Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Squandering The Taxpayer's Money in Downtown Port Orchard
The marquee in downtown Port Orchard has been among the city's most contentious issues for about as long as I can remember, and I've been here since 1975. Some people wanted to tear it down, while others just wanted it fixed and updated. Tearing it down would have given the owners an opportunity to spruce up their buildings and add some charm and individuality to the downtown area, ala Poulsbo or Gig Harbor, or forced them to, depending on your point of view. The decision to repair and update it will leave downtown pretty much the same as it is, only with a different color scheme.
No matter what your preference, there's no question that Mayor Kim Abel's lack of leadership let the situation deteriorate to the point the structure itself became unsafe and was a lawsuit waiting to happen. In the three years she's been in office, all that had been done, up until the downtown merchants forced the issue, was to "study" it. Sounds like Abel is getting advice on governmental management from her friend, former SK commissioner Charlotte Garrido.
The city spent nearly $25,000 on a Bellevue-based consultant for plans contractors could use to bid on the repairs. That money also included an estimate of how much those bids should be. That’s in addition to $17,000 it spent with the same firm for a previous marquee evaluation.
So here's a couple of questions...
Isn’t there a local, Kitsap County firm the city could have spent that $42,000 with?
Why not use the plan offered to the city for free by an award-winning builder who is also a downtown merchant?
Maher Abed, the city public works director, was quoted as saying the money will be, “…well-spent because, if nothing else, it will really clarify the scope of work.”
However, once a contract was awarded to perform the work, the contractor discovered lead paint had been used in a previous marquee makeover. Removing that paint added a significant, unanticipated cost to the repair. This begs the question; If the consultant was being paid to "clarify the scope of work," shouldn't the consultant have discovered the lead paint as part of that $42,000 evaluation, and if not, why not?
In my opinion, Abed is one of Abel’s less than stellar appointments, along with Planning Director JoAnne Long-Woods. This dynamic duo has brought economic development in the city to a virtual halt.
And as we watch the progress of the marquee repair, I can't help but notice that the wood being used is not pressure treated. Anyone familiar with construction knows all wood subjected to the outside and the elements is mandated by code to be pressure treated. Where is the city's building inspector? Where is Abed? Didn’t anyone think to check the project specs to be sure this code mandate is included? How much additional tax money is going to be spent needlessly because of incompetence at City Hall?
After years, and numerous "studies," in all fairness including some before Abel was elected, it’s no national security secret what needed to done downtown. Abel should have taken the lead making it happen long before spending an unnecessary $42,000, and who knows how much more to deal with replacing the wood with the pressure treated material that should have been used in the first place?
THE ABOVE ARTICLE POSTED BY West Sound Politics @ 8/08/2006 05:49:00 PM
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