Published on March 19, 2020 in the Countywide and Sun
After months of debate, the controversial Broadway Street Project is "dead."
"I was notified by the city manager a couple weeks ago that that project had been placed on the shelf due to the amount of opposition to it," Commissioner James Harrod said in the commissioners' comments at the end of the regular meeting Monday. "I've been assured by the city manager that this project is dead."
Shawnee City Manager Chance Allison did confirm the project as it stands, "is off the table."
Allison said this comes largely because Commissioner Ron Gillham, who previously voted positively for the project, announced at the March 3 regular meeting that he would not vote in favor of the project in the future.
"I would say categorically at this particular point, during this period," Gillham said at that meeting. "I can't see myself making a positive vote on this."
This move changed the numbers from 4-3 positive to 4-3 negative.
Because Gillham announced he changed his mind, Allison said they statutorily couldn't bring up the item again at the commissioners' meeting since the commission had a negative majority opinion on the project.
Since it wasn't brought up at the meeting, the project, in effect, died.
"There is a possibility of a revote, but that would mean starting the whole process over," Allison said.
The commission did award an RFQ (Request For Qualifications) bid at the February 18 meeting, which can't be reconsidered. The board would have to go back and do a whole new RFQ process and create an entirely new project.
"We're not going to do (the project) from the RFQ that we already accepted," Allison said. "We would restart the process if we were to reengage the project. We have not been directed to engage in the project."
Allison said they will now reprioritize and focus on other street projects. He said it would be a focus on streets that need repairs rather than beautification.