FAIRMONT – Shae Strait got briefly emotional Tuesday night before Fairmont City Council as he recounted what was said to him during a renovation project at Windmill Park a couple of years back.
Strait, Fairmont’s now-former city planner, was fired two weeks ago for speaking out against what he alleges is unethical management – regarding public works projects undertaken by the municipality.
He appeared before council as a private citizen to talk about a couple more.
A new pavilion was being installed at the park, an expanse just off Pennsylvania Avenue near the city’s once-bustling Bellview neighborhood.
In his role as city planner, Strait was one of the officials helping oversee the work.
Before that, though, he was also part of a series of get-togethers at the park in order to gauge public opinion.
Which, as it turned out, was a revelation to some.
“I remember one of the residents coming up to me, telling me that it was the first time they could remember the city coming into their neighborhood – to hold a meeting in their neighborhood,” he said.
“That meant a lot,” he continued.
“It helped break down the apathy that had held Fairmont back for so long. Held it back from what Fairmont deserved and should have been.”
There was an issue, though, Strait said.
A previously undetected section of concrete structure underground was discovered and needed to be addressed, Strait said.
The city directed the contractor to keep moving on the work no matter what, he said, resulting in change orders and overruns that nearly doubled the project’s price tag.
In another instance last year, a contractor accidentally cut into a terracotta pipe that was part of an old fuel distribution system.
The breach sent gasoline spilling into the street, Strait said.
Both the contractor and city construction administrator called the state Department of Environmental Protection, Strait said, and correctly so.
However, Strait alleges, both were also told by the city they should have “hidden” the spill – so the work could have continued on schedule.
Which would have meant pouring the runoff down a storm drain or letting it puddle on someone’s private property, Strait said.
In both circumstances, he said, he was “reminded of his place,” when he tried to speak out.
The city, though, contends it did everything correctly, regarding fixes to the park and the broken pipe.
“During the Windmill Park pavilion project, in the process of site excavation, the contractor discovered a large, concrete structure under the project area,” the city’s communications director David Kirk responded in an email.
“Staff from several departments made the determination that the best course of action was to fully remove the old structure to ensure the integrity of the new concrete pad that was to be laid,” Kirk continued.
“This did increase the cost of the project,” he said. “However, the city stands by the decision.”
The second incident cited by Strait involved critical cleanup work, Kirk said.
Call it just that, he said: cleaning up, in a monitored and sanctioned way.
“During the downtown sidewalk project, there was an incident during the excavation where the contractor unearthed an old gasoline system,” the communications director recounted.
“The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection was immediately contacted – and the issue was resolved in accordance with all state and federal guidelines.”
