How The Latest Stains On The Promenade Steps Reveal The Never-Ending Nonsense Coming From Our DPW Superintendent's Mouth

As promised in an article from two weeks ago, it is time to show that something Rob Perry stated during his April DPW report to the council was complete bunk.  For a salary of $123,000, you'd think we would occasionally get a straight answer or explanation from the guy. 

Here are the before and after pictures Perry showed to the council (one of them was sideways) while he was on Zoom (possibly from his couch at home), attempting to explain how the very expensive and relatively new steps at the entrance to Promenade Park were stained as a result of sand DPW used to melt the snow and ice this past winter.  Oh, if it were only true!

Before DPW was forced to power wash the steps

Perry also explained that DPW had to power wash the stains off of the stone steps.  Though the steps had been stained for about two years, this was Perry's first mention of the situation, and likely the first time the steps had been powerwashed of stains.

After the power washing.  (Perry offered this picture 
sideways, but it took me 4 seconds to make it upright 
for my readers.)

Since Perry's report on April 7th, and since the two sets of stairs were cleaned of stains (Perry only showed the right set) prior to that meeting, we have not had any snow of significance that forced DPW to use sand on the stairs.  But the stains keep coming, sand or no sand.

Left set of steps, shortly after the "averted crisis."

Above is a picture of a stained step on the left set, taken on April 29th, three full weeks after our DPW Superintendent said the steps were free of stains and a "crisis had been averted."  Notice how the color of the stain matches that of the grout.

Here are some pics of both sets of steps taken a week later, on May 7th, showing more and growing stains.

Right set of steps, the same set Perry showed was clean
a few weeks prior.

Left set of steps.  Notice the growth and proliferation 
of the stains all over.

And here are some pics of the steps taken the day after this past Saturday's full day of rain.  Notice how the rain did not wash away the stains; it only made things worse.

Why are the stains only coming from the joints and 
resembling the color of the grout if sand is the culprit?

"Crisis averted"???????

Perry takes us all for fools.  Fresh stains on his recently 
power washed steps that supposedly "averted a crisis."

So why the hell have the stains returned to the steps (while expanding after each rain) if no sand has been applied to them since they were cleaned by DPW over a month ago at city taxpayers' expense?  Well, clearly it is because Mr. Perry is full of nonsense.  Any reasonable person with at least one good eye can see that the stains have nothing to do with sand.  The stains have everything to do with rain and snowmelt that is eating away at poor grout work between the stone steps.  All you have to do is look closely, something Mr. Perry doesn't seem to be at all interested in bothering with. 

How much did the contractor receive in DRI funds for us 
to have this "crisis"?

What Mr. Perry would rather do is make up a story about how sand is causing the steps to be stained rather than do what needs to be done: admit that the grout is creating the stains, that the grout has been the problem from the start, and make Colarusso come back to Promenade and regrout the steps correctly so that the stains stop reappearing so that the city can stop wasting time and money power washing the steps every 6 months because of apparent shit grout work.  How can anything be fixed properly if the DPW Superintendent can't or won't identify the cause of the problem?  How can the city stop wasting money on addressing a problem that was created by a contractor we hired to build something for us?  Where is the accountability and the truth?

What is perhaps equally troubling about this "crisis" (that's Rob's word for the stains) is what will become of the steps if Mr. Perry continues to misdiagnose the cause of the stains?  Because, if, as is abundantly clear to me, the stains are essentially dissolved grout, won't the steps eventually begin to falter because of the missing grout that is supposed to be holding them together and keeping moisture away from where it shouldn't be?  Talk about a "crisis"!  Then what will Mr. Perry do if the steps become loose and need to be replaced, regrouted, or both?  Will he blame the truck route, park patrons spitting on the steps or the tooth fucking fairy? And will he keep power washing the stains off of his stone steps as if the city had unlimited funds to take care of someone else's problem?

This is less an article about the stains on the steps than the apparent lies we receive from our DPW Superintendent and how that lack of truth telling causes the city to spend money it shouldn't have to.  If Mr. Perry is aware that rain is washing away the grout and causing the stains (which he should be), what does he have to gain by claiming that the problem is caused by sand? Is he trying to protect Colarusso?  Or, if, as I suspect, Rob is a pathological liar, is he not able to stop himself from lying, a common trait of pathological liars?  Or is it both?

To get at the truth of the cause of the constantly stained stone steps at Promenade, all one common council member has to ask of Rob is the following:  "If the stains on the steps to Promenade are evident and growing all year long, and not just in the winter, why did you tell us that the sand you put down this past winter is the cause of the stains?  How did you come to your conclusion about the sand?  And why were the stains around last year if you first put down sand on the steps this past winter, as you claimed you did?  How did you "avert a crisis" (and at what cost) if the problem still exists, Mr. Perry?  How much longer will you continue to throw good money at bad?"