The bridge to nowhere in White Cliff Park (or what's going on with it?)
I have been looking into this ridiculous project for possible signs of wasted expenditures, and a couple of things have surfaced. I believe the ONLY person so far to "condemn" the current bridge as "unusable" is Mr. Jim Eckrich, PE of City Administrator fame.
Now the interesting thing here is that Mr. Eckrich's discipline is in CIVIL ENGINEERING and as such he should know if it's sound or not, but where is the "second opinion," Shouldn't we have one before we spend the money ?
Next it was said on the Dias that a "canopy fire" would be the ruination of Crestwood, and thus the bridge was needed (forget the fact that a road behind the complex leads there now,) else life as we know it was over. (I take it the fire is waiting for the bridge completion ?)
To date what has been accomplished other than a couple of "bore samples" to determine if you can build a bridge there. Not one scrap of paper drawings have been forthcoming (that we know of,) and we have no idea what our "final cost" will be. I am in a business (HVAC) that sees "change orders" and requests for "more money" all the time due to rising costs of raw materials (sheet metal up 50%,) are we going o be the victim of this same thing ?Is there any sort of "oversight committee" from City Hall to insure this WILL NOT HAPPEN ?
Mr. Eckrich, I ask you and the Public Works director to show us a copy of the contract with the engineering company so we may ALL be enlightened. If not, well I will be filing a FOIA form for it, so this is your chance to show us the "open Government" promised by "His Honor !"
I ask that the Board re-consider this expenditure at this time as were low on tax revenue, the employees need to be taken care of first (our portion of the funds would go a long way toward raises) and apparently we really don't need the bridge to begin with ! If you must have this folly (citizens can't drive on it) wait until 2012 when the aquatic center is paid off and then re-visit it. I know "the grant money," well that money came from US (tax payers) not some tree in Washington, so the heck with it !
What do you think ?
Tom Ford
NO. 847
posted by Crestwood Independent at 08:10
6 Comments:
Tom,
I'll need to check this, but a second opinion on the bridge was asked for, either by Alderman Duchild or Miguel. I think Alderman Duncan quashed it. I'll see if I can find it.
All I can say is - beware of canopy fires and feral cats. It could be the end of Crestwood!
4:16 PM Blogger: Correct it was requested but I don't think it was ever completed.
You bet on the fires and cats, by the way is Susie on loan to the County to track down the West County Mountain Lion I saw on the news ?
Tom Ford
The mountain lion's location is top secret. Please give any information you may have to Susie asap.
6:44 PM Blogger: I thought that Susie had magical powers to detect the presence of any "cats" so why do we need to tell her where it is ?
Tom Ford
the mountain lion was last seen crossing the bridge at WhiteCliff. He's hoping to join up with some other feral cats.
2:20 PM Blogger: I am sure the call has gone out from Susie to her top Lieutenants ( Linda Watson and Mary Wheat) to insure that round the clock patrols are in force to stop any link up !
My goodness this calls for an increase in the "animal control" (read adoption club) budget for the gas, oil, coffee, needed to stave off the "Mountain Lion / Feral cat invasion!
To paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill, "We shall fight them on the streets, we shall fight them in the yards, we shall never give up!"
Tom Ford
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