Dear Source,
I find it amusing, in a perverse sort of way, to see the problems the Port Authority are facing now. Two years ago, during the bidding process for the Enighed Pond Marine Terminal Project, the lowest priced tender for the project had identified in their bid proposal that there was going to be excessive materials to dispose of. They had researched the site thoroughly and found that sediment levels were higher that the drawings showed.
An alternative solution, albeit radical to VIPA thinking, was identified to accommodate disposal of this excess material. The Port Authority chose not to accept their methodology, and rejected the lowest priced proposal, in favor of a higher cost proposal that was closer to what they chose to believe. What VIPA believed was based on outdated, old survey information.
The problems encountered during the work were mostly forecast during the bidding process and the formal proposal presentations. From personal attendance to that formal presentation, I know that certain attendees dozed off in their post-lunch stupor. The VIPA made their choice, chose to ignore sound advice rather than admit to using flawed data. Now they act surprised at what they found?
David Baird
St. John, VI

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