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.
12 comments:
It seems like, if Sharp and Jolly really wanted a fresh look at the project, they could get the deadline extended. That would give some outside firms a chance to apply.
Oftentimes the preference is for local firms. In this instance, though, the preference should be for the best firm.
If a firm can't put together a good proposal in two weeks maybe they should not be considered. Any firm that hopes to have a chance of success on this project probably has in-house marketing and public relations staff. Meeting a two week deadline should not be a problem.
Maybe if this were just a road plan or just a bridge plan, it wouldn't take as long; but this is a plan for the road from Holmes to Grandview. It seems like advertising 3-4 weeks wouldn't be unreasonable if anyone truly wanted an objective approach. From my experience with city staff, that isn't what they want.
Who in their right mind would want this job? There's going to be unhappy people regardless of what the engineering study says. This whole thread is begining to undermine a process that hasn't even started.
Looks like the CIMO trolls are starting to show up.
you guys are paranoid.
Just curious. Has anyone expressed the concerns in this blog post to Sharp and Jolly? It may be their job to look into it, but the principle of due diligence says that it is also our job as voters and taxpayers to make sure they are doing their job.
Hi, Joe...
I can tell you that that rumor has made its way to the ear of Councilman Sharp.
Through the trust placed in us by hundreds of Kansas Citians, Friends of Red Bridge have the responsibility to exercise citizen oversight over this process.
Council members Sharp and Jolly have been working on our behalf to that end.
The rumor reported here is just a rumor, but if true it is extremely disturbing. We trust that our council representatives will make sure a progressive firm is chosen to devise context-sensitive alternatives to the anti-neighborhood, anti-environment mega-bridge.
Whats Chuck Eddy doing these days?
Craig,
You guys got hosed.
Chuck Eddy is back manipulating people's spines instead of the government. I got a coupon for his chiropractic service in my Value Mail. :)
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