Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/96141
Sarasota News Leader November 30, 2012 Page 16 the Siesta Beach Improvement Project, in the ber 2011 contract amendment, the engineer amount of $1,377,421.85." would be required to submit the bid phase plans at the 100 percent mark on Jan. 28, 2013. Exhibit B with the contract amendment includes a project schedule. The design at the A STORY STILL TO BE UNTANGLED 60 percent stage, with the cost estimate, was to be completed within 176 calendar days of In a Nov. 27 telephone interview with the the issuance of the purchase order for the firm News Leader, the original beach project manto proceed. The pre-bid plans package, at the ager, Spencer Anderson, said none of the com90 percent mark, with the cost estimate, was missioners had asked him whether he had any to be ready within 275 days. The firm was to ideas regarding the delay in the completion of submit the bid phase plans at the 100 percent the project design. mark within 360 days. When the News Leader asked whether he had The project remains at the 60 percent design any idea about the cause of the delay, Anderpoint. son said, "No, not necessarily." The original purchase order for Kimley-Horn Anderson was promoted to a new position in to begin its consulting work on the beach imMay. He is director for field services in the provements project was issued on May 17, 2010, Crystal Pruitt of the county's Commu- Operations and Maintenance Group, which innications Department told the News Leader cludes oversight of "pipe systems," he noted on Nov. 28. The County Commission had ap- — water and sewer work — as well as road proved the contract on May 11, 2010, accord- and bridge work and right of way contractors. ing to a Nov. 9 memo to the board from CaroHe told the News Leader, "There was focus on lyn Brown, general manager of the Parks and the cost estimate every step of the way," and Recreation Department, and James K. Harriott he pointed to the $16.7 million construction Jr., the county's chief engineer. figure the board approved at that September According to documentation the News Lead- 2011 meeting. er requested this week from the Procurement Department, the purchase order for the con- Commission Chairwoman Christine Robinson tract amendment the commission authorized has done some digging through board records on Dec. 7, 2011 was requested on Dec. 13, herself to try to figure out what happened to 2011. The documentation for the Kimley-Horn the timeline the commissioners approved last contract says the approval date of that amend- year. ment was Jan. 28, 2011. An accountant with which the News Leader consulted for this sto- Nonetheless, she told the News Leader on ry said it was a common accounting error for Nov. 27, "My main focus right now is bringing a January date to carry with it the preceding the cost to within our budget and making sure that we get a final project ready to go." year instead of the new year. If the date was meant to be 2012, then, accord- She added, "Then we can talk about what ing to the timeline in Exhibit B of the Decem- went wrong in the process." %