OCR Text |
Show PAGE 14 THE ZEPHYRMAY 89 It Is senseless people to our towns. Why expend more money for more roads? Other on both economic and environmental grounds to build this road. far. have higher priority by projects to prop up our towns. Lets use the money as was originally Intended closed our schools; get back to the Let's establish a Moab College; open our kids; expand needed for five-d- ay education school week; provide a better mental health services and hospital and medical facilities; expand our re facilities for aged and handicapped; facilities; develop special-catree-lined Moab; undertake beautification projects; develop a develop a sound stage to attract the film industry and to use for our schools and build a convention center; make a parkway along Mill Creek; community; upgrade our sewer and water systems; and to repair and maintain our own local streets, roads and sidewalks. As for the hiring of the engineering firm of Creamer and Noble, consider the process that took place in the selection of that company: A Notice of Solicitation for Engineering Consulting Services was in section of the Time- s- Independent on March 23 the legal-nbti- ce published regarding the proposed Book Cliffs Road. This was a call to all interested engineers to submit a "Statement of Interest and Qualifications pertaining to the road. The deadline for responding was set at 7:00 a.m. on March 30. for responses from This short time allotted less than 7 days How can the road district obtain the professional engineers is ridiculous. widest possible participation of qualified engineers by Incorporating such a short response period? It also deprives the public of its own input and around the bend by ken sleight scrutiny. Squandering Our Public Funds their chops, the Burr Trail rapers and pillagers are again at our a road through the ecologically-sensiti- ve doorstep. Book Cliffs. They say the road would cost some $15 million. The engineering firm they selected to do their "consulting or advance work was none other than Creamer and Noble. (Who else?) The road would be financed by dipping into scarce mineral lease monies that are distributed by the state. These funds are intended to help economically deprived communities impacted by the vagaries of the mineral Licking Now they would build industry. Should the road be built, the victims would be our small towns and the people that live in them. Our towns have already In large measure been neglected. Lake Powell interests have already gobbled up much of the past funding through Burr Trail and other like developments. As there is a limit of available funds, it's a matter of priority of need. Each town, weakened it as may be from past neglect, must fend for itself to receive whatever grant, loan, handout or morsel that it can catch. Most of these towns, including Moab, are in deplorable economic straits. Businesses have folded. Major banks have red-lin-ed the region. Main roads have been routed around and away from towns. There is high unemployment Schools have closed and some are on four-d- ay school weeks. Teachers have been laid off. Families have moved away. Each town, finding itself in such a weak condition is highly vulnerable -- either by design or by chance to all sorts of scams and schemes. For tax monies have been Instance, siphoned off to aid the development interests. Witness the recent transfer of $5000 from Grand County tax revenues (San Juan and other counties did the same) to Garfield County. Garfield in turn channeled the money to the Wilderness Impact Research Foundation, a radical organization in Nevada They are to produce a documentary extolling the virtues of road building and exposing the evils of environmenpro-develop- talism. The Book Cliffs road is not needed. We already have US 191 that leads from north to south connecting all eastern and southeastern counties of the state. We have two other northsouth roads near the UtahColorado border. And we have the eastwest Interstate 70. How many roads do we really need? These present roads are already capable of bringing many more thousands of This action, even though it may not have been intended, smacks of favoritism to a few select firms that have had prior knowledge of the All proposal or have had an active hand In formulating the proposaL interested and qualified engineering firms should have the same opportunity as another. is customary to give a much longer period when offering a solicitaThe road board would do well to lengthen tt. In addition, there should be notices placed in appropriate engineering publications and special announcement mailed to licensed firms in the state. This would assure a wider participation. Furthermore, there was no mention in the notice of solicitation that cost itself was to be a factor. The board would select the firm through "negotiations, ruling out any type of bidding process. The questions then arise: Is the public getting its moneys worth? Is the proper firm being chosen? For a small board of only three persons, and a controversial one at that, to decide such costly and matters Is not good policy. The board It tion. for-reach- more-representa- tive Jimmie Walker Answers Ken Sleight "The crux of Kens concern is, shouldnt we advertise the engineering for a longer period of time? His rationale being, did we get the best man the job? Its the kind of thing you have to think about and study. At meeting the other day, Merv Lawton said, 'You know what you need for job for our an engineering company to do. we couldve done that, but on the "So, in answer to Kens question, yes other hand, we didnt have to advertise at alL Theres no law that says that We couldve just gone out and hired an engineering firm, but I didnt feel that was ethical either. felt that if someone was better than Creamer and Noble, we had the right to get them. We had two other submittals, and I felt that while both were very good companies, the Board made the right decision. Itll require their expertise to make (the Book Cliffs Road) a reality. "So while Kens concerns are valid to a point, you can get too much Information and get bogged down, and lose sight of your direction. 1 -J- Moabs Complete Outdoor Store 94 W. 1st No. 259-533- 3 A Bike a Day... the amazing gruff Groff brothers. ing should be expanded to a seven persons. in the planning process. The engineering There should be no short-cu-ts solicitation time should be extended, a bidding process should be established, and the road board itself should be broadened to assure proper procedure and public respect That's All We Ask .W. |