You're doing a lot of work to tie 35W into illegalities at MNDOT and
certainly the illegalities are rife, it would appear. From everything
in the Strib, at least one person at MNDOT clearly nailed it as
arrogance on MNDOT's part and failure in MN Administration to be able to
make MNDOT follow state rules. However, when neighborhood people agreed
to Smith Parker as a service provider, WE knew nothing about that. We
found out the same day everyone else did, the day the Strib printed it.
It's not normal for people to know the down and dirty about MNDOT unless
they regularly have to deal with them. What we did know was that MNDOT
is arrogant and not an honest broker in the sense of bringing their
wants to the table at the beginning of the process. Infuriating,
counter-productive, even stupid, maybe. All legal. MNDOT's failures are
not the responsibility of Smith Parker. A person as low down on the food
chain as Tom Johnson is unlikely to know any more about state
contracting irregularities than we do.
The state cannot allow all it projects to halt because it hasn't kept
control of one of its departments. By law, the state has to pull MNDOT
in line.
We have thousands of hours of our time and not one of us got a damned
dime out of it. (Personally, I have only hundreds of hours, but other
neighbors have thousands--Paula Gilbertson, Mike Gramling, Julie
Ingebretson, Annie Young, Dick Pitheon, Mable Vickla, Craig Anderson--it
goes on and on.) Everyone of us who cared had the right to sit through
thousands of hours as well. You served on the 35W PAC for 2 years as the
appointed Central Neighborhood rep. The whole 38th St. elipse-about
arose at your suggestion to move the 35th and 36th street ramps to 38th.
It was a much smaller, less intricate project before you spoke up. After
you left, the PAC instructed the architects and engineers to draw up
some ways in which your suggestion could be incorporated into the
project. There were 2 or 3 designs, the elipse-about was chosen. PAC
voted to go forward with your suggestion and enlarge the project to
include moving the ramps to 38th. Robert Lilligren sat on the PAC,
stepping down on the day of the final vote. Throughout his tenure on the
PAC Lilligren voted with the majority almost every time on all the
particular elements of the plan approved by the PAC on November 19 and
mid-December. Your neighborhood, Central, has been represented over the
last two or so years very well by David Jensen, who made a suggestion,
incorporated way into the process, to change the fly over. It beautified
the project immensely. Central Neighborhood voted yes on the Access
Project. Central Neighborhood was heard and its suggestions incorporated.
Let's move ahead now.
WizardMarks, Central
Dave Piehl wrote:
In response to questions regarding the selection of
Smith Parker and SEH to work on the I-35W Access
Project (no bidding process for SEH), Tom Johnson
wrote:
David, Please contact Jim Grube, Director of
Transportation regarding the contracting with Smith
Parker to manage the I-35W Access Project.
snip
I can provide you with his phone number and e-mail
address. While talking with Jim, you may want to also
inquire as to how SEH was contracted for the Access
Project. Again, I can provide assistance in reaching
Jim.
snip
David Piehl writes:
What? I was looking for answers for the list, not a
laundry list of contacts that I'm already familiar
with.
From the Southwest Journal article a few weeks ago,
I'd say it went something like this:
Tom Johnson worked as a consultant with Scott McBride
on the initial study for the 26th and 28th Street
ramps, Scott had an office at Smith Parker. Scott is
now at SEH, and is thus the lead engineer on the
Access Project (I think he used to work for OSM?).
From what I know, Scott does good work - that's not
the issue.
Johnson & McBride are old colleagues, and Johnson
steered a contract McBride's way - maybe to avoid
challenges on the questionable engineering issues.
Crooneyism?
David Piehl
Central
Regards
Tom Johnson
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