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This week’s Locals Only
The first “Locals Only” column of 2010 called for an investigation of the Street LID, which had grown from less than $32 million in 2007, to an estimated $40 million, at that point.
At the first City Council meeting of 2010, then-Mayor Dean Bunkers took time during his “mayor’s report” to blast the North Coast News for a few stories, including the Locals Only column questioning what went wrong with the Street LID, and demanding the investigation. “If I thought there was any culpability, I would certainly ask for an investigation,” Bunker said. He added that “any responsibility lies in the chair of my office.”
A month later, Bunkers announced his resignation, four days from the announcement.
And now, the bill for the LID is $44.3 million.
Let me try again:
Mayor Garland French, can we have an investigation, audit, study session, whatever-you-want-to-call it?
The subject: Why did the LID cost so much more than we were told, three years ago?
The underlying task: Win back the public trust.
Among the questions that remain unanswered:
Why did Ken Lanfear take so long to get his cost report to Robert Macaulay? Answering my question about why it took him so long to deliver his “Special Benefits” report, Macaulay stated it was because Lanfear delayed in getting him the costs.
Other than giving protesters less time to make their case, did Lanfear’s delay end up costing us LID-Payers more?
Were the $500,000-+ in City employee costs (portion of salaries) factored in the original estimates? And if not, why not?
Why wasn’t the $4 million in “bond costs” factored into the original estimate?
Why did the construction costs come in at millions more than the 2007 estimate?
From the 2007 Macaulay report, cover letter to Ken Lanfear: “The $31,800,000+/- project will include virtually all the roads in the city, with the extent of the repairs depending on the current condition of individual road segments . . .the total estimated project cost of $31.8 million includes financing, engineering, inspection, administration and legal expenses.”
Now how did so much more get added, in just three years?
Those are just a few of my biggest questions, Mayor French. I know that other Locals have many, many more questions.
Now that the mysterious rush (after months of apparent foot dragging) to get the thing signed, sealed and delivered is finished, don’t the LID-Payers deserve explanations, from the LID-Players?
I’m sure there is no legal requirement to do this, and it seems that the City of Ocean Shores has been following advice to do only the minimum legal requirements.
Then again, there is no legal requirement to have public trust, and/or a government that is open and vigorously investigates potential cost over-runs.
It’s just the right thing to do.
tscanlon@northcoastnews.com
It all comes down to a matter of trust and right now I have ZERO!
The salary figures recently published for Lanfear and others are staggering. How can we pay for such incompetent performance and pay for the resulting mistakes, too? Are these people protected individuals…or can we fire them?
Well said Tom. This is not about beating a dead horse and no more money would be spent since we pay the city employees already.
If we are ever to get to honest government, the hard questions should be asked and the answers should be forth coming. If the people responsible for the overspending do not come forward with straight forward answers, then their incompetence is validated.
The council excuse of I wasn’t here is not good enough.
Don’t know if we should keep beating a dead horse. However, if our council ever again even hints at anything even close to sounding like LID, our citizen response should be NO NO NO.
Not interested in hearing about any 1% tax increases, either.
We’ve had to tighten our belts in response to this economy and our city can darn well do the same.
Lakeside is fixing the Ace, Going Coastal, Post Office, and who knows what else pavement edges. Maybe they will take care of the drainage issue over the Oyhut Creek next the the Shell station on Chance A La Mer. Always flooded there. Great work!!!
I think we all know what went wrong. It shouldn’t take another expensive “study” to point it out.
As a LID-Payer I look at this as just pouring good money after bad. If somebody else wants to fund it, fine. Just don’t use any of my tax money to pay for it.