Today at 3:00 PM Mayor Jim Ireton chose his words VERY carefully expressing the position the City is in with the Salisbury Waste Water Treatment Plant.
Here's the deal in a nutshell, you're screwed. The system is NOT doing what it is supposed to do and it does NOT meet the MDE Standards. Who's at fault, well, Mr. Ireton actually refused to point fingers at anyone, even after I asked him flat out, someone has to be liable. Someone signed off each step of the way. We used every possible example to get him to understand that in business and or even a home construction loan, the Bank will not pay out checks until certain parts of the contract are complete, who signed off on those checks. He refused to answer that question, no matter how we presented it.
After spending $84,000,000.00, will the taxpayers be footing the bill for getting the WWTP up to speed? Mr. Ireton kept going back to the former contractor who Wilber stated has been suspended. They kept beating around the bush NOT answering the obvious, this project is going to Court.
I asked since the MDE was a PARTNER in the project and put up 1/2 of the money, will they be handling the lawsuit. Mr. Ireton stated that the MDE is NOT on the Contract, SO THE TAXPAYERS ARE SCREWED!
Now don't go pointing a finger at Mr. Ireton, point the finger at that "waste of sperm" former Mayor Barrie Tilghman as she takes full responsibility, remember! Mrs. 99.9% Compliant with the MDE.
NO ONE seems to be responsible for this massive financial loss and I even stated to Mr. Ireton, considering the past problems with finances in the City where the former Mayor urged paying off developer reimbursements ahead of schedule and so forth, how could this happen. Mr. Ireton stated he wasn't going to start pointing fingers at anyone and went on to say, you're not going to get me to do so Joe.
At one point he started using an example to Greg Latshaw saying, well Greg, if you buy a new car and the air conditioner doesn't work, what do you do. Greg replied, bring it back to the Dealer. Ireton said, that's what we're going to do here. Sorry Mayor but this isn't a new car and at least the Car Manufacturer and Dealer CAN repair the A/C on the car. So I said, wait a minute Jim. The Taxpayers put up $84,000,000.00 for this "vehicle" and all Greg drove away with was a Ford Pinto. When is he going to get his $84,000,000.00 vehicle, when is he going to get his HUMMER? Mr. Ireton cracked up laughing and took a minute to compose himself. The long and short of it is, the Taxpayers are screwed.
Someone continued to sign off on paying out the Contractors and Engineers, (HOW CONVENIENT) and NO ONE will point a finger stating who was responsible. IMHO Folks, you deserve better answers than that and if I were you, I'd demand someone be accountable, even if it means pressing criminal charges against the former Mayor Barrie Tilghman. The buck stopped at her Office and ultimately she is responsible. This is more than likely the very key reason she did not run for Office again as they knew years ago this system wouldn't work this far North.
I tried explaining to Mr. Ireton that this particular system was designed to work further South of here and he said, I can't tell you what they do in Pocomoke. I interrupted him and said, No Mayor, South as in Florida, Georgia, where the water temperatures are MUCH HIGHER than Maryland, who convinced the former Mayor this system would work this far North, there was no reply.
Now Get This! Mayor Ireton wants YOU the Citizens to start being more environmentally friends by using BETTER cleaning products. He wants you to wipe out pots and pans with paper towels and get rid of the grease and HELP the new system. He stated that they had to turn OFF 1/2 of the system to make it work more efficiently in the mean time but there's been no sewage spills, so it's working. Dee, Dee, Deeee! For $84,000,000.00 the GD System better be working. But is it? NO!
You just spent $84,000,000.00 on a new system, they cut off 50% of the system and they want YOU to stop putting grease down the drains. Excuse me but let me tell you something. After you just spent $84,000,000.00 you better damn site be able to throw all the grease you want down the drains and you better be able to double the volume of houses on the system and it better work for everyone, especially after they keep raising your water and sewer rates and only use 1/2 of what's supposed to be offered!
Look, I could go on and on about this. The bottom line is, you're screwed, plain and simple. Former Mayor Tilghman screwed each and every one of you taxpayers and stood there and looked all of us in the eyes and said they were 99.9% compliant with the MDE. I would demand ANSWERS, all of which Mayor Ireton was completely unwilling to offer today and quite frankly I'll probably enjoy the article in tomorrow's Daily Times because they too walked away thinking, he wouldn't give any answers. Something Mr. Wilber probably put him up to. Nevertheless, with new rates in place and the rates surely to go up again, you should demand answers and demand Gary Comegys be accountable for this project as well. He's still on Council and some how, some way, people were paid money and in the end you have less from the brand new WWTP than you had before the project ever started. In other words, the old system was working better than this one!
35 comments:
Tilghman lawsuit... Large.
Joe,
You posted some documents before that had to do with a warranty clause being crossed out for the WWTP. Who ever did that is liable.(among others)
I am not pleased with the new mayor. But , I guess that doesn't make any difference. Looks like we are back in the same boat. That is , up $hits creek without a paddle.
On time and under budget, as they (Tilghman & Comegys) say!
God it's beautiful in Nanticoke,
and it smells good too.
Waste treatment systems are all unique and can take time to figure out. I agree that there should be accountablility in this project. If everything was constucted as specified and the city is operating the plant in the manner prescibed then I feel the engineering firm who designed the plant should be accountable. The exception could be that the influent water quality agreed upon has changed. Also, the discharge limits are always being lowered. Treating water in Georgia could be easier, since part of the system is biological and bacteria grow better in warm environments. Joe, what specifically is causing the plant to be out of compliance? For example, is it TSS, BOD, COD, TKN, Phosphorus, etc? Everyone should know that just because the mayor shows us a jar of clear water does not mean it is fittin' to drink, or suitable for discharge into the environment. It only shows that the suspended solids have been removed. Dissolved solids can't be seen.
This has to be the main focus and
first priority for this Mayor and Council regardless of who is at fault. Futhermore, an investigation
should be made by an independent source to bring charges against any wrong doings by the previous Mayor and or contractors.
anonymous 6:05,
I have done enough research on this WWTP over the years to have come to learn it was an absolute crap shoot trying to get this kind of system working efficiently so far north. I even went so far as asked this question, (as posted in this post) to Mr. Ireton and he was somewhat clueless with his answer. I do NOT blame him, it's pretty complicated but he stood in front of the Council as a citizen for years challenging the WWTP and really should know more.
Nevertheless, you are absolutely correct. the water temps down south are much higher and IMHO the MDE should have said HELL NO to this project.
The taxpayers will be screwed out of MILLIONS of additional dollars and quite frankly while this is being litigated for YEARS, I'm talking up to 10 years, the former administration knew this and was desperate to keep IDIOTS like Gary Comegys in place to simply throw out, CUT YOUR LOSSES before you spend millions of dollars in litigation.
I question where the money went on Sassafras, the new Fire Palace, the WWTP, the urgency on paying out developer reimbursements before work was completed and even unnecessary.
SOMEONE walked away with millions opf dollars knowing there's a good chance they wouldn't be challenged.
Jim Ireton needs to do exactly what he stated in his campaign. He needs to reevaluate every single department head and terminate anyone questionable and not 100% loyal. Documents like what the Chief of Police offered to the Daily Times and or the alleged person who tipped them off when there were only three people who could have even seen the alleged documents that don't exist are PROOF that the former Mayor is still running the City.
If I were the former Mayor I'd stay away from any City business but that's not the case.
It's time to clean house Jim Ireton.
This is the accomplishment Gary Comegys is most proud of...just like him, it doesn't work.
In defense of Ireton, he probably couldn't answer some of the questions due to pending litigation. I can understand him asking people to be a bit more environmentally conscious while the plant is not up to par. Lets not beat up on him to bad...just yet.
Anonymous 6:40,
BULLSHIT!
Let's get the Jim Ireton kept his mouth shut because of litigation crap out of this conversation right here and now. The Contractor ISN'T suing the City! The City is suing the Contractor!
I don't give a damn what any lawyer says, this is OUR $84,000,000.00 that has been blown with no good results. I DEMAND answers. It's not Paul Wilber's money. It's not just Jim Ireton's money. It's ALL of our money and as a partner, investor, user, I want answers and not ones that beat around the bush.
ON TIME AND UNDER BUDGET, just like the earlier commenter stated. Mayor Tilghman AND Gary Comegys kept pounding their chest with these statements.
OK, let's take this a step further.
When someone goes to a Real Estate Agent who is well aware of this problem right here and now with the WWTP, isn't it their responsibility to tell each client there's litigation and issues with this new $84,000,000.00 Plant? Do YOU thjink any new businesses are going to relocate here?
Taxes will go UP, water and sewer rates will go up!
Ireton mentioned new legislation the Council is working on right now referencing grease. Let me tell you something Folks. They want to cut off sludge pit lagoon #1 completely. Years ago they started discouraging allowing or accepting any more grease and sewage from private or County haulers, WHY? Because they knew this was a problem YEARS AGO before they ever built this Plant. They have been scamming everyone for years. They sent Linnens of the Week packing,m the 3rd largest user of water and sewer in the City. Why, because ifd they were on line now, the system would have failed a long time ago. Talk to the owners and they'll tell you, the City wanted NOTHING to do with them and sent them packing. Look at the Micro Brewery with the $140,000.00 Impact Fee, or whatever it was. THEY DIDN'T WANT THEM NO MATTER WHAT!
This scam has been going on for years and someone needs to challenge this and sue the City. If they6 put this on the back burner and continue to hold Press Conferences giving out NO ANSWERS like they did today, the City needs to be sued by its own taxpayers.
This was a megga scam and we deserve answers. Look, if we're screwed, we're screwed. However, I want the truth, PERIOD. I don't want BS answers from Paul Wilber, a FOB. I want someone from the outside coming in and telling us what in the hell went wrong. Someone who isn't afraid to tell the truth. That's where your first expense should be.
Joe:
It's not a problem he created, but Ireton is not the person to solve it. Nothin but a pretty face, just like his hero, Barack.
The engineer firm that the City used is still touting the WWTP as if it was just perfect --
Trickling Filter Plant
The world’s first upgrade of a trickling filter plant at the City of Salisbury, MD facility, utilizing stage biotowers to achieve nutrient removal
(patent no. US 565 750 B2). The staged biotower nutrient removal facility has utilized existing facilities, resulting in present-worth cost savings of about $20 million.
Source:
http://www.obg.com/documents/2007/12/13/8.pdf
Its like a cartoon book or something, you supposed to laugh or cry?
While I wouldn't say that Wilber is incompetent, it would seem that he is as not as well versed in construction contract analysis and performance criteria acceptance as perhaps a city attorney should be.
Joe, why do you waste your time defending Mayor Ireton? Its obvious this "boy" is over his head in what he was supposively elected to do.
WWTP, Chiefy, Crime. The mayor has no clue. Its time for a recall. This is a null and void election because he does not have a clue.
Forget about grease going down the drains of homeowners. What about the truckloads of seepage that they are pouring down the drain everyday from the landfill???? I pay a lot of money in sewage fees with every water bill and I want answers as well. It seems as though Jim wants to avoid the hardball side of politics. He better be read to roll up his sleeves and start exposing the people who have been running this city into the ground.
It would of made a more dramatic visual affect if the press briefing was held on top one of the tanks. Im just saying...
I swear it seems we are listening to another Louweasal all over again, tell us Jim it ain't so.
Joe, your man the MAYOR has not done a d-m thing since he's been in office. What's the start date for him?????? Thought you might know, since no one else does.
Cry, Less, just cry. I have no clue how they rurn sh!+ into shinola at these places except a basic understanding of settling out the solids until they biologically become liquids, bombing with caustic in the next tank, and growing and oxygenating in the next tank. Somebody sold SallsBarrie the same system she had and it didn't help.
Somebody sold us a couple extra tanks for 84 million dollars, and never changed any process. Somebody else waived any warranty that this new system would work. I wonder who that was?
Can the person who waived our warranty on the wwtp please raise his or her hand and get dully fired for their action? Everybody, lets get lawyer'd up!
Joe, your climate theory can't be the cause right now; it is summer right now.
Also, have they made public what is not in compliance? Ireton and alot of others may not understand the whole treatment,but there are some of us that do.
9:17, you really don't know what you are talking about. They did not just sell us a couple more tanks for 84 million.
They are using IR light to kill bacteria, no caustics, but there is/was a process that used methanol and they were trying to replace it with a system that used glucose to reduce the hazardous conditions. They have stopped spreading the sludge on farm fields and replaced it with a rotary kiln that cooks the solids and they are selling it to local contractors as bedding soil. They got rid of the pits where haulers were bringing in waste from outside the city. THe list goes on, but it was more than just adding or replacing a few tanks.
I really don't think anyone in the city is to blame for the current problems. They were sold a bill of goods and had no idea what they were buying. They are not engineers, biologists or chemists. They would have to be all three to fully understand how a system like this works, and they are not. They were sold something that does not work.
I wonder why the city attorney did,nt put something in place to protect us from this situation.
The way I look at it, the city was buying into what the company was selling and we are kidding ourselves if we think the mayor and council should be more educated on the chemistry behind this system. Obviously the manufacturer and/or contracted did'nt understand it either.
Well, I hope they nail whoever it is. But one thing, Joe. If it's the city suing the engineers, that's still litigation to stay mum about. You just don't publish a playbook for your opponents.
What a cluster*#$.
Seems like a very sparsely attended press conference? And also, why host it at 3pm? Aren't most people at work...probably because Jim didn't want much scrutiny...
Bacteria dont like cold, cost money to warm up the poo. Basic engineering flaws, maybe they can use solar panels to warm up the poo.
Jim-Beau:
Pass it on: "help is on the way!"
thank you dave winslow.
You dont have a clue to what is going on .
And you are the superintendent.
I know the mayor may have part to blame, but the people they hired to run this dont have a clue to what is going on.
They could not run the old plant and they are not capable of running the new one.
I know they had nothing to do with the plans or the outcome of the new plant .
But Dave Winslow , Will Smith , Al Poriando and Dave kenny dont know what they are doing, and they never will.
They are not qualified.......
Take it to the bank, because that is what the tax payers are going to do........
I know of times when the old plant was running that Al Porianda could not get a permit to put sludge on local farms , but synagrow out of PA could, what a dame shame.
Dame winslow would not come out of his office for weeks at a time , just sit back and collect his pay check.
This is so true i would testify in court about it .
It went on for years.
Salisbury citizens you have been taken for a long ride and will be again , with the same crowd.
I do not hold Ireton responsible for this and I do not hold Obama responsible for the mess this country is in. It is because of previous administration local and federal.
3 p.m. because it's a PRESS conference...
Meaning, has to be at a time the PRESS can meet deadlines to get it into the paper and on TV so the public can benefit from what they wouldn't attend anyway.
Tilghman hired Dave Winslow , gave him the responsibility to run the old waste water plant, he failed then because he does not have the knowledge needed too.
He is incapable of running the new plant even if it was working right.
Get the new plant working right, fire Dave Winslow, Will Smith, Al Porinado and dave kenny aka Bear.
Hire people who are capable of running the new plant .Problem solved.
Looks like we should be saving some of that grease for something else...
To bad the citizens can't sue the city of salisbury and council members.
ever think that "teach" just doesn't know? how can he answer questions?
It's not like he's been ceo of a big company for 20 years. really, now.
"Excuse me but let me tell you something. After you just spent $84,000,000.00 you better damn site be able to throw all the grease you want down the drains and you better be able to double the volume of houses on the system and it better work for everyone"
So Jimmy Boy wants us to not pour grease into the drain? Well what does he want us to do with it? Oh I know,silly me. Put it in the trash so that it can go to the dump and pollute our underground water sources. Nothing like passing the buck so it's someone else's problem.
Help is on the way. NOT
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