Shumway Street Project: Water/Sewer = $553,487 and Repaving = $199, 827
When you consider that an average Little League ballplayer could hit a baseball the length of Shumway Street and the cost to renovate that little stretch of concrete is over three quarters of a million dollars, it kind of demonstrates that $17 million in road repair backlog is not all that earth shaking.
And Amherst does have 133 miles of roadways.
Vince O'Connor, everybody's favorite activist, is collecting signatures for the Fall Town Meeting to sabotage the new DPW Facility in favor of road repair.
But the money for a new DPW building or Fire Station or new Mega School, each of which is tens of millions of dollars, does not come out of operating budgets.
Click to enlarge/read
Already insiders are betting the Select Board will place a $35 million Debt Exclusion Override on the November 8th ballot for the new mega school. If that Override should fail it's not like extra money will then be put into the school budget for new books, teachers or playground repairs.
The Finance Committee is taking up the serious issue of the four major capital building projects with an eye towards affordability, timing and educational outreach to the general public.
Scuttling the DPW building project now would only delay the inevitable. And make it more expensive to restart in the not too distant future.
Hot day for this kind of work
Wow I wanna see that average little league team! Socore: 48 to 46
ReplyDeleteFacing a below average pitcher of course.
ReplyDeleteLarry you can sign vince's petition when you see him Sunday at the peace vigil.
ReplyDeleteVince is totally correct. There has not been good maintenance of our roads or sidewalks. Mowing, tree trimming, removal of brush, etc. are being neglected. The construction should be done by construction companies, not town workers who are hired to maintain town properties, not build them.
ReplyDeleteThe overspending in Amherst is unbelievable and we cannot afford all these new building projects. Town voters need to be educated about just exactly what an override means. It is not a one time event! Be careful what you wish for.
I have not seen a word of explanation on why a new DPW is a necessary.
ReplyDeleteBigger question: why did everything become so expensive in america? I would say something along the lines of "when I was a kid...." but why bother.
ReplyDeleteSo we can house all the toys the DPW keeps buying!!!A new truck or piece of equipment for every employee! The Capital spending by Mr. Moring is totally out of control and the towns roads and sidewalks are a disgrace. I don't agree with Vince on much, but I surely agree with this issue! Fix the roads and sidewalks!!
ReplyDeleteJust look at the BIG DIG going on in front of Kendrick Park, what a shame. Destroy the Park in order to put a few utility pipe in the ground which should have been done before the town spent all the money to redo the road last year.. Great planning!! The utility pipe project would have been competed by a contractor for less money, without all the traffic detours, and all the destruction to the park. It would laughable if we weren't paying for this nonsense.
The Pine street project hasn't been completed and the DPW is on to another play ground.
This all works out if you ignore the fact that stuff simply does not cost this much in the real world. Why is taking advantage of the people you serve honorable? Isn't doing so worse than shooting a dog with a pellet gun so you do not step in poop? Like 1000x worse. Think of how many families cannot even afford a dog because they have endless public debt. This post should be about how the town employees just rip off the people...in stead you quote the rip off price of the road and then multiply it put so people know that there is no end to how much folks will be screwed over. More, more, more.
ReplyDeleteWhen the DPW does not do the work (as in this particular case) it is put out to COMPETITIVE bid, thus the winning bidder does represent the "real world."
ReplyDeleteIn the real world, for taxpayers to get the fairest price, construction projects should go out to bid. Competition sets the price.
ReplyDeleteWhen the town DPW does the work, they simply reach into the taxpayer's pocket, without any competition. As the DPW takes on projects that should go out to bid, the regular maintenance they are hired to perform, is totally neglected.
Does anyone besides me see the hidden cost of not putting these projects out to bid??
9:18, I agree with you about regular maintenance being neglected but the town DPW is already on the payroll and so labor is already a sunk cost. Why pay an outside contractor for something that can be done in-house?
ReplyDeletePlease next time get a exact figure from Mr. Moring of what the project will cost and a completion date, and I mean complete the job and tell me we wouldn't be saving money. Also not only add up the labor costs but how much does it cost for all the trucks and equipment needed for these big projects. Also the repair cost of all this equipment. And not just the cost of equipment we purchase but all the rental equipment. Don't forget all the benefits on top of wages we pay town employees. Then the fuel for all this equipment. I think if you spent some time to do some research you could answer your own question.
ReplyDeletePlus the quality of work is far superior by trained and skilled contractors.
Go look at the new parking lot across from the Library and compare that work to the quality of work preformed on Pine St. or the sidewalks up town that the DPW did a few years ago that are already falling apart. That might also help you answer your question.
Re: Anon 9:18 Do we hire workers first and then try to find them work to do? Or, do we have work that needs to be done, so we hire the workers we need? Just "food for thought." I think it would be to our advantage to have only the amount of workers we really need!
ReplyDeleteBefore putting a roundabout at every intersection, the town should look at changing traffic patterns and making existing traffic lights more efficient first!
ReplyDeleteWe are losing trees and land at Kendrick for pavement- Not the plan when the land (park) was gifted to the town!
Here we have food for thought...if we (tax payers) are footing the bill. You're going to be taken it up the a--. Money is the name of the game.
ReplyDeleteOverrides for taxpayers will soon in the bigger picture. Be aware and well-informed. How many new projects can we really afford? Some people here want too much. Remember, it is more important to want what you have, than to have what you want.
ReplyDeleteBe wise and think of your future. How much of your money do you really want the town government to spend for you? Or, can you be wiser and decide how to better spend your hard-earned money on a project we truly need?
I drive by that sports field on potwine and rarely see anyone there. This ignorant guy will be voting no for the foreseeable future!
ReplyDelete