract which was awarded to James Todman Construction Ltd stood at $7,016,228.90 with $6,649,921.49 of that sum being certified for payment.
“The increase of $1,046,541.51 from the original contract sum of $5,969,687.39 is attributable to the fact that the contractor was asked to perform a significant amount of additional works under the current phase of construction, which were considered necessary for the safe and efficient operation of the facility,” Hon Malone had said.
All credits given where due
Mr Todman started off with a light moment of commanded laughter from the crowd when he said it wouldn't have been fair to speak for a short five minutes having worked the project with three Health Ministers and in a second outburst of laughter from the audience when he said.
"When I was signing the contract I was comfortable now I handing over I am a little frightened."
At the end of his remarks, the Todman family made a surprise donation of a $30,000 cheque to the facility.
Premier Fahie, like all others who addressed the gathering, acknowledged the role played by past governments, their ministers and officers of the health sectors past and present.
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7 Responses to “No overruns! ‘We stayed to the cost’ - James P. Todman”
genuine local contractors. Congratulation Sir.
Thumbs up to James Todman construction for bringing this project to completion on budget; this is exception, not the rule. Typically most construction projects are not completed either on or under budget; they are most often over the project budget. Poor estimating by government personnel and inadequate bidding by contractors are a factor. This combined with government contracts always being inflated always result in the taxpayers not getting a fair and reasonable deal; they don’t get value for money. Government needs to hold contractors to their bids; contracted bidded and awarded, the only change orders should be a)modification by government, b) latent defects and c) unforeseen conditions. Every contract should have a protected(sealed until bids are revealed at end of submission period) government estimate (GE) to compare contractor’s bid to. A bid way below the GE or way over the GE should raise the concerns about the bid and ability of contractor to complete without having to default or cut corners or that the taxpayers are getting a fair and reasonable deal.