Shock Doctrine Recovery (Volume # 3 Quadrillion)

More Exploding Pies from the Economic Buffet. How soon before we reach the tipping point?

Manager to speed repair of N.O. assets
by The Times-Picayune
Thursday January 10, 2008, 1:23 PM

Mayor Ray Nagin's administration announced today that it has inked an agreement with a Colorado-based engineering firm to oversee a massive effort to rebuild hundreds of public assets damaged by Hurricane Katrina flooding.

The hiring of MWH, a company formerly known as Montgomery Watson Harza, will provide new expertise and administrative muscle to manage the repair and reconstruction of police and fire stations, streets, recreation centers, court buildings, museums, libraries, parks and other projects, according to a news release.

City Hall, which saw staff in critical construction planning departments reduced by at least half after the 2005 hurricane, has struggled to prioritize and keep track of rebuilding projects. Though officials expect the city to be reimbursed for the work under FEMA's Public Assistance program, completing the legwork to get the projects has lagged for more than two years.

The company is expected to earn roughly $6 million under the contract, although how much will be paid isn't yet clear because of the varying complexity of repair projects.

The Nagin administration scheduled a news conference at City Hall to discuss the new contract. MWH, based in Broomfield, Colo., has landed three major post-Katrina contracts in New Orleans, providing services in the areas of emergency debris removal, storm drain cleaning and assessment of the Sewerage & Water Board's water distribution system. About 30 people work out of the firm's office at 1340 Poydras St.