David Carson:
It’s probably just best to steer clear of any committees or areas where your own company deals directly and on a regular basis with the City, that removes all/most doubt. Otherwise, this is a worthy civic endeavor on your part. They certainly need more good engineering involvement and input on many of their infrastructure needs and projects, not just the politicians and local interest groups, and lay people on committees, who each have special interest, but little knowledge about the engineering and construction aspects, which does not always lead to the best thought out projects. It is an uphill battle though. The special interest group has been harping about the project for years, and has the City’s ear by now, and that’s why those two members are on the committee. They don’t want you adding cost and complexity to the project and its approval, they just want it done, their way, they don’t see it as their money either. Then also, the City has probably already talked to a few contractors about how to do it (how they would do it), and costs which have been pared to the bone in hopes of getting the job. They just don’t seem to get the idea that the contractor will try to sell what he does, not always what’s best for the project or the City. They don’t get that aspect of the consulting engineer’s responsibility. They just don’t seem to get the idea that if you ask a roofer if you need a new roof, he is going to say absolutely, look at that one hail stone ding in the entire roof. He makes his money installing roofs, not advising people what’s best for them and their property. Each member of the committee has their own opinion of how it should be done, irrespective of their real knowledge on the matter. But, that’s today’s democracy and committee meeting way, everyone is entitled to an opinion, and they should all be given the same weight so as not to hurt any feelings; feelings, not knowledge or experience are the important consideration, they don’t even know what you do for a living. I don’t mean to do this in an intentionally hurtful way, but many trust the contractor more that you, after all that’s what he does, until it goes wrong. Your job, at first, is to put all that crap in its proper order in terms of real significance and relevance to the project at hand; to explain why this or that won’t work here, why that contractor is feeding them a line of b.s. on this one, or maybe that that contractor has a good approach/idea, if he cleans this other stuff up first, etc. Then, you can finally start applying some of your engineering knowledge and experience to the project at hand. But, you still will have to defend and explain everything you suggest, because they still don’t understand why your opinion/engineering suggestion and engineering judgement might carry a little more weight.
