The Wedgefield Examiner has listened to, and transcribed the entire open board meeting held on February 26th. An overview, with a few quotes will be provided. Listen to the tape for your own verification. DIRECT QUOTATIONS will be underlined and in quotation marks. COMMENTS will appear in red and will be seen throughout the article.
President Walton opened the meeting with all nine board members present. He quickly turned it over to DeMarchi, who for whatever reason, was in charge of the storm clean up contracting.
DeMarchi tells us that the storm was the worst since Hugo. He says, "This is a reminder, the Hugo clean up cost us $38,000. We had less residences and less roads in the plantation at that time." He goes on to say that they contacted Great Lawns, who declined to do the work. He then says they contacted Dan H. (couldn't catch the entire name.) and S&W. S&W already had equipment in here. Dan H wanted more per ton and also wanted a mileage charge, and mobilization fee. He names all the great equipment that S&W has available for the job. He states, " They started in the Enclave. That's where I live, but that's where they staged their equipment and proceeded (Didn't have too. Unless you are only looking out for yourself). Initially they took the first four days, because Friday they came in and they cleared all the road ways. Then they drove around and cut all the hanging limbs that were present, and they started picking up on three special occasions. There were complaints from residents and I had to hold them off to address more hanging limbs over the roadway..........The first four days we took one hundred and one point seven tons to the dump for which we were charged for dump fees. If you read the article in the paper about free dumping, it was wrong. That did not go into effect until Feb. 22nd." President Walton says something that can't quite be heard. DeMarchi, "Dump fee is $20 a ton provided you have nothing over 6 feet in length and 8 inches in diameter" A short time later, "We contracted with S&W for all - to clear the roads, load the debris...all the way at $50 a ton." Again he gives us their equipment line up and the corresponding tonnage they could carry. He tells us they'll provide the dump slips. He then tells us at some point the dumps are allowing private contractors to dump storm debris at no charge. He's calculated the dump fees and the trips they made and states at some earlier point that, he calculated, we would owe them $5,311.65. He then tells us that Mr. Richardson (must be S&W) has lowered his price and is charging a flat fee on the stuff, prior to the cancellation on the dump fee. He tells us what he had been charging on each of the varying size pieces of equipment (trucks). Now as of Monday, he quotes the reduced rate on each size truck. So the bill that he submitted was reviewed with DeMarchi, and now instead of $5,300, we will be billed $4,080. He and the President have signed it and paid for it , out of reserves at TD Bank. He says he drew up a contract between S&W and the association. He mentions all the services S&W are to perform. The total contract is not to exceed $14,000. He goes into the terms of payment, etc. He then says, "If it is less than $14,000, he (Richardson) will adjust his price down to it. If it is over $14,000, he (Richardson) will eat it."
DeMarchi never tells us what date they started. The storm was the 12th. There was a meeting that night and $8,000 was approved for storm clean up.. DeMarchi gave the report at the monthly board meeting on the 18th. Six days later (18th) he told us that S&W was the contractor, he was clearing a lot, and he was staging in the Enclave. On the 18th his brief report did not quote rates, did not mention the signing of a contract, and he stated he had been driving around moving stuff off the road, himself. I began to think S&W stood for SIT & WAIT. DeMarchi, not during this report, nor any of the other two discussions, tells us why his neighborhood, had to be first, seconded only by Garrison's, and Cline's, and then of course the spot clearing on Haig Ct, rather than our major roads -_Wedgefield & Wraggs Ferry, which were kicked to the curb for weeks. He fails to tell us whether there were two contracts, one at the old rate and then at the new rate, or at least an amended contract. We'll see. He never tells us under what portion of the reserves, the money was taken from.
Back to DeMarchi, "I've had comments about them removing unrelated storm debris and my response is too bad, for those people who don't want to conform to our policy. We aren't going to go out there and check what was storm related and what wasn't" Cline starts her cackling (just the first for the evening - not my word, another residents). He goes on to say someone complained because some people didn't have their debris out by the road on the 17th. His neighbor was out of town. He then says we should tell his neighbor if we feel that way. I have no opinion one way or another about his neighbor's situation. Frankly HIS neighbor shouldn't be concerned because DeMarchi takes care of the Dukedom, oops - Enclave. Didn't they get clean up first, above us all?
DeMarchi, "I'm on a bitch section now, because I've been accused of withholding evidence and information from the board, and the plantation, so thus you have it all ...} Cline starts cackling again. DeMarchi, "I'm not lining our pockets. Got a hell of a deal and I think that we deserve a little patience." What, while we wait for you to serve yourself first? I can't wait to see the correspondence file. All questions and concerns are suppose to be in writing. Both Garrison and DeMarchi have told me that they don't read the blog, so he can't be complaining about The Wedgefield Examiner. Someone else must be writing the board. We'll see.
He complains about Wedgefield's resident drivers and their actions around the trucks. He goes on to give some information as to what has been done recently and where they are going. Ricefield & Duck Pond areas, will be the last. He ends the report. McBride asks about the contract amount, and whether there is a second contractor, and whether the Legal Committee has reviewed the contract. DeMarchi tells him S&W has a subcontractor and that the Legal Committee has reviewed the contract.
President Walton names some contractors he talked to that weren't interested, or had storm work. Garrison goes on about how great this contractor is. He talks about the people who are throwing non storm debris into the piles and how he dislikes it, and yes he does care. Garrison has sung this song too often, and about too many things. He wasn't going to allow subsidized lot mowing, wasn't going to stand for that dock situation, but somehow VOTES in behalf of the deviants. Same old. Same old. Once again some of his discussion leaves Cline cackling again. When portions of Myrtle Beach instruct their contractors to leave non storm debris items on the lawn, there is an answer when you are serious about enforcing regulations and providing equality in service. Why would they, when they allow the Treasurer to consider himself first, and a board member to pile on non storm debris?
The motion is made so that our total expenditure for the storm will be $14,000
The meeting was adjourned. Quite frankly it was more like our Treasurer's P &P party - pat yourself on the back and pity party.
