Why the brouhaha over cement chunks?
Near mile post four on North Lake Road
The Lakeside downtown street project was completed before the July fourth celebration, as promised.
Citizens in Lakeside when asked how they liked the new streets, responded with one voice, “they like it.”
It has inspired a new energy with beautification in mind for Lakeside.
But, it seems that not everyone is happy; there is a “concern.”
At the regular Lakeside city council meeting under public input Sheila Heley, wife of Phil Heley, former wastewater mechanic/superintendent stated she had “concerns.”
She is concerned regarding, “cement chunks that were hauled onto Mullanix’s property, and then turned around and hauled out of the property and graveled the road, and then hauled up to North Lake Road.”
Lakesideinfo.com investigates
A clarification of the chunks Heley was talking about are the old sidewalks and curbs that had to be removed before the new sidewalks could be put in.
Mullanix
Lakeside Public Works director Dennis Langley, reported at the July city council meeting, “he had removed the cement chunks from Mullanix’s property after Mullanix had requested the removal.
Mullinex property
He went on to say he and Mullanix had a “mis-communication” over permission to locate the cement there in the first place. The removal cost the city $1100.
Langley then obtained permission from Coos County Road Master John Rowe, to haul the concrete to the county gravel storage site located near mile post four on North Lake Road.
Donald Mullanix, when contacted by Lakesideino.com confirmed what Langley had reported in July, saying, ” there had been a misunderstanding and it was not Dennis’s fault.”
Heley and Nelson complain to County Commissioner Bob Main
Heley went on to reiterate, “I talked to Bob Main yesterday (Wednesday) and apparently the Road Master knew nothing about that being taken up there and dumped and his question was who paid for hauling it to Mullanix’s and then turning around and hauling it up North Lake Road.”
Lakesideifo.com contacted Commissioner Bob Main and after quoting what Sheila Heley had stated at the council meeting, Bob Main’s response was, “No, I didn’t talk to Sheila Heley, she sent an email with two pictures of rubble on County right of way located up North Lake Road.
He also went on to say, “Orville Nelson (ex-Lakeside mayor) called to see if I knew there was concrete rubble up on North Lake Road that had originally been on Bonneville Power (BPA) right of way, behind his property adjacent to Mullanix.”
Main said he referred the inquiry to the Road Master and County Council. Main also said, “I had a conversation with Watershed coordinator, Mike Mader about an upcoming watershed event. At that time he assured me that the cement chunks would be moved in a couple of weeks; the cement had only been placed there temporarily waiting for the dry weather before moving them.” The cement would be utilized in other places.
Partners
Public works, Lakeside watershed, and Coos County had partnered in the downtown project. Lakeside’s contribution to the project was to find locations for the “spoils” (the cement chunks). According to Langley, the weather conditions at the time were so wet the previously agreed upon locations to dispose of the cement couldn’t be traversed, until drier conditions prevailed.
Mayor Schilling, when contacted stated, “the original project only included the west side of the street, which was estimated at two to three hundred yards of debris and was easy to disperse.
When last minute circumstances made it possible to have both sides included in the project, this amount was increased to 8-9 hundred yards. With little planning time available, this amount proved more difficult. The really wet weather didn’t help any and they didn’t want to delay the project, so they came up with a temporary solution.”
Coos County Road Master John Rowe confirmed, “I gave temporary permission to put it (cement chunks) up North Lake Road until there were drier conditions.”
Watershed director Mike Mader, had the job of identifying legal and proper disposal sites. “Access was limited to previously chosen areas due to wet ground. We knew that we would get back to it in August along with our partners (city, county, watershed) in connecting with land owners to legally and properly dispose of the materials.”
Mullanix gravel road
Heley referred to a gravel road in her statement to the council. When Langley was asked about graveling the road he stated, “the gravel road was already there; driving on it in such wet conditions had muddied it up and it was only right to add gravel to it when I finished.”
Need some
If you are interested in acquiring any of the cement chunks contact city hall at 541-759-3011. It could be just what you need and save the city some money besides.
Why?
What purpose did Sheila Heley and former Mayor Orville Nelson have in making this complaint? Both live more than 5 miles from the county site on North Lake Rd. Did they both just happen to take a drive up North Lake and ponder, I wonder where all that concrete came from and oh, let’s go report it to Bob Main? Yet that doesn’t fly because both knew exactly where the concrete came from. Dennis Langley and the city acted in good faith with it’s partners on the street project in obtaining permission locating the demolished concrete in both locations.
We happen to own property in Lakeside and pay taxes in Lakeside. Therefore, how the money in the town is spent is a concern to both my husband and myself. When you see trucks hauling up North Lake, you wonder where it is going. I knew where it came from when it was hauled to Don’s and want to know why city dollars are being spent to move it twice? Who plan’s to move it from where it is now?
Sounds to me as though someone has an “ax to grind” with the city in complaining about a good faith movement of demolished concrete onto a location approved by the county road master. What’s the problem here??? The only thing I can guess is that’s it’s a manufactured opportunity for disgruntled former officials of the community to potentially cost the city a lot of money to re-mediate. I would think that former Mayor Nelson and Ms. Heley’s time would be better spent on more productive endeavors.
No ax to grind. Just wanted to know how much it cost to move it twice. Nothing wrong with that is there? What other things could that money have been used for? The gravel that was put on the road behind Mr. Nelson’s property wasn’t free, I’m sure.. So, you add that to the cost of moving it, also. Don’t assume just because I pose the question, that I am disgruntled.. I just want to know where the money is going.