The following was received by : "web-ster"@capecoralwatchdogs.org


Different expertise was needed

To the editor:

Our mayor and city council selected Mr. Thomas Hair as a replacement for 
Mr. Jim Jeffers. Mr. Hair has stellar credentials but the question is, was 
he the best choice? Our mayor and council missed a great opportunity. Of 
the many highly qualified candidates there was only one that had the 
knowledge and expertise so badly needed for the Utilities Expansion 
Project. It is beyond my comprehension as to why the mayor and council 
would not select Mr. Boller to be a replacement for Jim Jeffers. What the 
mayor and council have done is to jeopardize the utility expansion project.

When one considers we have a $1 billion- plus project which is out of 
control and unaffordable, it's hard to understand why the mayor and council 
would throw Mr. Boller's experience and expertise down the toilet. Their 
selection just doesn't make sense. I have spoken to engineers in Cape Coral 
and from what I can gather we have no one in the entire city of Cape Coral 
that has the same expertise or credentials as Mr. Boller. Mr. Boller is the 
perfect individual to monitor the projects and do analysis as to how the 
utilities projects are being carried out and possibly how they should be 
carried out in the future. He would be the "go to guy" who would be an 
invaluable asset to the mayor and council. His expertise would insure that 
the mayor and council are making rational and sound decisions. He would be 
the man who would know how to do the installation of lines and upgrades at 
the plants in the most cost effective manner. We know that other 
communities are installing lines and upgrading plants at a much lower cost 
to the taxpayers. So there has to be a better methodology which our staff 
has overlooked or is not capable of implementing.

The price was certainly right, a master engineer for $14,000 a year. That is 
less than you would have to pay the driver of an ice cream truck. The 
people in Cape Coral are not comfortable with what is happening with the 
assessments and the U.E.P as a whole. What better way is there to gain the 
confidence of the people than to have an expert sitting right there on city 
council? Considering the amount of money involved in the U.E.P. I would 
think that being able to continue these projects at the best possible price 
would be a high priority for the mayor and the city council. If that is 
true, why would the mayor and council throw away this resource ?

Since the mayor and council chose to disregard a great opportunity for the 
taxpayers in the city of Cape Coral then I recommend the people in the next 
election choose to disregard most of the council members and the mayor when 
they run for a second term. They have proven they are not interested in the 
welfare of the people by their actions. Since actions speak louder than 
words, why would you even consider listening to them at election time, let 
alone vote for them ?

Based on what I suspect, the reason Mr. Boller was not selected would be 
the influence of Mr. Stewart and the city staff who feel they must preserve 
their ivory towers. Their ivory towers have become an unaffordable 
proposition for the taxpayers. Just look at the outrageous assessments 
being handed out. The mayor and council have become too dependent on the 
staff and will not think independently, nor will they bring someone on 
board who is willing to do that, either.

Instead the mayor and the council choose to use some text book formula to 
determine Mr. Jeffers replacement rather than using good old American 
ingenuity and common sense. This is fine in academia but unacceptable in a 
real world situation, especially when one considers people are being 
financially destroyed by the utilities expansion projects. Now is not the 
time for politics 101, this is a serious situation the mayor and council 
have forced on the residents of Cape Coral. You, Mr. Mayor and council 
members, are responsible for this mess since you are the ones who decided 
to continue SW-4 without bringing in independent people in to look at the 
contracts and pricing. It is your responsibility to resolve this problem, 
not with politics and not by throwing a small bone to the people but with 
common sense and available talent. You have now proven you have no common 
sense and could care less about available talent or the people in Cape Coral.

The Good Ship Cape Titanic keeps heading toward that iceberg with no one at 
the helm, who has the backbone to change course.

John Sullivan

Cape Coral