The board announced the meeting on the WPA website stating, "The Agenda will be Roads Project. A closed meeting will follow." All nine board members were in attendance. Eight residents attended.
Three bids for the road projects had been opened during the May monthly meeting. The bids were $206,007.50, $178,307.44, and $196,365.65. There are 9 sites to be worked on . Earthworks were paid to re-engineer 3 of the sites, and drew up the specs for the other 6. Anderson, Roads Chair, made a motion to accept the bid of Coastal Asphalt of $178,307.44. It should be noted that Earthworks prepared the request for proposal, all contractors are licensed and insured, and Earthworks has working knowledge of the performance of all three. It is a fixed contract.
Discussion began. Some areas will have roots cut that have grown under our roads - root barriers. There was some conversation about whether that would make those trees more prone to falling over in a storm causing liability for the association. McBride asked where the $178,000 plus was coming from. $156,000 would come from Roads' allocation. The other possibilities were Emergency funds, excess in Landscape, Miscellaneous, etc. McBride states that if we have pending legal concerns, maybe we shouldn't be spending the money. De Marchi speaks about $128,000 in past dues and he thinks they'll collect about $75,000 of that. Cline says that the board has put a limit on one attorney situation that is coming up. McBride asks if Earthworks will be out here during the project. Anderson says that is a separate motion. Garrison begins to talk about the fact that there is some drainage work within the contracts, in specific areas, and begins to throw out figures from a reference sheet in his board packet. McBride states that he hasn't been provided that detail in his packet, asks to see it and quietly walks over to Garrison, and reviews the information. There is conversation about why so much consideration to cul-de-sacs? Priorities are discussed. McBride wants some assurance before they vote on the first motion, that Earthworks will oversee the project. President Walton asks for a little detail of the cost, etc. The information is provided and there appears to be no objection to the board of cost. The vote to award the contract to Coastal Asphalt for $178,307.44 passes with 8 votes. McBride abstains, stating that he needs to know more about the legal potential costs.
The board moves to the second motion to contract with Earthworks for $2,560.00 (not to exceed). It passes.
President Walton announces a recess. He states when the board returns the meeting will be closed for personnel.
COMMENTS:
First, Roads Chair, Anderson should be commended for the concrete, open, sound business approach to this project. He has stayed with it for months, seen it halted temporarily with questions and suggestions, researched and came back with answers. He has sought engineering, professional services for request for proposal development, and contract management. He openly acknowledges that he doesn't have the expertise to provide the technical oversight of the contractor. It is just a great job.
You may, or may not agree with the priority of the road repair. The work on Pine Grove will cost $76,000. One of the others was repaired in the last round of road repair. Garrison speaks to some of these areas never being repaired in years and years. At least, it appears that where ever the work is done, the method of solicitation, the contractors, and the oversight, is professional, almost a first with this group.
As an observer at the meeting, there should be concern when ALL board members are not provided full information to make a decision, and vote. Why did Garrison have material related to this project that McBride didn't? Who made that decision and why?
Why is your board closing a meeting for personnel? We have one paid staff person - that's personnel. What legal issues do some know about that McBride doesn't? Despite a great Roads project, the secretive, old boy's network was at the table again.
