While we’re glad it’s done, is the fix permanent, or merely a
patch to let traffic flow for the Garlic Festival? Who pays for
permanent repairs if the fix is just
a patch?
In our modern world, in which it seems every controversy begins with both parties seeing who can win the race to the courthouse, we breathe a huge sigh of relief over the city’s apparent settlement with Granite Construction concerning the rutted roadway at the Santa Teresa Boulevard project.
Compromise is almost always better than litigation. One of the hallmarks of reasonable dispute resolution is that neither side is really happy about the outcome, but can live with it. That appears to have happened in this case, to the credit of the parties involved.
Sure, it’s expedient and it’s somebody’s fault, but deciding to split the $300,000 cost to get the roadway fixed quickly, and in time for the city’s showcase event, the Garlic Festival, makes sense. It would probably have cost each side $150,000 to fire up their legal teams, while the repair work languished for months or years. Instead, it’s done, although we certainly hope City Traffic Engineer Don Dey can arrange to have the traffic lights synchronized soon.
Some questions remain to be answered. While we’re glad it’s done, is the fix permanent, or merely a patch to let traffic flow more easily for the Garlic Festival? Who pays for permanent repairs if the fix is just a patch?
Also, what about the rest of the roadway? Will we see this same kind of damage on the rest of the project next spring after another wet winter, and if so, who pays then?
And is there a follow-on agreement to address future damage? If so, the tax-paying public deserves to know, because a settlement that fully addresses any future damage would be the best news of all. We applaud the settlement, but call on City Staff to disclose the settlement in it’s entirety, if that has yet to be done.
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Compromise is almost always better than litigation. One of the hallmarks of reasonable dispute resolution is that neither side is really happy about the outcome, but both can live with it. That appears to have happened in this case, to the credit of the city and the local contractor.
Sure it’s somebody’s fault, but deciding to split the $300,000 cost to get the roadway fixed quickly and in time for the city’s showcase event, the Garlic Festival, makes sense. It would probably have cost each side $150,000 to fire up their legal teams, while the repair work languished for months or years.
Instead, it’s done, although we certainly hope City Traffic Engineer Don Dey can arrange to have the traffic lights synchronized soon.
Some questions remain to be answered. While we’re glad it’s done, is the fix permanent or merely a patch to let traffic flow more easily for the Garlic Festival? Who pays for permanent repairs if the fix is just a patch?
Also, what about the rest of the roadway? Will we see this same kind of damage on the rest of the project next spring after another wet winter, and if so, who pays then?
And is there a follow-up agreement to address future damage? If so, the tax-paying public deserves to know, because a settlement that fully addresses any future damage would be the best news of all. We applaud the settlement, but call on city staff to disclose the settlement in its entirety, if that has yet to be done.
