Ace Reporter Schwebke reports this morning on a story regular Weber County Forum readers have been discussing since at least May of last year. Due to defects in workmanship and design, the sheetrock and steel enclosure surrounding the Salomon Center Flowrider water feature has been inexorably rotting away, finally necessitating closure and repair, the latter of which won't be completed until around the end of February.
The projected cost to the taxpayers -- $309 thousand. The original general contractor, R&O Construction, who is bearing at least a portion of the liability, will pick up another $80 thousand of the estimated total $389 thousand price tag too.
The source of the city's portion of funds -- you got it. It'll come out of Business Depot Ogden lease revenue, that reliable cash cow which Boss Godfrey taps any time one of his bone-headed projects runs into trouble. That's the same cash cow, by the way, that more prudent city officials had earlier earmarked for legitimate infrastructure upgrades, such as Ogden's dilapidated water system, of course.
And here it comes, gentle readers, the inevitable mendacious Godfrey administration spin, straight from Godfrey's #1 henchman, Ogden CAO John Patterson:
The city's cost shouldn't be considered an additional expense, he said, because the improvements are an upgrade and would have been built into the original construction price of the Salomon Center if it had been known the work was needed.Yeah, that's the ticket: an upgrade -- not a royal screwup. We once again remind our readers: Our Blessed and Visionary Boss Godfrey NEVER screws up! That an indoor faux surfing appliance spewing thousands of gallons of water every minute might require waterproofing is plainly something no one could have anticipated.
Evidently the ever resourceful Mr. Schwebke wasn't quite buying Mr. Patterson's spin, so he went to City Council member Jesse Garcia for his comments. The level-headed Garcia wasn't buying the administration's B.S. either, and wasn't the least bit shy in speaking out:
Councilman Jesse Garcia said it's unfortunate that BDO lease revenues will have to be used to fund Flowrider improvements, but added there is no other alternative.So there you have it folks. When this latest expense is added to the $750 thousand bond payment which comes due in June, the taxpayers' burden for the project which Godfrey promised would "never put us on the hook," will have inflated beyond a cool $1 million just this year alone. And the meter keeps on ticking.
"If it comes out of city funds, of course it's an added expense. The improvements have to be done because, without it, (the Flowrider) won't function properly."
Now where is that one remaining guy who keeps claiming Godfrey is a genius again?
