A pre-construction meeting for residents and business persons in Belleville was paid for by the Belleville Downtown Development, but Spicer Engineers failed to hold such a meeting.
This is the message Mike Foley, owner of Frosty Boy, brought to the city council Monday, during the council’s 29-minute session.
“I reviewed the contract with Spicer and there was a lump sum payment to Spicer and work was paid for and not received,” Foley said.
Foley referred to the Oct. 15, 2007 Letter of Agreement for Professional Services signed by Spicer officials Wayne A. Zolnierek and Ronald Hansen and City Clerk Diana Kollmeyer on Oct. 16, 2007 and DDA Chairperson Rosemary Loria on Oct. 17, 2007.
On page 3 of the agreement, under Design Phase Meetings, it states: “Spicer Group will prepare a PowerPoint presentation with presentation maps and present the project and expected construction schedule at one public informational meeting. It is expected this presentation will be scheduled after construction bids are obtained, contractor is selected, construction is scheduled and sequencing has been finalized. Spicer Group will make and distribute meeting minutes. The fee is a lump sum price per meeting of $1,938.”
Also, he points out, on page 4 of the agreement under “Construction Administration and Staking” it states: “Once contract documents are in place and DDA/City funding is in place, Spicer Group will schedule and coordinate a pre-construction meeting for the project. All parties involved with the project will be required to attend including utility providers, contractor and subcontractors, the DDA/city, local or country representatives and any others that may be impacted with construction.” (italics added)
Also, on page 4, “Spicer Group also recommends a meeting to be held to inform all local businesses and local residents as to the anticipated schedule of the project and impacts of construction. This meeting is included in the fee schedule and work plan in the Design Phase Meetings section.”
“We’ve already paid for all of this and haven’t had it,” Foley told the council.
“Why weren’t these meetings held to inform not only residents, but the people who make their livelihood on Main Street?” Foley continued, noting he said the largest construction project in Belleville’s history shouldn’t be run by volunteers (DDA members).
“We already paid for the meeting,” Foley repeated, adding he’s sure that Spicer wanted to fulfill its contract and that somebody must have told them, “never mind.”
Kollmeyer, who is now city manager, said a pre-construction meeting was held with utilities, contractors, city and DDA representatives – just a regular pre-construction meeting.
“I don’t think the pre-construction meeting was for those impacted by the work,” Kollmeyer said.
Foley said they did the pre-construction meeting, but didn’t include those impacted in any meetings.
“It’s unconscionable to move forward without getting us all together and trying to make up for it with a 7 a.m. meeting with volunteers,” Foley said, referring to the July 20 meeting at city hall that was to be chaired by the current DDA chairman Kerreen Conley. This is after construction has already begun, he pointed out.
“Why didn’t Spicer fulfill its contract?” Foley continued. “We weren’t privy to any sequencing. We were all shocked when they started on the wrong side of the street.”
He said instead of an early morning meeting, that is too early for him to attend, he would like to see the promised PowerPoint presentation and have bi-weekly meetings with Kollmeyer, who said she is the one in charge of the project, with a lot of help from DPW Director Keith Boc.
Foley said the very first day of construction, Denny’s driveway was blocked with a big pile of dirt, blocking access to his hair salon. He said that could have been avoided with a pre-construction meeting and input from the businesses.
Prentice Howell of the Antique Shop said for the last three days two pieces of huge equipment have been on his sidewalk blocking his front door.
“I don’t have a front walkway like the other businesses,” Howell said, with a demand. “I expect it to be gone by 10 a.m. tomorrow.”
He said the equipment appears to be broken, and “If it’s broke, it can’t sit there week after week after week. I’ll get an injunction.”
Howell said whoever put up the temporary no-parking signs doesn’t know how to put zip-ties on the posts, since the ends of the ties are sticking out at the height of an eight-year-old’s eyeballs on the sidewalk side.
Councilman Brian Blackburn agreed with Howell: “Your front door is not a parking lot.”
Howell said he just got his bill for $3,600 for summer taxes.
Councilman Jim Shrove said the council will be doing a follow-up on the contract and Councilwoman Kim Tindall she, too, would like to see the contract. She noted that she did not get invited to the pre-construction meeting, either.
When someone asked how much the false start on the wrong side of Main Street was going to cost the city, Boc said, “It’s not going to cost the city anything. It was the engineer’s mistake.”
Councilwoman Tindall said there are issues that need to be addressed for the merchants on Main Street. She noted the officials at city hall will get paid no matter what happens on Main Street and it is the merchants who are truly impacted.
“I don’t know who dropped the ball,” Tindall said, noting, “The meeting tomorrow is a day late and a dollar short.”
Mayor Pro Tem Rick Dawson said, “I also thought it should have happened … I’m sorry you won’t be here at 7 a.m. I think we’ve fallen down on communications. The DDA and us, too.”
“Communications have been a problem,” agreed Mayor Richard Smith.
“I’m here almost 24/7. All you have to do is come in,” said City Manager Kollmeyer.
Foley said they should have a meeting every two to three weeks as a remedy to show an attempt at communication.
“The ball should be in Keith and Diana’s court,” Foley said. “Keith knows what he’s doing. I would hope he’d be our point man for this project.”
“You’re right. He’s the one who knows where everything is underground,” Kollmeyer said.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the council:
* Heard Mr. and Mrs. Fred Trombley, who live at 110 Liberty, say they are interested in acquiring the pump house at 100 Liberty that the city is considering demolishing and selling the property. They were told some things have to be done to the infrastructure there before it can be sold, and the city will have to take bids on the property before selling it. The Trombleys said they would wait for word from the city;
* Approved $120,706.74 in accounts payable, including the following departmental expenditures in excess of $500: to R. Dixon Lawn Service, $930 for grass cutting (includes $300 for Village Park when the city’s mower broke, plus cutting of empty lots); HD Water Works Supply, $658.22 for grates for road repairs; McCoig Materials, $607.50 for cold patch/pot holes; and Stan’s Alignment Service, $609 for vehicle maintenance;
* Heard Kollmeyer say she would be at city hall at 7 a.m. the next day for the meeting with businesses and, “Hope we can work through some things”; and
* Heard Steve Jones encourage everyone to come to the Music Lakeside concert July 22 at Horizon Park. He also announced the Art Colony for the four Thursdays in August at the park and an art show at the end of August.