- Resident Max Epstein has spent two years tracking Blueprint spending through public records, discovering rising costs of projects in Northeast Tallahassee.
- Current policies allow Blueprint staff to proceed despite cost increases if initial approval of the project was granted by the IA Board, prompting concerns from Commissioner David O’Keefe who feel the board is being left out of critical financial decisions.
- Watch the video to hear why Epstein is worried those growing costs could affect projects designed for South Tallahassee.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Concerns about rising Blueprint costs have been building, and neighbors like Max Epstein have been tracking them for two years through public records.
“My records requests forced them to generate a budget,” he said.
"When I requested budgets for these individual projects that had come back way higher than expected, their answer was they don't maintain budgets for individual project. I think that is insulting because households, families have budgets,” Epstein said.
Now, he's calling for more transparency from the agency.
"They can't tell us where this money is going and what they're using it for,” he said.
County Commissioner David O’Keefe who serves on the Blueprint Board compiled rising project costs.
Two stood out: the NE Gateway and the Bannerman Road Widening Project.
In 2021, Bannerman's cost was estimated cost $49 million.
Now, it's projected at almost $160 million.
“The Board is kept out of the loop,” O’Keefe said. “Our job as elected officials put on this body to make sure that when we see a huge increase in one project but not in other projects, we can make a decision publicly.”
Planning Manager Megan Doherty says the cost spike of Bannerman is due to a larger project scope and inflation.
“We all know what's happened over the last five years with the economy and all those inflationary pressures, the market conditions have contributed to the current cost estimate,” she said.
Blueprint also has a procurement policy that allows staff to move forward with projects and any estimated increases without going back to the board, if the board already gave permission.
"If the IA Board has given us that ability to advertise, bid and award, then, we do that. You've determined the scope of the projects, and that's what we design, and that's what we'll construct,” Blueprint Director Autumn Calder said at a Blueprint workshop on May 8.
Epstein's biggest concern: If the northeast projects are taking the brunt of the costs, will southside projects like Orange Avenueever get built?
“Those projects will never get completed unless something drastically changes,” Epstein said. “That power needs to come back to the Blueprint Board and also the citizens.”
Commissioner O'Keefe tells ABC 27’s Brieanna Smith that board members will have to take a vote if they want Blueprint to provide updated price points on these projects each year.
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