Visitor shocked by electricity at new Lowdermilk Park pavilion

Literally.

The day after the August opening of the new Lowdermilk Park pavilion along the Gulf of Mexico, concession stand employees reported that one person was shocked by electricity after leaning on the metal window track of the service window and that items in the concession area were charged with electricity, according to an injury report dated Aug. 2.

A local electric company was called to the scene and found that when the cooking hood light was turned on, some concession items were charged.

"There seems to be an area where the power for that area was crossed onto a ground wire," Chuck Cunha of the maintenance department wrote in the injury report.

The person shocked was not hurt, according to the report.

The pavilion was designed by William Overstreet, the former building official who also served as city architect during his nine years with the city. Overstreet resigned last month shortly after being suspended with pay by City Manager Bob Lee. Overstreet has been accused of violating flood rules established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, accepting fishing trips on company time from Boran Craig Barber Engel Construction Co. Inc., instructing building department employees to give favors to builders and giving himself discounts on permit fees when working on his Coral Drive home.

A list of allegations was made shortly after taped interviews with city employees were conducted by Naples Police Capt. Victor Morales.

The Lowdermilk Park concession stand problem was mentioned in one of the taped interviews with former FEMA coordinator and Facilities Maintenance Supervisor Bob Devlin.

Devlin told Morales during the taped interview that Overstreet had brought an electrical inspector and contractor to the site and found no safety violations before the pavilion opened.

"A week later, we opened the building to the public and people were coming in to make purchases and because the electrical work was done improperly, they were getting shocked, actually shocked, through wood," Devlin said.

Community Services Director David Lykins said he was surprised when he heard that the wire was not connected properly.

"A contractor should hire subcontractors that are knowledgeable about correctly installing electrical systems," Lykins said. "That's what they're paid to do."

The contractor for the project was Owen-Ames-Kimball Co., which also was the contractor for River Park Community Center.

But, according to Overstreet, Lykins shouldn't have been surprised.

Overstreet said that sometimes the city omits certain items from contracts so maintenance employees from the Community Services Department can handle them instead, which is what he said happened with the wiring at the pavilion.

Overstreet said the city inspectors "did a very thorough job of inspecting that building."

"I know community services people went in there afterwards and did some work," Overstreet said. "It was after that they had some problems."

Lykins disagrees.

"It was a responsibility of the contractor," Lykins said. "Our facilities maintenance staff located the issue after the contractor had built the building. They found the ground wire had been inappropriately connected. That's what we reported."