MANSFIELD — David Falquette and Deborah Mount were frustrated work was done on the parking lot at the DIY skatepark before a purchase order was approved.
And with their “no” votes on Tuesday evening, the two Mansfield City Council lawmakers effectively delayed the city’s ability to pay the contractor by at least 30 days.
Legislation on a “then-and-now certificate” was approved 5-2 by local lawmakers to pay $3,800 to Hofsaeass Building and Remodeling of Mansfield to pave parking spaces at the Liberty Park site.
But it requires six votes for a bill to pass as an emergency, meaning it would take effect as soon as Mayor Jodie Perry signs the legislation.
Without that emergency clause, which is how City Council approves the vast majority of legislation, the issue will not be final until 30 days after the mayor signs it.
That means the contractor may have to wait a month for the city to issue the check.
Neither Falquette nor Mount questioned the need for the project, especially since the city Parks & Recreation Department has authorized $10,000 annually for the next three years at the facility.
It’s a skater-led effort to transform underused and dilapidated tennis courts into an active center for skateboarding.
Council is asked to approve “then-and-now” certificates when work is performed before a purchase order is signed.
In this instance, Parks and Recreation Supt. Mark Abrams said the private group involved in the project simply jumped the gun on the parking lot effort by hiring the contractor, calling it “a gap in communication.”
Falquette, an At-large councilman and chair of the finance committee, said the parks department has had too many “then-and-now” requests — eight in the last five years.
“You’re the only department that has had a ‘then-and-now’ each year since 2021,” he told Abrams during council’s caucus session. “Something needs to change. It’s a lot of then and nows. I just wanted to make sure you knew that I knew.”
Also during caucus, Mount, who represents the 6th Ward, asked Abrams if the DIY group knew it was using government funds.
“We had met with the people from DIY and agreed to help them with the improvement of the skatepark. We told them we would foot the bill for certain objects or certain things they did. It was just a gap in communication,” Abrams said.
“The parking lot was discussed. It’s just they went out and hired someone before they let us know.”
Mount replied, “My chief concern is not long ago we were promised this would never happen again and that’s just my main concern.”
During council’s legislative session, both Falquette and Mount voted against awarding the “then-and-now” certificate.
“I think the project itself is a good project,” Mount said before the vote. “I am not opposed to the project, but I am concerned with the repeated continuation (of then-and-now requests) after it was said it would not happen again.”
At-large Council member Shari Robertson voted in favor of the legislation.
“I am excited about Liberty Park. But obviously (Abrams) knows it falls on him to communicate those things to him,” she said.
Fifh Ward Council member Aurelio Diaz also voted in favor and said the communication need also falls on the DIY group.
“It sucks that you found out about it later,” he told Abrams.