At last night’s City Council meeting (Monday, June 22) I asked why the contractor (KYA) in charge of resurfacing our tennis courts told the City Council in January they were offering a “Superior System, bringing the courts resurfacing down to the bare bones” and “We build it back up using that five layer system.” In practice they just washed the courts off, filled in the cracks and began the system of laying on surfacing. The subcontractor KYA hired to do the job told me “It’s our cheapest 3 day job, guaranteed to crack almost immediately.” Doesn’t sound “Superior” to me.
Tipped off by city staff I would be asking questions last night Public Works Director Lee offered the excuse that the 3 representatives from KYA that appeared at the council meeting weren’t informed enough on the half million dollar project they were asking for and “Misspoke.” Instead of protecting taxpayer money being “ Misspent” based on representations to Council … she is offering up excuses for the contractor?
Citizens should also be advised the contract is 161 pages long and the actual proposal of work for the tennis court resurfacing which came to $325,257.80 (with a 10% increase approval given to our city manager if he chooses) was based on only 9 words… yes, 9 words in five cryptic lines of “Scope of Work.” The first two were “Grind Floor” 92,000+ square feet for $75,000+. Sounds like what they proposed in Council Chambers … But alas Public Works director Lee informed us last night in her world “Grind” and “Wash” are interchangeable verbs.
Public Works arranges for prospective contractors to come to meetings and misrepresent to council what they are offering. Council approves the contract based on those representations and in this case corroboration of same by Public Works Director Lee who didn’t correct those assertions but doubled down on them in January.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words? A Tennis and Pickleball resurfacing contract with the City of Seal Beach is worth $36,000 per word.
We are receiving another “rate adjustment” in the mail next month and the same Public Works team that have overspent by hundreds of thousands of dollars on a simple court resurfacing are beginning $20 million dollars in Capital Improvement Projects. God Help us…
James Jensen
Seal Beach