Hatchery General Contractor

[T.J. Clarke]

This is the 3rd DNR/MDC project the Vendor has messed up bigly.  They were low bid but also some behind the scenes good old boy political things going on as well with picking them.  The good news is now DNR/MDC has the documented ammunition to override that low bid thing (and any political bs).  Sadly Bennett is going to be behind schedule.

[snagged in outlet 3]

1 minute ago, T.J. Clarke said:

This is the 3rd DNR/MDC project the Vendor has messed up bigly.  They were low bid but also some behind the scenes good old boy political things going on as well with picking them.  The good news is now DNR/MDC has the documented ammunition to override that low bid thing (and any political bs).  Sadly Bennett is going to be behind schedule.

Who is the contractor?  
Do they publish all bids at the bid opening?

[T.J. Clarke]

Cahill is the General Contractor.  They did Montauk as well. 

[jdmidwest]

2 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Who is the contractor?  
Do they publish all bids at the bid opening?

Yes they do.  All projects usually have a web page tracking them somewhere.  But there is nothing in my scope of work or area of operation there, so I did not look at it.

I have bid some stuff to them as a sub, but they go after anything with state dollars.  I have never been involved with them, I am seldom the low bidder.  I sell upper end high quality.  They just popped up on one down here in SEMO that I am involved in.  Doubt if they could beat any of the locals that are qualified.

Bid jobs are a crap shoot.  There are contractors that specialize in taxpayer dollar jobs and toss out numbers hoping that they will allow them to add more to it later.  But, times are changing and dollars are tight.  But, low bidder has to get the contract per the rules.

[fishinwrench]

The biggest thing that my mind keeps going back to....is that from the late '70's to the late '90's a group of 5 high school drop-out, alcoholic, chain smoking hillbillies with nothing but a single 1/2 ton pickup, and a couple of wheelbarrow's, managed that Park fabulously for over 25 years.   

But TODAY, with all the increased funding, highly educated crew, best gear and machinery available......They just can't seem to pull it off.   🤔 

100% truth. 

[tjm]

Would you say that those years of the 70-90s had more users than today?  

[BilletHead]

45 minutes ago, tjm said:

Would you say that those years of the 70-90s had more users than today?  

Nope but I hear the newly formed group of covid campers are getting fewer and their campers are coming up for sale. 

[tjm]

1 hour ago, BilletHead said:

Nope but I hear the newly formed group of covid campers are getting fewer and their campers are coming up for sale. 

Well that's too bad, RRSP tore out all the tent sites and converted them to concrete parking for those things. Pulled out all the trees that they had planted 30 years ago too, digging electric and water lines.  I haven't been over there for months but I suppose the whole place is now as interesting as a Walmart Parking lot. One of the things that I hate about BSSP is having to see  the massive parking lot near the stream. They need to tear the bridges out not improve them.  

Wrench's comment had me  thinking about how pleasantly run RRSP was in the 80s-00s and how shabby it seems now, rather like wench's view of BSSP. and wondering if it was DNR spoiling the place or just We The People trashing it. 

[fishinwrench]

5 hours ago, tjm said:

Would you say that those years of the 70-90s had more users than today?  

Not drastically.   As a matter of fact, the number of KEPT FISH has decreased.  

[tjm]

28 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

As a matter of fact, the number of KEPT FISH has decreased.  

Well, yes the limit is now 4. But the fish are not the Park when it comes to talking about upkeep or improvement, the number of vehicles and the number of people dumping trash or using the toilets etc. would affect Park maintenance expense and need for personnel, but those would be  on the DNR. Some days at RRSP the dog walkers and hikers have outnumbered the anglers and they have no qualms about dragging their dogs and leashes through the fishing areas. None of those users buy tags but they all cause park wear and tear. 

Hatchery maintenance, improvement and fish quality, on the  other hand are MDC's responsibility and expense. 

I'm confused about what your complaints target, are you disappointed in the fish or in the park management?  

I'm quite curious how the daily tag money is divided up, part to the concessionaire, part to DNR, part to MDC, or does the concessionaire keep it all? and how big are the parts?  

Why do we have the same guy as concessionaire at multiple parks and why doesn't that change every year with a bid process?