Special meeting now called to order. Apologies for spelling errors and the like. I'm a poor typist.
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Dan Coffey asks for public communications and city official communication, which means that Carl Malysz distributes estimates for paving costs and implications. Cost has risen. The November 2008 estimate is on the table; Coffey believes that the estimate is padded because gasoline is so much cheaper now, and says the bottom line is that contractors are cutting bids to the "bare bones." Doesn't believe that it's gone up like that. Thinks his charm and experience obviously would do a better job.
(We look it up: Price of oil was below $50 in November 2008, and it was $64.76 today. Coffey's at sea)
Steve Price decides to grandstand on the two-way street issue. Carl reminds him that the original $10 million was for paving. We now argue semantics about paving and two way streets. We must decide whether someone is going to pull the rug out and turn a street around ... gads.
Kevin Zurschmiede still wants specific bids, and says there is no hurry, as this is the first reading.
carl notes that this is about more than paving. There's also milling.
John Gonder: Why are you worried about it not being used for paving?
Coffey: It's happened before!! We have to be careful with "them people" (not exact quotes, but body language)
Price: Paving's a necessity, not a want.
Jack Messer: $2 million won't go anywhere. The plan, please? Needs a plan before he'll consider a bond issue.
Carl: Not quite true. Streets graded 6 through 1 are the ones being targeted. Speaks of the specifics of the giant binder that contained the whole plan, and the administration wanted to rasie the capital to get it done, and might be able to do quite a bit given the hunger of contractors. With only $2 million, we're not sure how to spend it. They haven't gone there yet. $10 million does it all; $2 million doesn't dent it.
Council: Where's the list? Communication?
City Hall: Mayor communicated, said he was interested in priorities.
No one trusts anyone ... too many petty ambitions ... no one will take the lead in consulting with the other.
He said/she said/he said/he said/she said/he said/she said/he said/he said/
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Price: If we do the $2 million, 15th street, Jo-Lar pet store, sewers wordswordswordswords.
Coffey: Seems to be supporting something, just not sure what. Something between this reading and the next one? Something with numbers showing the order of paving priorities?
How much EDIT money is being wasted on sewer subsidies?
Jeff Gahan: Public wants streets paved. $2 million is a start. Appropriate and start paving.
Messer: Public wants to know what will be paved.
Mickey Thompson explains that some time, they can't pave a bad road because of utilities planning to come through later.
KZ: Tell us the worst ones we can pave this year, and that's where we start.
John Rosenbarger: "This is the most systematic approach in the history of the city of New Albany." First was cataloguing, second step pricing, and third step determining a total. Federal money available for some matters of signalling, et al. Explains that decisions have to be made when all can't be done at once. If there was $10, the strategic planning can begin, but without, piecemeal is the only available choice.
John yet again explains the concept of a draw bond, i.e., spend only what is needed. 100th time?
Coffey: Still a lot of questions. We did not procrastinate!!! Coffey doesn't understand why two separate studies were done ... wait, there were not. John says that it was updated. Veering off the point.
Gonder: Why are we not using the bond option when we don't pay it back until it is used? Why discuss these other options? We haven't done the maintenance, which got us into trouble.
YES!! COFFEY NOW RETURNS TO THE SEWER SYSTEM!! IT'S THE FAULT OF SEWER REPAIRS! NO TAXPAYER BURDEN!!
Gonder: Won't we be depleting EDIT funds?
Meeting on Monday. June 1. Carl says there'll be a list of the first $2 million.
Vote asked for. 1st reading only; 2nd and 3rd Monday.
Unanimous in favor.
Mr. Baylor, this may have been the first time a majority of this council has ever heard of a spreadsheet.
ReplyDeleteConsidering that VisiCalc debuted in about 1982, that's no surprise.
If oil (the primary component of asphalt) has risen 30% since November, few would be surprised that paving costs would have risen. Yet, Mr. Coffey insists that in his daily business discussions (isn't he a rag-picker), he KNOWS that paving contractors are begging for work. This despite the fact that U.S. asphalt capacity is falling below demand, despite the fact that enormous federal dollars are being thrown at infrastructure, and despite the fact that oil is up 30% over last November.
Same excrement from council, different day.
Oh...I might comment further. Hope you don't mind if I use word of more than 1 sillobble.
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ReplyDeleteMr. Baylor, this may have been the first time a majority of this council has ever heard of a spreadsheet.
ReplyDeleteAnd just think: Two of 'em weren't there. According to Coffey math, that's something like 22% less often than moreover.
Someday I'd like to know when the formatting on comments went crazy.
ReplyDelete