As connected as Friends of Red Bridge are, I have to wonder if they’ve heard about the nasty rumor going around. Word among some of the local engineering companies is that the City Manager has gotten the word to CIMO that the only reason the viaduct style bridge isn’t already in the works, is because Chuck Eddy handled it poorly. The strategy now is to put up a front of meeting with the public and taking input, then ‘put lipstick on the corpse’ and build the original bridge. This rumor seems to be supported by the fact that engineering firms only had two weeks to respond to the RFP, the absolute minimum required. A former employee of an engineering firm here in town said it takes at least that long just to get a proposal put together.
John Sharp and Cathy Jolly are to be commended for doing the right thing for neighborhoods. Obviously, the rest of the council and the new mayor felt the same since the ordinance to repeal Chuck’s condemnation ordinance passed unanimously. Now they need to keep their eyes on city staff and CIMO to ensure whatever procedure is followed is done so in good faith. Right now the rumor mill says that isn't happening.
