Why make promises you know you wont be keeping LTD?
Can you imagine the trouble the west 11th, and 6th/7th area business community has in store for them if this proposed west end EmX extension goes through? (Sorry, one of these is out of time sequence.)
(Published with permission from OMOT/Chuck's Service Center Inc.)
----- Forwarded message -----
From: "Chuck's Service Center, Inc."
Date: Tue, Aug 16, 2011 10:55 AM
Subject: Construction
To: <vanwinkle@ltd.org>
Cc: <ourmoneyourtransit@gmail.com>
From: "Chuck's Service Center, Inc."
Date: Tue, Aug 16, 2011 10:55 AM
Subject: Construction
To: <vanwinkle@ltd.org>
Cc: <ourmoneyourtransit@gmail.com>
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for coming by yesterday. My employee told me about your visit to inform us of the EmX construction in front of my business today. It's so good to have the construction back because I was just wondering the other day if there was anything that could possibly make business any worse for us out here. And you came by. Thanks!
So anyway, my employee told me that you said construction would stop no later than 10am. Well, here it is nearly 11am and they're still out there (with no sign of wrapping up) as my business approaches the busiest time of the day. This is no surprise, however, as my previous information regarding EmX construction has always been incorrect and far more damaging to my business than predicted by LTD.
Regards,
--
Cc: OMOT
______________________________
Chuck's Service Center, Inc.
2091 Franklin Blvd
Eugene, OR 97403
Excellence In Customer Service Since 1958
______________________________
From: Chuck's Service Center, Inc.Chuck's Service Center, Inc.
2091 Franklin Blvd
Eugene, OR 97403
Excellence In Customer Service Since 1958
______________________________
Date: Tue, Aug 16, 2011 at 12:46 PM
Subject: Re: Construction
To: LTD NoBuild <ourmoneyourtransit@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Construction
To: LTD NoBuild <ourmoneyourtransit@gmail.com>
Doing some sort of concrete work. A patch-over where they had to dig down to something maybe...
It looks like they're leaving now, at 12:45. Just at the end of our lunch rush, of course....
Thanks Erin,
--
On Tue, Aug 16, 2011 at 12:38 PM, LTD NoBuild <ourmoneyourtransit@gmail.com> wrote:
---------- Forwarded message ----------Date: Tue, Aug 16, 2011 at 12:20 PM
From: Chuck's Service Center, Inc.
Subject: Re: Construction
To: LTD NoBuild <ourmoneyourtransit@gmail.com>
It was Lisa Vanwinkle, don't know if you know her. She's very nice like all LTD reps are nice. Oh so polite and say nothing of any meaning. Anyway, I did not speak to her when she was here in person. My employee gave me the card she left, and told me that (she said) they would wrap up the construction at 7am, with worst case scenerio being 10 am. It's 12:15 now and the cones are still up, and the crew is eating lunch. (Noon is my busiest rush of business each day.)When the opening staff arrived this morning, he found two of their vehicles on the lot, having not asked permission. We had to ask them to move them so our traffic flow would be restored.I had trouble with Lisa's email address, so I spoke with her on the phone around 11. She said they shouldn't have parked on the lot, and it was her understanding that they would finish "within the hour." She was very nice of course. I sent the original email to her again.As for media attention, that's ok, feel free to circulate the email. I won't comment to the press any more though. Not since my experiences with them in the gas tax matter a few years ago. After that, I instituted a strict no comment policy towards any media for me and the staff here.But they're certainly welcome to come by and take pictures.I CC'd you on the original email because I thought you would find it interesting, just or a sort of FYI. I never did ask what exactly the construction was all about.Thanks Erin,--_____________________________________
Chuck's Service Center, Inc.
2091 Franklin Blvd
Eugene, OR 97403
Excellence In Customer Service Since 1958
On Tue, Aug 16, 2011 at 1:46 PM, VANWINKLE Lisa <Lisa.VanWinkle@ltd.org> wrote:
Casey, thank you for expressing your concerns and allowing LTD to respond. When I spoke to your employee yesterday, I explained that the construction work might extend past 10 a.m. depending on what the contractor encountered when they excavated the storm water pipe. We are sorry that it took the contractor a few more hours than anticipated to complete the work.
LTD and the contractor minimized the impact to your business, adjacent businesses, and the traveling public by scheduling the work to begin in the late evening and progress until done. We also used a type of concrete that firms up rapidly to restore normal traffic flow as soon as possible.
Again, we are sorry the work extended longer than anticipated. We appreciate that you gave us the opportunity to respond to your comments.
Is this bizarro world? When was 10 am in the evening? Ltd is vaguely useful and a mennace to this community. Instead of causing more traffic issues and disruption of businesses through out the community, how about providing adequate bus service? Thanx to Chuck for sharing. It was a good laugh.
ReplyDeleteOn the very bottom e-mail in the chain, Van Winkle employee apologized for the work taking loner than anticipated. Nearly 6 hours isn't "longer than anticipated", that is simply an abuse of the business owner's rights. The work originally was supposed to be done at 7, worst case by 10 and in actuality 12:45? If this business was inconvenienced this much extra time just to excavate a storm water pipe, what inconveniences are the businesses on 6th, 7th and 11th going to deal with if the EmX line gets built? Construction in front of their businesses going on for days, weeks and even months longer than LTD promises? Here is yet another piece of evidence that LTD does not care about businesses, and will run roughshod over business owners' right to free enterprise in order to get that "free" federal money.
ReplyDeleteDear LTD,
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you need a new clock.
Dear Chuck,
If you will look at the Dear LTD Facebook you will see a picture of the Eugene Station clock tower with both clocks telling different times. This should be your first clue that time is not an issue for them.
"Scott" LTD didn't take too long to do this construction. According to the emails the construction was over before 1 pm. LTD scheduled the work to be done in the late evening.
ReplyDeleteTherefore LTD completed the work before it even started. LOL
I can't even spin this to look good.
Dear LTD.
ReplyDeleteIsn't this the same crap you told the Springfield Cleaners? What a media mess that turned into.
"We also used a type of concrete that firms up rapidly,,," BLAH BLAH BLAH
Looks like you do not learn from your own mistakes. That leads one to believe you really don't care for businesses along your routes.
Scheduling a construction project is a SWAG (scientific wild ass guess). Digging into the dirt and acting like you know what you will find.....well this is LTD thinking at its best. I propose a new motto for LTD - OVER PROMISE AND UNDER ACHIEVE - This way everyone will be irate at your lack of common sense.
ReplyDeleteShoe horning a new BRT line down an already seriously crowded west 11th is insane. But then LTD does not care if this makes sense or not. They just have an addiction to "FREE MONEY" and that federal grant is a nice feeling to be sure!
The underlying issue that this exposes is what a lousy job LTD does communicating. The way LTD has managed the construction at Chuck's is a classic example of how LTD understates, sugar-coats, and basically withholds the truth. This reminds me of how they treated Springfield Cleaners. There is NO way I would trust LTD to manage a big job; especially the WEEE.
ReplyDeleteA written notice is always more professional, and it eliminates the "post office" effect. A landlord is legally required to give a renting tenant a 24 hour written notice before coming on rented property. LTD should give such notices in writing, to the owner, not verbally to an employee. LTD is poorly organized, what a rag-tag bunch!
Looks like LTD just doesn't care. Can't wait to hear some spokesman from LTD telling us how this is normal. They will more than likely somehow blame the 76 station owner.
ReplyDeleteLTD does their best to make this as hard as possible. LTD why did you notify the employee? Is that your new policy? Wouldn't be a good idea to put anything in writing as it would be proof you lied. This way LTD will say the employee just didn't listen.
Hey LTD, are you listening now?
Bottom line here folks is that LTD is not in charge. The construction contractor is. Get use to hearing more of this. LTD is not going to change how they do business, neither will the contractors.
ReplyDeleteLook out W.11th. LTD will take your property, then your ability to do business.
Good luck with that.
Just a note about ltd not liking businesses. They should love them since there is ltd tax that each has to pay every year. I remember paying them when I had my own business. I wonder what they use it for since they steal so much more from the feds. I'm sure our contribution next to that pales.
ReplyDeleteWake up and smell the empty diesel buses. LTD and the City will never allow you to vote on this EmX extension. The City will blame LTD when it goes bad, and you wont be able to do squat. LTD is not an elected board even though they claim to have your best interests in mind while they waste your hard earned tax money. You all seem to have forgotten that LTD is an implementing agency. No more, no less. That is where you have been duped. LTD will put in the EmX no matter what you do. No matter if it is needed. The feds want this experimental small city pseudo-BRT to study. We are the feds Guinea pigs. Did you hear that W.11th businesses? This is all just an experiment. The city is on board as they get free upgraded roads and utilities while making all their contractor and developer friends happy. LTD is on board as they get free buses and quasi-dedicated lanes for them. The local developers and contractors make millions. Meanwhile we get screwed. Welcome to polictics. Get use to that felling that you have been used.
ReplyDelete