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Sunday, July 02, 2017

Is this what Salisbury Mayor calls Progress?

Rt. 13 & Main Street Intersection
By Thornton Crowe

Many of you traveling in the downtown area are more than familiar with the construction 'project' since last October, which has rendered this area useless. However, when the City underestimated the construction cost, all movement ceased in April and it's laid inert ever since.

This image was taken Monday, June 26th at 4pm denotes the lack of any work in progress. The bulldozer hasn't moved, the street is still torn up and people needing to be in the area are still forced to detour down side streets.

Just how long is this project going to continue [sic]? A reliable source close to the situation has stated the City had grossly underestimated the cost and fees to remove contaminated soil, which led to this shutdown. Will it be another eight months to a year and then some before the City conjures up the remaining funds issue?

Once again, this proves Salisbury Mayor Jake Day and his Administration don't have a handle on basic situations such as this, which are a mainstay for any city governance. Didn't we read somewhere he holds a Masters in Urban Development? If so, wouldn't one with such an education know the cost differential for these incidents and how to outsource the job properly to get reasonably accurate quotes from outside vendors?


In all fairness to Day, projects do run into road hazards (pardon the pun) but this is why astute leadership builds in budget buffers to head off missteps and under-estimations. Why didn't then acting City Administrator Julia Glanz make monetary allowances for such an issue should it occur?

From the same source, the actual cost for contaminated soil removal is at least 7 times the money allotted for the project. This is more than mere oversight or minor miscalculation; it borders extreme negligence or naiveté which denotes incompetence. In either case, it's not good for Salisbury residents and those needing to access this heavily traveled area.

It seems Day & Company just went off half-cocked without much forethought or reasonable assessment of what they were dealing with...

Guess we'll be stuck with this new addition to downtown until they sort it out; however, businesses along this stretch have suffered. One source said Mojo's definitely has seen a drop in business; therefore, it is only an educated assumption others have grappled with this same access issues. Will they continue to attempt to run a business in this area if customers/clients can't access their establishments due to this construction turned pop art installation?

At this point, we don't know... However, should businesses be forced to shutter, doesn't that prove counterproductive for revitalizing the downtown area?

I'm just a man asking questions along with pointing out the obvious...

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yep, this is what Boy Mayor calls progress. Wonderful, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

current city leaders with Day at the helm are not mature or wise enough to lead Salisbury...so sad.

Steve said...

Well, Thornton, the GOOD NEWS is this robs the City of any money to start closing Downtown parking lots to put in foundations for the section 8 housing until we can vote in a real Mayor!

Anonymous said...

Hey Jakey BOY - ANOTHER opportunity presents itself to open up to the constituents, many who blindly elected you as their Mayor!

I might know a "feller" who'd be willing (not necessarily happy) to sit down and allow you a platform to explain some things. With that opportunity, you would need to answer (NOT opine) a few questions too!

His name you ask? Oh...Joe Albero of course!

Now to other pressing issues - TWO DAYS UNTIL T.G.I.F!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Steve said...
Well, Thornton, the GOOD NEWS is this robs the City of any money to start closing Downtown parking lots to put in foundations for the section 8 housing until we can vote in a real Mayor!

June 28, 2017 at 8:38 AM

No offense but I can't understand what you are trying to say.

Anonymous said...

What are you clowns complaining about???? You voted for this POS mayor now suck it up and stand by him, since you thought it was wise to vote for him...

All you ass hats do anymore is complain, complain, complain!!!! I don't see your fat lazy ass offering up money to help the situation, I don't see your fat lazy ass out there helping to remove dirt, I don't see your fat lazy ass doing anything productive to help the situation... Maybe being ignorant of the people you vote for makes you at fault for all of this, oh no lets not point fingers or blame anyone right? after all you all voted for him... I guess what you hear about the good the mayor could do for this city in the lying media was a lie after all? Funny how that works...

Anonymous said...

Doesn't WBOC, The Daily Mistake or WMDT see this mess going on? Why hasn't anyone from those news organizations bothered to say a word about this incompetence or tried to get us answers about when this madness will end? I've heard that this is only the beginning because when that section is done, more not less of Main Street will be blocked to the next phase in this on-going disaster we call City government. If true, that means Mojo's will be done for sure and who can blame them? I certainly wouldn't want to work at the DA's office, choking on street dust and losing my hearing to jack hammers and the screech of construction equipment backing up with the constant beep, beep, beep all day long as I tried to work.

What will happen when they get to phase 250 when WMDT has to deal with this noise? Will they have pets on the plaza?

Anonymous said...

854 don't worry that won't happen until 2035! You'll be long dead by that point! And so will downtown Salisbury.

Anonymous said...

But for Barrie Tilghman and the wastewater treatment plant debacle, this would be Salisbury's biggest boondoggle, with the fireboat fiasco under Ireton a distant third.

Anonymous said...

And now, to divert attention from this mess, Jakey boy is blasting that historical sign on the courthouse lawn that he says he does not like. As a local native he had know about it for years, so why bitch about it now?

I Threw Up My Lemonade When I Read Your Stupid Asinine Comment said...

851 There's a couple problems with your thinking. A) Day ran unopposed so even if no one voted, he would've won. B) We already paid money it's called taxes! C) Which agent out of 6 are you who the mayor pays to write this crap on sbynews?

Anonymous said...

903 if 851 works at city hall, he or she will feel burn at phase 219.

Anonymous said...


The mare's crafty plan to land the Folk Festival was to take Main Street and its environs back to the era of buggies and hitching posts with an unpaved roadway. Watch where you step, ladies. Mission Accomplished!

Anonymous said...

Does he still have that do-nothing job as daddy's boy at Perdue?

Gary said...

Looking more and more like a little "Detroit"!

Anonymous said...

Mr/Ms. 8:58,

I beg to differ on the biggest boondoggle in Salisbury's history -- it's selling city property to political pals that started when Barrie Tilghman got her friendly council members to sell the old theater lot on the plaza to her supporter, and has continued under Ireton and Day, with sales to the Gillis-Gilkerson gang (the old firehouse and more).

Salisbury is now known elsewhere as the cesspool (putting it mildly) of the Shore.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Does he still have that do-nothing job as daddy's boy at Perdue?

And I'm now buying only from Tyson or Mountaire.

Anonymous said...

9:34 You're right about it being a cesspool but that's just going to offend these idiots. One day they love Salisbury, the next, they hate it. They have no idea what side they're on until Joe tell them.

Anonymous said...

Board of Public Works must be AWOL. With this mess there must not be a Board of Public Works. Another example of "No Management" in the position of authority in City depts. I am not a City resident but there should be a massive demonstration of dissatisfaction in front of the Government Office Building. Total waste of tax dollars. This again might be a ploy to force Businesses out of Downtown and allow Gillis and Company to purchase the complete Downtown for next to nothing as done in the past. Then Gillis will complete the project within months.

JoeAlbero said...

WOW, many interesting comments here. Some have taken the words right out of my mouth.

I can tell you that MoJo's is not only suffering, they will not survive the next phase. This is very sad considering the City fronted money in one of their programs to create MoJo's in the first place and salvage another previous business that had failed. Rob and Joel have put their hearts and souls into that business and have struggled for years to make something out of nothing.

As other commenters have stated, I don't know how they will survive not only this phase but future ones to follow. I stated a while ago in comments that the million dollars Governor Hogan gave to Salisbury will more then likely be eaten up by the contaminated soil alone. Jake is damn lucky those funds came about because there's no way the City could've survived that expense alone.

I mean, seriously, Jake and his entire Staff should've known with all those gas stations down there that there was a major risk of contamination.

This is what happens when you put a Boy with no business experience into a mans job, (so to speak).

Anonymous said...

Why don't they use the funds misdirected to pay the ludicrous salaries of the new "deputy administrators" to help pay for this mess!!!!!

Anonymous said...

1122 You're expecting bad people to do the 'right' thing? Surely you jest!

Anonymous said...

June 28, 2017 at 8:51 AM

oh shut up for God's sake. to put it nicely, you are talking out of your hat

Anonymous said...

Every day I just shake my head and ask "what next"? Salisbury is just full of surprises. Tomorrow we get a choice. What's behind door number 1, door number 2 or door number3.

Anonymous said...

How can anyone find fault with calling out this mess created by Jake? Says a lot about people when they get upset about local government being called on the carpet for their crap. Those people have to be paid by the mayor's office. Regular people see what a pain in the ass that whole nightmare's been and now we know there's a thousand more phases to go through. Only idiots and paid morons would dispute this problem. I'm looking around for Clinton because her bots have already made it to Salisbury.

Anonymous said...

1142 word.

Anonymous said...

What's to be expected coming from the imbecile. He's not the brightest bulb in the pack to be sure. Only someone with a low IQ level would ever think Salisbury can compare to Frederick. This wasn't the first nor will it be the last asinine thing to come out of his mouth. Still laughing at the way he got himself all jazzed up like the little fool that he is over Headquarters Live AFTER right on this blog numerous comment said it would not work.
TOLD YOU SO! TOLD YOU SO! TOLD YOU SO! TOLD YOU SO! Bunch of fools.


Anonymous said...

If Baltimore ever cracks (no pun intended) on the addicts there, look out Salisbury, the population will soar. And we know why it has been going up so much since ECI opened.

Concerned Retiree said...

Abolish the worthless Board of Public Works. Save tax dollars or put that savings into improving the Waste Management / Waste Water Plant. As a retiree I will take over the Dept and do a better job.

Anonymous said...

8:51 AM, you are wrong, wrong, wrong. Nobody voted for this Boy Mayor, he sailed right on in because no one ran against him. NOBODY VOTED FOR HIM, he didn't have to have any votes, he was automatically Mayor.

Anonymous said...

I'd love to talk to a business owner down there and discreetly set up a video or time lapse camera to see if they actually do anything. Well, I know they don't do anything, but I want to see how little gets done each day. What a truly embarrassing project. At least give the appearance of effort Jake. You're a bum and a shyster!

Anonymous said...

9:43 how true

Anonymous said...

12:46 PM with all our section 8 housing, it appears we are ready.

Anonymous said...

Jake's legacy will forever be married to inertia and malcontent. When we had a mayor who hated Salisbury. Nice going, Jakester.

Anonymous said...

I went by there at 12:00 on Friday, nothing's moved. How long is this shutdown? Is it going to stay this way indefinitely? Sucks to be that little restaurant on the corner. Surprised they're still open. That place has changed hands a few dozen times with the streets in tact. With them all torn up, can't imagine they're long for that corner.