The Guy, the Lie, WHY?

Comment up

Peter Willard and Mayor Clemens

What is going on with our pool? It has been closed for days.

If you recall, we paid Greater Bay $424,826.60 to refurbish our pool. This amount was $24,826.60 over budget. Originally Greater Bay told us that the complete rehabilitation was going to be much more expensive than that--$487,209 to be exact. Willard gave us a big song and dance. In order to get a matching grant from the Division of Recreation and Parks of $200,000, the project had to be completed by April 30, 2008.

At the time, Greater Bay did not have to provide plans and specifications for the pool. How then did Greater Bay get a permit from the City?

We had a project manager for our beach restoration and over time, paid him a few HUNDRED thousand of $ to watch over our interests. The contractor, Greater Bay, submitted invoices and most of the time there was NO back-up—NO proof of the expenditure. And we paid him anyway. Our project manager signed off on the invoices. Our Finance Department paid them.

Now, we have a pool that may not be opened for the July 4^th Holiday. Rumor has it that Greater Bay (Peter Willard) sold us inadequate and inferior equipment such as the chlorinator, the pumps and the screening at the bottom. His sub-contractor did the installation, the same guy who made a fortune off of the CRA on an option on property he owns on 6th Avenue South, the Pugh property.You can’t see to the bottom of the pool now. We already heard about the pool cover (bubble wrap) and heater situation that delayed our opening for the Season.

Willard comes into town periodically and tells the LW Herald that he is going to sue us for $40 million. We just can’t get rid of this guy.