The last disk that we received on the Main Street Project has 707 pages, some of which were duplicates of memos, email, specs, etc. in the other volumes. Volume 3 has emails that show how Finance, Public Works and Engineering worked to shift expenditures to keep the project within its approved budget.
What was the true cost of the Main Street Improvements? Not sure. We also can not be certain how the overages impacted other street and sidewalk improvements in the city. However, it does not appear that any of that constitutes a federal crime.
On Jerry Pate Design, I talked with some architects and engineers. It’s not uncommon for them to get involved in projects initially without a contract and get added later. Steve Dana worked on the Admiral Mason stormwater pond and Main Street projects long before he got paid. The chief of staff asked for bids on the owner’s rep contract and the mayor chose JPD, which allowed Dana to get paid. Again not a federal crime.
Councilman Brian Spencer was involved in the Main Street Improvements project, which was outside his district. If the mayor gave his permission, which it appears he did at least verbally, then no charter provision was violated. The councilman did add his expertise to help the project. Even if Spencer acted contrary to the mayor’s wishes, that is not a federal crime.
This afternoon the city has said it will release the remaining documents that Inweekly requested: investments, insurance broker services and the mayor and chief of staff’s expense reports.