09-25-2008, 11:20 AM
Damon,
This is a great post and I would love to try and give you some constructive input, but I know better.
You wrote:
“If 25 of us get to play with $56 million... then I'd like to try and please more then just the 25 of us.”
How much of that $56 mil. do you think they will let you play with? I can assure that the answer to that one is none. DOT has already “allocated” monies for many different aspects of this project. Example, landscaping X numbers of dollars and not a dollar more. But lets let the committee pick the kind of trees and some plants they would like, to pacify them as long as it don’t rock the boat. Remember they are only asking the community because they mandated to do so.
If you come up with a brilliant idea and they haven’t thought of it first you can just forget it. We have attempted to “discuss roundabouts” with them, and they have pretty much told us to f- - - off, “we” don’t like them. I see more great ideas that people are coming up with, like bury the utilities in the center of a divided highway that will improve the infrastructure not only now but for the future. You present that to them and it will be taken under advisement until time stands still.
Here is one from me that will never fly. How about finding a place that will accommodate a center rest station with “facilities” that can be accessed from both directions. Maybe some picnic tables and a few BBQ’s, toss in a couple of vending machines for soda, water, and some snacks, lease the area out to some vender to stock and maintain.
Forget it, that will never fly, it may cost extra money to build.
Forgive me Damon, I don’t want to be so negative but I have some experience in the field. I will pull for this 25 person committee because I know that you all are trying to do the best for Puna. I just have too many spoiled aspirations dealing with people that are there to just pacify the people and collect their paychecks. That is why they hire consultants to deal with your committee, because they don’t want to be bothered, these people are already “cut and dried.”
The Lack
This is a great post and I would love to try and give you some constructive input, but I know better.
You wrote:
“If 25 of us get to play with $56 million... then I'd like to try and please more then just the 25 of us.”
How much of that $56 mil. do you think they will let you play with? I can assure that the answer to that one is none. DOT has already “allocated” monies for many different aspects of this project. Example, landscaping X numbers of dollars and not a dollar more. But lets let the committee pick the kind of trees and some plants they would like, to pacify them as long as it don’t rock the boat. Remember they are only asking the community because they mandated to do so.
If you come up with a brilliant idea and they haven’t thought of it first you can just forget it. We have attempted to “discuss roundabouts” with them, and they have pretty much told us to f- - - off, “we” don’t like them. I see more great ideas that people are coming up with, like bury the utilities in the center of a divided highway that will improve the infrastructure not only now but for the future. You present that to them and it will be taken under advisement until time stands still.
Here is one from me that will never fly. How about finding a place that will accommodate a center rest station with “facilities” that can be accessed from both directions. Maybe some picnic tables and a few BBQ’s, toss in a couple of vending machines for soda, water, and some snacks, lease the area out to some vender to stock and maintain.
Forget it, that will never fly, it may cost extra money to build.
Forgive me Damon, I don’t want to be so negative but I have some experience in the field. I will pull for this 25 person committee because I know that you all are trying to do the best for Puna. I just have too many spoiled aspirations dealing with people that are there to just pacify the people and collect their paychecks. That is why they hire consultants to deal with your committee, because they don’t want to be bothered, these people are already “cut and dried.”
The Lack