Jeff Carlson wrote: >From yesterday's Star Tribune: http://startribune.com/stories/462/3594941.html
This front page article critiques MNDOT for irresponsible contracting practices, including one with SEH, the firm working on the 35W Access Project. It looks like we should expect cost overruns on the Access Project, too. Will $153 million turn into $200, $250, $300 million? "One example involves Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH) of St. Paul. In 1998, the department signed a three-year, $750,000 contract with SEH for road-design services. Two years into the contract,it tagged on an amendment for $750,000, citing the heavy workload. It was among eight SEH contracts with supplements exceeding 60 percent of their original value. Taken together, the original contracts were worth $3.6 million, and the supplements added $3.3 million." David Piehl writes: I've been wondering how long it would take to hear about this - I also question, as do many others, the selection process by which SEH was hired to be a part of the I35W Access Project. I'm not questioning the quality of their work - just asking whether there may be crooneyism involved in their selection, since their contract was never put out to bid!! I'd also like people to know more about how Smith Parker was hired to promote the Access Project - it's my understanding that they were hired by private funders, (Allina, Honeywell, Childrens' Hospital), and shortly after that suddenly started being paid with tax dollars! Talk about connections - David Piehl Central __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
