NEW ARTICLES TO BE POSTED BY END OF DAY NOVEMBER 18TH

AS PROMISED, PART II, OF THE WEDGEFIELD DRAINAGE PROJECT, NOW THE CANAL PROJECT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





MORE OF THE OCTOBER GROUNDS REPORT: WHY DID THE ALMOST TWO YEAR WEDGEFIELD DRAINAGE PROJECT, DIRECTED BY DRAINAGE CHAIR DEMARCHI, BECOME THE CANAL PROJECT, DIRECTED BY GROUNDS CHAIR MC MILLIN? THIS WILL BE A TWO PART ARTICLE

This article will be presented in two parts.  I've researched the WPA Board meeting minutes.  The Wedgefield Drainage Project was introduced by Drainage Chair DeMarchi during the March 2013 Board Meeting.  He reports month after month about this project.  During the October 2014 WPA, Grounds Report, Mc Millin, Grounds Chair, speaks to the Canal Project.  Why?

After listening to, and transcribing, McMillin's words, along with contributions from DeMarchi, and others at the table, anyone would have felt that this project has been a mess.  At one point, I tried to determine how much the project had cost to date.  That's when I went back to your board's sanitized minutes.  I printed out every Drainage Report from March 2013, when it appeared discussion of the project was first introduced.  I still couldn't figure out how much it had cost to date.  I couldn't figure out who had written the specs for such a complex project.  I couldn't figure out why your board kept putting more money into the project, without promise that what they were approving would fix the problems of the project once and for all. 

I'll start you off where I started.  Please excuse the cut, paste, and at times my hand printing.  I've done the research and I'm sharing it with you.  There are some gaps in months.  I don't believe I missed providing the information if it was there.  When you notice gaps, it is because there was no Drainage Report, or the project wasn't mentioned in a report.  As always, verify for yourself.  Go to the WPA website and follow the minutes yourself.  Here are the official minutes regarding Drainage and the Wedgefield Drainage Project, from March 2013 through September 2014.  COMMENTS WILL FOLLOW IN RED, AT THE END.

COMMENTS:

Part II of this article will be posted by end of day, on Tuesday November 9th.  It will contain your board's words.  The project will be termed as the Canal Project.  The Canal Project will be discussed by McMillin, during the Grounds Report.  He will make a motion asking for more money.  Why did the name of the project change and the leadership move from DeMarchi to McMillin?  We may never know.  What we will see during the discussion is that this project appears to be mismanaged, our funds thrown at the mistakes, and it doesn't appear by review of the minutes that real engineering was ever involved.  Who wrote the specs?  What kind of contract did we have?  I doubt that it was performance benchmarked.  What was the total cost?  We'll hear DeMarchi suggest a contractor who they paid on this project in the past and the grade was wrong, but they'll hire him again to grade now.  We'll hear DeMarchi say that he dumped two loads of cement into the project, but we don't know who told him it would work, or how much it would cost.  We'll hear McMillin's ridiculous cost estimates and reasons for doing what he suggests we do.  If you review the sanitized minutes provided above, I believe we were told this project was completed twice, and we'd be mowing the grass on it by now.  Prepare your self for Part II.





THE ARTICLE REGARDING THE BOARD'S BIDDING AND CONTRACTING PRACTICES WAS POSTED ON 11/6/14 AT 9:00A.M. WHAT'S NEXT? MORE OF THE OCTOBER 2014 GROUNDS REPORT. WHY? WHEN YOU DON'T USE REAL ENGINEERS, CONTRACTED PROFESSIONAL FIRMS, FOR PROCUREMENT, CONTRACTING, AND OVERSIGHT, YOU GET THE WEDGEFIELD DRAINAGE PROJECT RESULTS - A FAILING NEW BULK HEAD, ADDITIONS TO THE BULK HEAD - A WING WALL AT OUR EXPENSE, SOIL LEACHING INTO THE CANALS, AND ONE OF THESE GOOD OLD, KNOW IT ALL, HAS ALL THE EXPERTISE, BOYS, TAKING IT UPON HIMSELF TO FIX IT ALL, AND DUMPING CEMENT INTO THE PROJECT, AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND AN ADDITIONAL $2,500 TO DIG THE DIRT OUT OF THE CANAL, BRING MORE DIRT INTO THE SITE, AND SOD IT, WITH VOLUNTEERS! YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP! WE'LL TRANSCRIBE THEIR WORDS FOR YOU. THEY REALLY OUGHT TO BRING SHOVELS WITH THEM TO THE BOARD TABLE, TO SHOVEL AWAY THEIR OWN CRAP, AS THEY SPEAK.

THE WPA'S LACK OF ANY KIND OF A GENUINE BIDDING PROCESS, AS DEMONSTRATED DURING THE GROUNDS REPORT OF THE OCTOBER BOARD MEETING

I have listened to the tape of the October 2014 WPA Grounds Report.  I will relay what happened to the best of my ability.  Some portions will be reinforced with direct quotes, that will be placed in quotation, and underlined.  Initials will be used for companies mentioned  in the transcription, rather than full names. COMMENTS will be provided in RED, and noted as such.  As always, it is recommended that you go to The Wedgefield Times (presents a timeline when reports begin and end), and listen to the tape yourself, to verify the information. The Grounds Report comes in about 26 minutes into the tape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHILE YOUR BOARD WASN'T TAKING CARE OF THESE MISTAKES IN BIDDING,

 

THEY DID MOVE ON TO THE ALL IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE

 

BEAUTY OF WEDGEFIELD'S JELLY STONE PARK APPEARANCE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



THE ARTICLE ON THE BOARD'S BIDDING PROCESS WILL BE POSTED BY NOON ON THE 6TH. IT IS LONG AND NEEDS A LITTLEWORK YET.

ANOTHER DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING IN THE ASSOCIATION

This afternoon, between 1:30 and 2:00 PM, a neighborhood youth was seen skateboarding on Pine Grove. Crime?  No, if and you want to risk him being struck by a car coming around the curve from William Screven, that is your decision.  What isn't your decision is placing other properties in serious harm's way.  After skateboarding for a few minutes, this blondish/red haired, tall thin male, about 12 to 14 years old, fired up something that looked like a cigarette, placed his skate board in the pine straw of a near yard, and sat down to enjoy his smoke, flicking ashes into the pine straw.  There were trees between where he was sitting and the house involved.  He probably wouldn't have been seen by the owner, even if they were home.  Is his smoking a problem?  That is up to you as his parents.  Is it a problem to unsuspecting neighbors?  Could be, if he starts a fire in their yard.  Was it your child?  If he smokes, let him do it in your yard.