Funny what you find in the City Council meeting minutes. Specifically the November 14, 2016 City Council minutes (page 2 and 3). Back in those days, the city was REALLY spending like drunken sailors and wanted to look into bathrooms for FOUR different spots – including Campbell Park.
[Now, I personally think a restroom in Campbell Park is idiotic and unneeded. But if you are going to make a stupid purchase, at least get the best price through competitive bidding. Letting City Manager Finley “Spinley” DeGraffenried declare the project doesn’t need to be bid and then piss away (pun intended) $185,000 on a BATHROOM is the height of insanity].
It didn’t take me long to find the recent recommendation of Micky Tower – the Director of Parks and Recreation. The following is lifted DIRECTLY from Council’s own minutes:
Restroom capacity and recommendation for Campbell Park: – 3 toilets, 1 urinal, 2 lavatories.
Micky Tower reviewed the restroom construction costs: for a Wood Frame 3 toilets, 1 urinal and 2 lavatories with Buy Board pricing and Architectural and Engineering included:
- Base Cost $83,157.00
- Metal Roof $ 2,370.00
- Installation $ 9,000.00
- Freight/Crane $10,900.00
- TOTAL $105,427
Mr Tower then went on to describe FOUR other bathroom options – NONE of them exceeded a cost of $143,000.
Compare that to the latest Finley Folly this month – a $185,000 NO-BID monstrosity (page 131- 132):
- Base model #B424: $136,816
- Install: $9,000
- Freight and crane: $20,500
- ‘Additional costs’: $18,684
- TOTAL: $185,000
Does City Council not EVER look into ANYTHING they vote on? Do they just sign six-figure checks without even cursory research? I’m not even on City Council and I have a better grasp of this stuff.
Not to mention, just about everyone who is sitting on City Council today for the $185,000 screw job WAS ALSO THERE THREE YEARS AGO! They all have the memory of a goldfish, apparently! The SAME thing happened with the Azbell no-bid contract. Everyone got collective amnesia and forgot they had ALREADY awarded the A/V contract to Broadcast Works.
I guess I’ll just start calling City Council The Seven Goldfish.
Yet another example of apparent memory loss: as a council member in 2015, Talbert HERSELF previously “moved to approve the award of a bid in the amount of $18,930.00 to Whitley Steel Building Supply for the construction of a Restroom and Concession Facility to include steel package cost, foundation cost and erection cost at the Gavin Garrett Soccer Complex” (July 27, 2015 page 6-7).
Above is a photo I JUST took today of that Gavin Garret Soccer Complex restroom she approved for $18,930. Looks pretty sweet to me AND there is a concession stand included! But hey – why spend $19,000 when you can blow $185,000 instead? That’s the Lampasas Way. I can’t decide if these clowns are totally incompetent or utterly corrupt.
Oh, and they also have a couple of Porta-Potties there too – which are FAR LESS than $185,000.
