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INSIDE CITY HALL Here are some decisions...

INSIDE CITY HALL

Here are some decisions coming out of Tuesday night’s City Council

meeting.

FRIENDS OF OASIS

The second time was a charm for a plan to create a committee to

evaluate the city’s relationship with the Friends of Oasis. The item

was voted down last week when only four council members were present

and one, Dick Nichols, voted against the item. On Tuesday, a majority

of the six council members present approved the plan.

WHAT IT MEANS

A committee of two, Tod Ridgeway and Don Webb, will begin drafting

a cooperative agreement between the city and the Friends of the

Oasis. Until now, the volunteer fund-raising group’s relationship

with the city was governed only by a council policy.

BACK BAY SCIENCE CENTER

A slam-dunk agenda item for a $363,000 contract with architect Ron

Yeo was blocked by Councilman Tod Ridgeway, who questioned the amount

of the contract and the quality of service the city could expect from

Yeo. Ridgeway pulled the item off the consent calendar, saying that

the cost of the contract was high compared to the cost of the

project. The roughly $3-million center will be part of a

state-of-the-art water-quality laboratory and education center at

Shellmaker Island. Ridgeway offered an alternative motion to bring

the item back for closer study.

WHAT THEY SAID

“I think this architect needs to put a sharper pencil to this if

I’m going to approve it,” Ridgeway said.

WHAT IT MEANS

City staff will bring back a more detailed explanation of the

architect’s proposed fees, and the council may consider finding

another architect.

-- Compiled by June Casagrande

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