Dear Diane:
Please let me apologize for the delay in responding to your e-mail of last Sunday, but I
just learned of it Tuesday afternoon from a news reporter. Monday, as you probably know, was
a federal holiday and I was in court Tuesday morning as had not checked my CMPA e-mail until
your message was called to my attention.
I was somewhat dismayed that you found it necessary to rely upon news reports of our
meeting, which are not always complete or accurate, in deciding that the progress of negotiations
with MPDP are more tenuous than you had previously understood. As I have offered before, I
stand ready to discuss with you at any time any and all matters pertaining to the Maritime Park.
Had we done so in this instance, you would have learned that I, and the entire CMPA
Board, share your frustrations with the lengthy negotiations. You would have also learned that
last Friday, the Board had set the date of 13 March at which time negotiations will end. Our
advisor, Dr. Beitsch, has advised, as I informed the Board, that there was more agreement than
disagreement on the key issues of the negotiations, and a proposed contract could reasonably be
expected before then.
On the 13th, the Board would then either approve the contract or alternatively proceed
to negotiate with Trinity or, most likely I suggest, recommend to the City Council that CMPA
seek bids on the site preparation work and get that part of the project underway. In the mean
time, CMPA could continue negotiations as deemed appropriate. Getting the site work started is
important, for as you know this work must be done before any other construction can begin.
In anticipation of this possible alternative, CMPA had directed our Design Criteria team
several months ago to prepare bid-ready documents for the site work and those documents will
be in hand on the 13th. Should the Board determine this to be the necessary way to go and make
such a recommendation to the City Council, implementation and timing would then be in
Council’s hands.
I am pleased to advise that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved our permit
and I signed the documents accepting it yesterday. This is a major step in the advancement of
the project as we could not turn a shovel without the permit.
I hope you find this correspondence to be helpful in answering some of your concerns.
The Maritime Park is a complex project presenting many frustrations along the way, but it is well
worth our time and efforts as it is so important to the future of our City. I look forward to
working with you and the City Council to move this project on to completion as soon as possible.
Respectfully,
Lacey A. Collier