Time is running out for a contractor to finish up work on the Fernwood Road bridge or pay up for prolonged delays on rebuilding the span that’s been closed for more than a year, vexing residents and disrupting commutes.
Discussion about the topic arose when resident Jack Martin spoke up to vent about the delays.
Garrett Smith of Neel Schaffer Engineering said contractor Gulf Breeze Construction has 27 more days — not including weekends, holidays or rained-out works days — to complete the project. After that, the county can pursue liquidated damages.
“Sometime in December will run out of time on that project and we will charge them for liquidated damages,” he said. “We met out there Monday with the State Aid engineer and the contractor, talking to them, telling them we need to move this thing on as quickly as possible. They assured us they would be out there every day they can … We’ve done all we can do at this point to push them along.”
Martin criticized the company for working on more than one project at a time, but supervisors said it’s routine for contractors to handle multiple projects at once.
Turning to another topic, Martin noted that the board reduced its number of monthly meetings to three and suggested they take a pay cut.
“The state requires that we meet the first Monday of every month,” Supervisor Hall said, noting that other meetings are scheduled to handle additional county business.
“Every day I work. I worked Sunday,” Supervisor Lee Fortenberry said, adding that he had to remove a tree from a road.
He noted that the board passed up raises for themselves even though legislators had approved it.
“All of us agreed that we’re not taking a raise,” he said
Accardo said holding fewer meetings comes with benefits, not drawbacks.
“Do you realize when we meet in this board room, it costs this county money? We’re saving the county money …. We’re able to streamline the process,” he said.
“We did meet almost five times a month before this board,” Supervisor Tazwell Bowsky said. “Believe me, Mr. Jack, there’s more to it than the eye meets. … There’s a lot that we do that you never see.”
Martin said the board also needs to address conditions on McKenzie Road.
“I told y’all last meeting McKenzie Road is dangerous,” he said. “Two days after the last meeting we had an accident over there.”
