12/11/2008: "State Auditor Nixes FH Stop Work Payment"

Noise, dirt, and most of all, the blocking of parking places, has upset some of the business owners in Friday Harbor as work crews move slowly though town installing a new sewer line.

If the shop keepers were concerned in the early fall when work started, they have become down right grouchy as the Christmas shopping time arrived, So what with a lousy economy, off island competition, and now blocked off streets and stores, and no place for parking..well, what to do?

Go see the Town Council and ask for a little Christmas cheer in the form of a hiatus of work until Christmas past.

Last Thursday the Friday Harbor Town Council heard the complaints and approved a request from business owners to pay Strider Construction, the sewer project contractor, to stop in the middle of the project and not work from December 15 to December 29. That is they were asking them to lose money.

The Town Council agreed to pay $9,000.00 to “silence Strider” for 20 days to negate the “negative affect the ongoing road and parking disruption would have on retail sales and services”

The Town action put the State Auditor into playing the role of the Christmas Grinch when they reviewed the action and ruled public funds cannot be used to pay someone to not work who is being paid public money to work.

The Chamber of Commerce said “We do want to thank the Town Council for working for and with the business community in this endeavor!” No matter the outcome.