Part 2 - We are lying to residents about important things...AGAIN
Last night's meeting kicked off with a fiery prepared speech by the Mayor claiming I was using social media to intentionally mislead and rile up people who live on Bryden, Letchworth and nearby streets that a Cul-de-sac was an option the City may consider. Justin claimed that I was "spreading misinformation" as if I made this up out of thin air, while somehow forgetting that we video tape these meetings. The short clip below is from less than a month ago where Alec, Justin and the GPD official talk about limiting access at Bryden/Richmond to “Right in/Right out only” and the cul-de-sac option.
This was followed by our Law Director doubling down on his claim from the previous meeting, that the contract for $1.25m detailed design phase of the Richmond/Chagrin project was properly awarded to our City Engineer’s firm, GPD, in the specific competitive process required by State law back in 2016, where GPD prevailed as the top ranked firm over three others. What shocks me most is it is so easy to prove this isn't true but that didn’t stop him.
His strategy seems to be, and I am not making this up, that when people make public records requests for the documents related to this competitive process he claimed occurred in 2016 to award GPD the contract for $1.25m detailed design phase (which is ODOT PID no 114409), we simply provide them documents from the process to award a different contract that occurred in 2016, specifically the contract for the $591k traffic and feasibility study (which is ODOT PID no 1020110), hoping they wouldn’t figure out that these are different and separate contracts and projects, which ODOT insisted that they must be.
Keep in mind that if the City actually awarded this contract for the $1.25m detailed design phase in the proper competitive process back in 2016 like he claimed, how easy this would be for them to prove. All they would have to do is provide the documents related to this process they claim was conducted in 2016, which they are required to keep, like they did for the process to award the $591k traffic and feasibility study that occurred in 2016.
I wanted to keep this post short (this is short for me), and there will be a part 3, but I will end this post by pointing out that lie doesn't become the truth, and an illegal practice doesn't magically become legal because we get the Law Director to say it is. As uncomfortable as it is to sit through these public meetings where I am called a liar and accused of "spreading misinformation", I will be fine and will continue to question these things and make these issues known to the public. I just wish I wasn't alone in doing this.
That's all and go check out the new Food Truck Park. It is really cool.
Mike Burkons 216-832-6771
Mike@burkonsforbeachwood.com
