Deadlines
Have you ever set a deadline or goal for yourself? It can be a difficult endeavor, but can be a very worthwhile exercise. One of the biggest challenges for anyone doing so is being realistic and, by extension, being honest.
For all of 2007, deadlines have been issued from the upper story of Victory Theater almost as frequently as I get email. Many deadlines have been announced at council meetings, in newsletters, in letters from the Mayor, and in media stories. In case someone has been playing Rip Van Winkle, I am referring to deadlines for the so called Streetscape Enhancement Project or whatever the current official terminology for the great Hogan Debacle is now called. So many deadlines have been issued dealing with the same subject, that after a while they became one of the biggest jokes of the year in Scottsville, the greater Albemarle/Charlottesville community, area utility companies, and VDOT. In fact, by the time most became public, the deadline was past and new ones had to be set.
A new year is upon us and once again new deadlines will need to be set. Ironically, the only thing greater in number than the deadlines issued are the excuses issues to explain why they were not met. That my friends is about the only thing you can count on – the issuance of yet more excuses for 2008.
Want an example? Recently the local cable company was feeding their cables through the supplied and inspected conduits. At one business location they shoved the cable through their supplied junction box but never saw it emerge from the expected conduit at the building location. Instead they heard it hitting metal. Upon further investigation they found the cable emerging inside an electric meter base which was “hot”. It turns out someone got the conduits crossed up despite the presence of the “diligent project inspector” who was costing the Town $70 an hour.
To correct the problem, the sidewalk had to be cut open again severely impacting negatively the operation of the affected business. Ironically, it had been the last major section of sidewalk to be poured in Town. A Town official latter commented that the contractor reported that the problem was the result of vandalism ( I am not sure if a police report was ever filed). A town councilor indicated the problem was due to gravel blocking the conduit. Whom do you believe? I believe what I saw with my own eyes.
As par to course, the deadline for making all the new utility connections have come and gone. The contractor has generated their excuses and the town has done likewise. The deadlines have never been realistic with this project and the excuses have never been honest.
Recently, I heard tell that at a recent Town meeting I was being criticized for the appearance of my most current renovation project by a town councilor. I find this ironic in the face of the appearance of Streetscape, but I stand above this person in that I need not make any excuses for I have been realistic and honest in my efforts. I have set a goal, as I have with each and every project I have tackled in Scottsville and I am on track. The Town more issues of its own creation to contend with than worrying about me.
All who know me realize, my projects take time, but in the end they exceeded even my humble expectations. Sadly, the Town can not make that same claim for Streetscape. I must run as I think I hear another excuse coming.
January 3, 2008 at 4:14 pm
After reading the comments made about the Scottsville Streetscape project and the criticisim of how it has been handled, it reminds me of a word of advice a former employer gave to me when I complained about how a situation was handled by my employer. He just told me instead of coming to him with a complaint ,to come to him with a solution to the problem. That advice has always worked well for me in life because before I think of making a complaint to someone I go to them with solutions. So I would say that any person who has a complaint about the way things are being handled in Scottsville that they should present the solution to the problem and speed things along. I do however agree that things don’t seem to have been handled in a organized or professional manner. The citizens of the town never seemed to know what was going on with the project or it’s many deadline changes. I guess my suggestion would have been better communication …….
January 26, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Solution: If this was private enterprise, we would quickly fire the contractor ( sue them) and hire another to finish the project. But that would be too simple for the simple people runing the show. Instead we will cary on with the same idots expecting different results.