THE WEDGEFIELD EXAMINER: A REPORT ON THE BOARD'S NOVEMBER 21ST, OPEN BOARD MEETING LEADS TO MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS. THE PROJECT IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN YOU WERE EVER TOLD, OR CAN BE TRACKED IN THE OFFICIAL MINUTES. IT COULD APPEAR THAT YOUR BOARD IS COVERING UP SOME THINGS

The Wedgefield Examiner will relate the details of the WPA November 21st, Open Board Meeting to the best of my ability. Please verify the information by going to the WPA website and listening to the tape of the meeting when it is put up. Notes of the meeting where taken to the best of my ability. COMMENTS WILL BE PRINTED IN RED AND NOTED AS SUCH.

The board posted a sign near the front gate, and a message on the WPA website, announcing the meeting. The initial posting on the website stated that the agenda was the Wedgefield Drainage Project. Later, the gate house was added to the agenda on the website.

The meeting was called to order by President Walton at 7:00 PM. Board members in attendance were: President Walton, Ebert, Cline, DeMarchi, McMillin, Garrison, Johnson, and Anderson. John Walton was absent.

DeMarchi starts out saying that scope of work had been sent to 3 contractors, but that they only had one bid. The board then began to talk about the fact that if the bid was under $3,000, that they could make a motion to waive the requirement of 3 bids. Garrison asked whether multiple attempts had been made to secure 3 bids. DeMarchi said the only reason the bidding contractor had agreed to bid, was that he was already in the area. A motion was made and passed to waive the requirement of three bids.

COMMENTS: First, the board never tells us why we are there for yet another change of plans on the Wedgefield Drainage Project. This is important for a number of reasons. Remember, this time DeMarchi is bringing the project to the table, again, after he has declared it completed, at least twice.  Last month, McMillin, brought some half baked plan to the table calling it the Canal Project, that resulted in the board approving up to $2,500 to remove the stuff from the canal, bring in top soil, level/grade, and sod - with volunteers. That was suppose to finish this project once and for all. What really prompted the President to call this meeting? Do you really think that board members sat around the week before Thanksgiving, and said, "you know fellow board members, we who claim to have all expertise, and money saving knowledge, ought to rethink this?" Listen, DeMarchi says, "he's tired of legislating for IDIOTS who break the rules", obviously on their own, they would just charge forward as they have been. I happened to know that some have written DHEC and the Army Corp. of Engineers about this project, and their genuine concerns for lack of engineering, and the environment of our canals. I haven't heard that they've received answers, but your board didn't just pull this new plan of action out of a magical hat, for no reason. We have a right to know. My suggestion would be, that you write the board immediately, and ask them whether they have had anyone from DHEC, the Army Corp. of Engineers, or any other governmental agency, contact the board, since the October 2014 Board Meeting regarding this project, and if so, ask that they detail the type of contact, and if written, that they provide you with a copy. It is about time that they acknowledged the problems with THEIR PLANNING, OR LACK OF, for us - idiots. If you have written authorities, and haven't heard from them, send a copy of your correspondence and a cover letter, to a higher authority, until you get a response.

We'll head back to the meeting. A motion is made, seconded by Ebert, to approve the bid of $1,900.00. It is stated that DHEC will allow removal of no more than 25 yards out of the canal. The vendor would remove the material, haul it away, bring in top soil, and level ,and grade it. No one at the board table asks why we are doing this, versus what was approved in October. Cline says it seems reasonable. Garrison asks how much we've spent in total on this project? Someone asks how much was allocated to the project?  DeMarchi says he doesn't know exactly how much we have spent, but suggests that it is less than $28,000, and probably around $24,000. Go to the tape, but my scribbling indicates that DeMarchi says that either $34,000, or $36,000, had been allocated to it. Garrison asks if this is really going to be the end of the project? DeMarchi says it should be, as long as they get the sod, which isn't included in the bid. Garrison comes back again saying things like it has gone on and on. He mentions one bulk head and then another was added, and he would like it to be over, and completed. He then asks if he is being told that this will be the end? McMillin jumps in saying he believes the sod cutting season may be over by the time the vendor does this project. DeMarchi has claimed that it will be done in November, and that the contractor will probably start on Monday. They talk a little more about sod. McMillin agrees to check with the sod vendor on Monday, because DeMarchi does not believe the sod cutting season is over. They don't add the cost of the sod to the motion.

Garrison asks if everyone is in agreement that something washed into the canals. DeMarchi goes back to his previous vague attempts at claiming that it was in there already. Someone disagrees. Someone says that Ryan Campbell put gravel in there. Garrison wants to know what the vendor does with the stuff he is to haul away. Cline asks something about more being washed away. DeMarchi says that it should stay. Johnson says something about the project taking a couple of tries to get it right, but it could have cost more with engineering.(???????) Ebert wants to know if the vendor has a permit to cart the stuff away, and where they are taking it? Someone says that they don't know. McMillin says that when they drag that stuff out that it is going to be wet. He wants to know if the vendor will let it sit up here, because it could leak mud and water, as it is being hauled out of here. DeMarchi says something about if the vendor is hauling it, and if it drips, he might be fined - that's possible.

In the end, the board approves this bid.

COMMENTS:
Residents, DeMarchi is Treasurer, Compliance Chair, and Drainage Chair. I suggest you write him and get some answers. Why? First, he appears to have poor regard for the intelligence of some, if not all residents -"legislating for idiots". He also appears to have high regard for himself at the same time. He's an expert at everything from drainage, to accounting, and everything else. Second, if he is such an expert, such a great legislator, why weren't the residents ever told up front, how much he had allocated to this expensive project, without engineering, and proper planning and bidding? WHY DON'T HIS PUBLISHED NUMBERS REGARDING THIS PROJECT, ADD UP?

I'll do the math for you, on the premise that our official approved minutes, should indicate in the least, expense related motions. Therefore, you as a resident, could track how much was spent on this expensive, fault ridden, project, or any project. You can go to the WPA website, and follow the figures presented below, through the Drainage Report section of the minutes, each month. I cut and pasted the Drainage Reports in a article entitled, "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 McMillin?", published on November 9, 2014.   You can review the Drainage Report figures there. HERE ARE THE FIGURES AND THE DATE THEY APPEARED IN THE MINUTES.

June/2013, $650.00, Earthworks
November/2013 $9,870.00, J.C. Landscaping
December/2013, $100.00, for grass seed
April/2014, $1,750.00 Marine Towing
April/2014, $300.00, for fill dirt

TOTAL APPROVED IN THE MINUTES = $11,670.00 (Note, even if you add in the $2,500 that was approved in October 2014, which they changed at the Open Board Meeting, it would all only total $15,170.00. How did we get to an approved amount of less than $28,000 but more than $24,000?    Write and ask the board. NOTE: I'll remind you again, that I have provided all the above information to the best of my ability, having attended the Open Board Meeting, and used the approved WPA Minutes, and I've asked you, to verify the information for yourself, from the tape of the meeting, and the minutes.

I attend a lot of the meetings, and listen to the tapes and transcribe them. Another red flag went up when this board motioned to get past the fact that they didn't have three bids, but it was under $3,000. I don't recall them doing that in the past. It is just one more item to consider, when you evaluate how we may be being jerked around. There have been more than a few times when they didn't have three bidders.

I really question this board's procurement and contracting practices, and their failure to use engineering services. Go to the tape and listen to board member Johnson's - we didn't use engineering, it took a few tries, but I think we did OK. I am so concerned that I'm going to write the board, and suggest that they develop a new committee, or sub committee, that would develop a standard for requests for proposals, document the credentials of the board member or individual writing the scope of work, or specs, document attempts at securing bids, receive the bids, and hold them - un opened, for the meeting they are to be voted on. I'm so sincere, that should the board accept the recommendation, I will volunteer to sit on the committee - if I'm approved (fat chance), and I'll even sign the confidentiality agreement, for that volunteer job only!

In the meantime if you've written authorities regarding this project, send it to higher authority. If you're a resident, question the board, as advised above.

I went to the Wedgefield Drainage Project today, and took more pictures, with a measuring tape. While the board argues the silting has stopped, and I don't believe it, nothing was said at the board table that would fix these dangerous holes - caused by silting, or not.

3 PICTURES OF HOLE # 1