The World has posted an odd article. Odd in that it contradicts its own reporting and then has John Rowe contradicting Nikki Whitty and facts contradicting other statements. Evidently, enough concern has been expressed over the paving of ten private driveways as part of the Wallace Road LID the paper sought to clear things up but seems to have just made them muddier. The paper still fails to report on the additional $36,000 in cost to be financed over a ten year period. Nor is there mention of the incongruity of using county forces and dedicated road funds on private property when many residents report their roads are not being adequately maintained.
Although county crews paved private driveways as well as streets in the Wallace Road Local Improvement District, property owners paid for both labor and materials at the same price they would have paid a private contractor, according to Rowe.
And the plan to pave driveways while roads were being paved in the county’s first local improvement district was never a secret.
‘It was talked about at several meetings,” Rowe said.
‘It was in my feasibility document.”
This account counters the earlier account that the driveways were a surprise.
what Commissioner Kevin Stufflebean and Roadmaster John Rowe didn’t announce at the time was they were also paving 10 private driveways.
That was revealed only when citizens snapped pictures of the work in progress.
The driveways, or at least the mention that some residents wanted driveways paved, may well have been discussed at public meetings attended primarily by the residents of the LID. Rowe’s claim driveways are mentioned in his feasibility study meet the barest definition of mention.
Prior to the paving of the driveways neither the public nor the BOC were presented with the $36,000 cost and whether the County was going to be financing the cost over the ten year period. A subsequent BOC meeting ratified the paving ‘after the fact’ but the public was not informed of the costs before the paving.
Rowe also contradicts Whitty’s statement that he didn’t want to do driveways.
Another contradiction is the claim county forces were able to pave the driveways for the same price as private contractors. One LID resident claimed on this blog that it was cheaper for him to have the county do the paving.
Rowe is now saying that for the Stage Road LID it would cost $10 per yard more for the county to pave than a private contractor. This despite the county not having to pay fuel taxes or prevailing wages. Rowe claims contractors are hungry right now but where are they cutting the costs if the job requires them to pay prevailing wage? (It may be the job size does not require prevailing wages)
Lastly, the paper reports Planning Commissioner, Dennis Schad, who had five driveways paved had nothing to do with the formation of the LID. What may be pertinent in this instance is whether a sitting commissioner received favorable terms or benefits from public funds. Schad and five other property owners had their driveways paved and financed by the County, an opportunity not being offered to property owners of the other two LIDs. Of course, if Schad plans to pay the $10,200 for the driveways in full upon presentation of the final cost, it isn’t an issue.
