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We discussed what is at stake for Sierra Madre here yesterday. It was not a pretty story. First, this consultant will set our beleaguered water division back a cool $50,000. That has to be said. The other matter at hand, the possible nitrification of our drinking water, which includes the potential for severe health consequences to our very youngest residents (Blue Baby Syndrome being the most frightening), is an even more serious matter. Apparently City Staff cannot handle this one by themselves (they are very busy, you know), and feel the need to turn to an expert for relief.
Certainly staff going before the City Council and asking for $50K in this kind of a political and tax environment is not something anyone would really want to do. Or at least they shouldn't want to do it. The heckling and derisive laughter alone ought to be deterrent enough.
Bruce Inman has selected Baribeau Environmental Engineering (BEE) for this important work. He will present this firm's credentials to the City Council for their consideration later this evening. Here is how this company introduces itself to us all on their website (clickhere):
There are some questions, however. BEE is a very new company, and it has only been around for about a year. The website only lists Dr. Helene Baribeau herself as being employed there. And if you go and Google this company there really isn't very much for you to find. Where we usually discover pages of reports and agendas from the various cities that had hired our consultant of interest previously, there wasn't a single city talking point that we could find about Baribeau Environmental Engineering.
There are some distinguished looking academic papers that Dr. Baribeau has contributed to listed, plus various business communications and Linked In style networking sites that include her name, but nothing much from cities detailing any outcomes from their work with Dr. Baribeau.
On the BEE site there is a brief bit about nitrification along with claims of work having been accomplished on behalf of actual cities. However, it is a slim resume' in my opinion. Here it is:
Being a first class PITA, I also Googled each of these client cities along with the words "Baribeau Environmental Engineering." Nothing came up. Linked In was present of course, laundry lists of engineers and whatnot having little to do with this topic did appear. But again, we could find no reports or references to any work having been done by BEE in any of these towns. Very unusual.
This in no way means that these things didn't happen. It just means I couldn't find anything. Look as I might.
Oh, and just so you know. The acronym for Nitrification Action Plan is NAP. Many people take theirs right after they have a midmorning donut.
There is one bright ray of hope to be found here, however. Dr. Baribeau has done some overseas work in countries where sanitation isn't the greatest, and problems with such things as nitrification (raw sewage without borders being a possible contributing factor) are widespread. Here is a description of her work in such pestilential places:
Now it all starts to make some sense. So unhappy is the state of Sierra Madre's decayed and decrepit plumbing that Bruce Inman has deemed it wise to hire someone who is an expert in Third World water hygiene problems. Something that is both genius and appropriate. A good fit, as they say.
And to think that some people don't believe Bruce knows what he is doing.
Tonight's City Council Meeting Agenda is brought to you by the Farmer's Market
Well, OK, the Farmer's Market is kaput, and really is in no position to go sponsoring anything. So tonight's meeting agenda will have to be brought to you by The Tattler. Because where else can you go to get the news you need?
Tonight's City Council meeting kicks off at 6:30 PM. We will also be "live blogging" the meeting, and starting at that very same time. If you cannot make it to the meeting itself (or just don't feel like going), here is the one way to participate without leaving the comfort of your living room settee.
Hope to see you then!
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