Here is a recap.
Jerry Henry, an honest guy, but a tough businessman, is said, by opponent Mark GiaQuinta, to be a principle of Earth First, the company which was low bidder for the city garbage contract. Gregg Walbridge, a real estate developer is the managing partner of the recently formed company. I heard a third name, but can not remember it. Earth First is also the name of the earth liberation people who burn buildings in Colorado. I love their work. This Earth First has no trucks and no dump, but can get a loan to rent trucks and will pay a dump fee to the Republic site. I also heard that there is a key player who owns the land to the north of the Republic dump who will greatly benefit from this as his land will now become more valuable, they say, I do not remember that name either, but the tax rolls should shed some light. GiaQuinta said the money in garbage is made by the landfill operator, not the hauler.
So, there was a process and surprisingly the mayor’s brother won the contest. I am sure he did not have inside information and that no winks no nods were executed. They are doing this only to benefit the community and take back our city from outside forces. Perhaps. It sure looks like an inside deal, if all that GiaQuinta mentioned is true. Given that he represents the opponents of Earth First grains of salt should be taken with every bite.
So, last night, Marty was not supposed to read the bill, although it was on the agenda. He was to skip over it, but being Marty the big guy just couldn’t read his lines. Apparently, the mayor’s handwriting is small and illegible. When he read it Clerk Kennedy was aghast. She rolled her eyes, as reported by one council member, and whispered that “he was not supposed to read that!” Purcell, at that moment, was sitting next to Mr. GiaQuinta. He was not happy, either.
GiaQuinta said that he contacted Purcell during the day and thought he had persuaded the administration to hold off on the contract “for their own good.” Given their lack of honesty with the casino fiasco, their lying on Calhoun Street, their failures on Harrison Square this could be seen as the last nail in a one-term coffin. Heck, we might next hire the incarcerated mayor of East Chicago to be our city consultant.
Editor’s notes:
According to an article by the JG:
The firm will occupy the former Fort Wayne Foundry site on Pontiac Street next to the solid waste transfer station owned by Summit Recycling & Transfer LLC. To get space for offices, a shop and truck parking, Earth First gave a 5 percent ownership stake to Jerry Henry, a principal in the transfer station and the mayor’s brother.
Makes it sound like Summit Recycling is an ongoing business, and according to Vince Robinson, city PIO, we shouldn’t be concerned.
Robinson said Jerry Henry’s connection to the bid had no influence on the company’s being selected. Jerry Henry said Tuesday he understands the concerns. City officials should take their time making a decision, he said.
Gregg Walbridge, managing member of the fledgling company, said the city would be his company’s first client, but he and others have years of experience in the business. Walbridge was previously part owner of National Serv-All, based in Fort Wayne.
National Serv-All (NSA) is the current city refuse provider.
Walbridge said Earth First would use the transfer station to sort recycled materials and ship garbage to Jay County, which provides a lower cost than the Allen County landfill.
Garbage is big business.
The Jay County Landfill is owned and operated by Waste Management, (WM). WM is the world’s largest company when it comes to solid waste, employing 46,000 employees with revenues in excess of $13 billion.
Currently our refuse is taken to a landfill off Smith Road operated by NSA. In 2002 Toro Energy constructed an eight mile underground pipeline from the NSA landfill to a nearby General Motors facility Southwest of Fort Wayne. Methane from the landfill is piped to GM for use as fuel for one of its boilers. General Motors saved $2.5 Million in fuel costs in 2006 by using this renewable energy source.
“It is nice to work with companies like General Motors and Toro Energy , who recognize the value of utilizing this energy source,” said Gregg Walbridge, Serv-All’s landfill Project Manager. “It offers a great opportunity to help both the environment and the economy.”
Walbridge background:
Gregg Walbridge’s name may ring a bell if you live at Lake James. Walbridge’s company, Southwest Development Group won approval to develop “The Coves of Lake James,” a 55-unit condominium project located in Gray’s Landing a few years back. The project was approved without lake access. According to members of the Lake James Association, Walbridge bought lakefront property in his secretary’s name (Ranell Bradfield) so as not to appear connected with the condo development on C.R. 300W. This was according to the members, an attempt by Walbridge to bypass existing regulations so he could build a “mini-marina” to support the 55 condo owners with lake access.
Our own caring little community is being invaded by Greg Walbridge of Southwest Development. He has big plans for a condominium development that could house 55 condo owners. Walbridge is attempting to funnel his way down our one lane private drive and squeeze lake access through a single family lakeside residential lot. From that lot he plans to grant lake access by creating a mini marina, providing 38-plus boat slips to his owners.
All of his progress to date been questionable. He purchased this single family residential lot under his secretary’s name. He has built fences without obtaining building permits. He also began construction of accelerate/ de-accelerate lane and culvert placement before necessary permits had been obtained.
Greg Hathaway
Lake James
Walbridge’s Southwest Development Group also attempted to develop Hamilton Meadows in Aboite Township, starting the project in 2005. A couple of years down the road, Cincinnati-based First Financial Bank took over possession of the development and sold it to another developer.
Southwest Development Group, the subdivision’s former developer, never broke ground on more than 100 lots – because of declining demand – and was unable to renegotiate a payment plan with its bank, said Gregg Walbridge, Southwest Development’s president.
Walbridge is also trying to sell 66 acres at U.S. 27 and Ferguson Road to be developed into a trailer park.
Listed by Gregg Walbridge
Address of Home: NW and SW corner of U.S. 27 and Ferguson Rd.
City: Fort Wayne
State: Indiana
Zip: 46809Vacant Land
Status: Active
Lot Size: 66 acres
Price: $399,000.0066 acre property zoned for mobile home park. Located at intersection of two 4 lane divided highways with entrance access already in-place. Less than 1mile from Interstate 469. Approx. 1 mile from new Walmart and Menard’s retail development. Sewer available
Just what Fort Wayne needs, another trailer park.
Walbridge also sits on Canterbury School’s board of trustees along with George Huber, who recently sold Renaissance Square to mayor Tom for our new city hall.
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The old boy network is still hard at work.
So we are going to have a site in the middle of the city where the will dump trash trucks, make piles of trash and then ship it to another county where the county of allen will lose $2.50 on every ton hauled away.
I see nothing here that could be bad.
I don’t get this administration. They can’t figure out how to balance their budget, they plan to cut services to make ends meet, they want to give their employees and themselves a pay raise, they squandered a million plus on Calhoun Street, they have a secret deal to give a million taxpayer dollars to the new hotel downtown, they cover up their efforts to bring a casino to Fort Wayne, and now they want to give the garbage contract to the mayor’s brother (an honorable guy, but a lame move)…it is like the Ted Mack Amateur Hour at City Hall.
Jerry Henry is not just the mayor’s brother! He’s a local businessman and investor. He is trying to make a profit by picking the right company, just like any other businessman.
“You people” always make assumptions too quickly
The same people crying about the city spending too much $$ are the ones also complaining about a change to a city contract that will save Fort Wayne over $2 million a year???
Geeze, I wish you guys could get your stories straight!
No matter if the mayor’s brother is involved or not- it’s about the money people!
Agreed, Fan, it is our money. That is why so much suspicion has been cast on this deal. Nepotism, or the appearance of it, is an old crime in government. Those in power give sweetheart deals to their family, or their cronies, cronyism. The cost is usually higher to the public. So, when the deck seems stacked in favor of insiders there is always the question of fairness. This deal was not fairly and openly bid. The question remains whether the company which provided the “winning bid would be able to pull of their part of the bargain.