Teleconferencing Project Correspondence

 

February 4, 1998

TO:

County Superintendents
Chief Business Officials
FCMAT County Contact Persons

FROM:

Bill Luehe, Director
FCMAT Professional Development

SUBJECT:

FCMAT Teleconferencing Project Update

 

We have just completed negotiations with COMSAT RSI and I am pleased to report to you that with the new contract language modifications in place, we will now be able to move the Teleconferencing Project forward.

There are still a number of details that must be worked out relative to the project. However, the purpose of this update is to give you the earliest possible notification of the items that we can begin to move ahead on. These are:

1. COMSAT RSI will be replacing the DH 3.7 meter parabolic satellite dish that was delivered to you late last summer with a new Miralite antenna of equal size and features. The reasons that you will be receiving a new dish are three fold: (1) concern for the way the satellite dishes were shipped (uncrated), (2) concern for the manner in which the dishes were delivered and stored, and (3) concern regarding the amount of time that has elapsed between the delivery of the satellite antennas and the actual installation.

We don't have a pick-up or delivery schedule for the dishes at this time. As soon as we receive a schedule from COMSAT RSI, we will get the information out to you. We would ask that you continue to safely secure your DH dish as you wait for it to be picked up. In addition, please locate and secure all of the satellite dish hardware that was delivered to your site in anticipation of it being returned to the vender. It is of utmost importance that you have all of the delivered hardware in your ready possession in order to avoid being charged for materials delivered but not returned to the vender.

When you receive your new Miralite antenna, please be sure to give the dish a very careful visual inspection for damage or defects before signing off that you have received the antenna. Note any concerns that you have regarding the condition of the dish directly on the delivery manifest. If you do note concerns on the manifest, please FAX a copy of the manifest to Larry Ciecalone at 805-636-4656. Your new antenna will be shipped crated. Please store the antenna in its crated condition.

2. In those COEs that are using roof mounts, we would ask you to immediately contact your structural engineer to determine if the new dish will change your roof weight loading. The new weight loading is attached. Please send your structural engineer's weight load analysis and a drawing showing how the antenna will be tethered, to the attention of Larry Ciecalone, at the FAX number above, no later than February 15. The contractor will not proceed with any portion of the project until all roof mount weigh loads have been received.

3. Those COEs that have elected to do a wall/pole mount installation will receive an installation schedule from this office once we know that you have received your new dish. As you recall, COEs using a wall/pole mount will need to sign a "hold harmless" agreement. That agreement is enclosed. Please review the document and if you have any questions give me a call. If not, sign the agreement and send it to Bill Luehe, at the address on the letterhead.

4. New site surveys will be performed by the vendor at the following COE sites: Imperial, Kings, Madera, Merced, Napa, Placer, San Benito, San Diego, Siskiyou. Sutter and Tehema. Napa and San Benito COEs will have Nonstandard Costs for the new survey.

5. Once again, if it is necessary to get clearance at your site for such restrictions as zoning regulations, CC and Rs, etc. and if you haven't already done so, please have these in order as soon as possible - before the new installation crew arrives. A delay may result in additional charges.

6. The vendor will install a new foundation design (for ground mounts), stamped by a California Professional Engineer (PE) and appropriate for most local soil conditions. Where the standard foundation design can be installed (in class 2 or 3 soil conditions per the 1994 Uniform Building Code and ANSI/TIA/EIA - 222- F definition) there will be no Nonstandard Cost.

If another foundation design is required, the first $200. of additional cost is within the scope of the contract. Costs beyond that will be deemed Nonstandard and the responsibility of the COE.

7. COMSAT RSI will remove the previously installed concrete ground mount foundations. If it is not possible to install the new antenna foundation in the same location as the previously installed foundation, COMSAT RSI will restore the site upon removal of the previously installed foundation and install the foundation at another approved location.

8. COMSAT RSI will honor all purchase orders received to date for Nonstandard work that was part of the original contract. However, these charges may increase or decrease if the scope of the project changes at your site.

9. Our contract with COMSAT RSI includes a provision to provide training for your staff. This training will be provided by the subcontractor that performs your down link installation. Please do everything possible to have your staff available for the training when it is scheduled.

10. Our contract completion date has been extended to April 30, 1998. As you might guess, there are a number of conditions in the contract language that would extend this date if they are not met in a timely fashion. Some of these include:


10.1 Inability of the installation crew to have access to the COE work site and facilities during the work week.

10.2 Inability of the installation crew to conduct previously scheduled training of the local COE staff.

10.3 Any request by COE staff for additional work (Nonstandard) that has not been requested and scheduled in advance of the installation crew arriving on site. (Note: Please think through any additional work that you may want the installation crew to accomplish at your site, i.e., linkage to more than one conference room. Once you have determined this, notify the following - [Jesse Robinson, COMSAT RSI Project Coordinator at 301-428- 5027 and Larry Ciecalone, KCSOS Director at 805-636-4755.] Please do this as far in advance as possible).

10.4 Any delays deemed to be the responsibility of the COE to provide or secure zoning clearances, electrical analysis, equipment location, room location and site access. If you are faced with a delay in this area, please call Larry Ciecalone.

10.5 Any delay in sending your structural engineer's new weight load analysis (for roof mounted antennas only) with accompanying drawing showing the antenna and the required tethering.

Keep in mind that delays (as mentioned above) have the potential to effect the overall project deadline and not necessarily just the local site schedule.

If you have any questions regarding the above information or other aspects of the project, please feel free to call Jesse Robinson (see above), Larry Ciecalone (see above), Ken Richter, Chief Engineer, KCSOS, at 805-636-4809 or Bill Luehe, Director, FCMAT, at 805-636-4614. As additional information is formulated, we will update you.

As we once again get underway to complete the Teleconferencing Project, we would like to say "THANKS" to those of you who have expressed your support and patience.

 

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