Reclaim Lakes–Halifax Paving Progress
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Dear Manager Harden,
With only two City Council meeting dates available in December I’m curious when we will get an update on the progress of the “Dirt Hauling” contract with Halifax Paving. This contract has a completion date of December 31, 2014 and is currently guaranteed by a Performance and Payment Bond. The latest Dirt Tracking report from Public Utilities indicates that Halifax is on track to fulfill one aspect of the contract but more is required of them than simply delivering a certain number of cubic yards of dirt to City stockpiles.
As the City Attorney noted when Council approved the Performance and Payment Bond Amendment, the bond was to “provide for performance of all aspects of this contract.”
A partial list of other aspects of the contract includes:
- delivery of as-builts,
- repair and widening of Shunz Rd,
- completion of the perimeter berm of Lake A,
- sodding of the berm and other areas, and
- construction of emergency outfalls.
At one time there was also discussion about having Halifax pay for the Remedy Staffing employee who was keeping track of loads hauled. If I remember correctly, Fred Griffith said that monthly meetings were now being held with the contractor, so now seems an appropriate time to hear from Mr Griffith on the status of this contract.
To date, the Halifax Paving contract has been a ten-year source of confusion, missed deadlines and sloppy to non-existent accounting and has ultimately resulted in the City of Port Orange operating under a Consent Order imposed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. For ten years City Council rubber stamped change orders, based on the recommendation of Quentin L Hampton and staff, that benefited the contractor to the detriment of the City. It would be nice to say that at least we have a clear understanding of what happened during the last six months of this 10-year mess.
Best,
Mike Gardner
618 Ruth St
Port Orange, FL 32127
386-527-1959
manddgardner@cfl.rr.com
Get ready for a good old round of double standards featuring one law for government and a different law for the rest of us. Should be interesting watching our crooked Mayor lead our spineless Council through this one. Any bets on how long before some of our freshly elected Councilmen start singing that it is time we start focusing on the future and forget about the corruption and incompetence of the past.
To Inside Joke. I hope you are wrong. We cannot go into the future without starting accountability and the time is now. City Council should not abandoned its responsibility unless it wants to be the focus of attention. If the city council lets Mayor Green and Burnette loose on the citizens, the city council will be the subject of focus and complaints. Perhaps they don’t care. We shall see. I am counting on the city council to be worth all the poisonous atmosphere that has been generated in the quest for reform and change.
The three amigos are staring and coming up to the plate. It’s time to beat the other team.
What’s your favorite baseball team? That being said, let’s move on. I’ll get back to you. — hank
That’s what Don Burnette basically said at the last council meeting. Other than that he didn’t have much to say. Probably overwhelmed by Drew’s nomination as Vice Mayor and the new 3-2 voting council.
Crying shame it’s two teams as you say. We, the citizens suffer with such a divide. These folks are elects to represent the citizens but quickly forget.
I guess I shouldn’t we surprised, it’s called politics and is done the same way in Tallahassee and Washington, why not Port Orange.
Can only hope Mayor Green Jeans gets his due soon.