The St. Michaels King of Covid, Michael Bibb, has returned to reclaim his throne as president of the St. Michaels town commission after more than six months of what may have been self-imposed exile to the back benches of our local governing body. Late last year a different commissioner was appointed president after Bibb botched his response to his positive Covid-19 test. Bibb, who often appeared maskless at public meetings and in town offices, caused a number of folks to feel the need to quarantine themselves and to seek testing for exposure to the virus.
He seizes the reins just in time to reverse work recent completed on his pet project, the town’s boy scout cabin, a project he announced he was doing in January of 2019 (yes, that’s almost two and a half years ago and, yes, it still isn’t finished).
It seems that his latest idea to light a pathway with 6 really bright lights that are 10 feet tall isn’t sitting well with some area residents. To his credit, he did pick fixtures that are very similar to those installed elsewhere in town. Water Street has similar lighting installed but there’s a big difference. There are only 5 lights used to light all of Water Street but 6 lights ($9,000 worth) where installed on a small pathway at the scout cabin. When I heard the cost the first question that came to my mind was “Don’t the scouts carry flashlights anymore?”
Bibb sought and got permission from the town’s Historic District Commission to install the lighting but after listening to the meeting recording, it seems to me that the brightness of the lights was repeatedly downplayed by him and, with no lighting expert was present to provide factual data on the topic, the HDC may have been mislead just a bit by the commissioner. The end result is that the lighting now must be taken down and stored away until sold or used elsewhere. Lighting the pathway will start over with more meetings and discussions and reviews and MONEY being spent to purchase and install pathway lighting.
Maybe the smart move would be to hire a REAL contractor to bring the job to a successful end…a task that seems to be far beyond Michael Bibb’s capabilities.
Michael Estrella
St. Michaels
Stephen Schaare says
Hi Michael, I could be wrong, but you seem somewhat displeased with Mr. Bibb. Where on Earth IS this cabin??
Michael Estrella says
Stephen, the cabin sits on St. Mary’s Square right next to an as yet unfinished shed. Bibb got permission to erect the shed a year ago and, as anyone can easily see, it too is only partially completed.
A decade ago one of our former commissioners requested that the town replace the roof on the shed. Within a few months the project was approved, funded, and completed. It is long past time for this project to be completed and for the town to be qappraised of the total costs associated with it!
Stephen Schaare says
Thank you Michael. I shall “have a look”.
Laurie Powers says
I would like to see those lights used to light dark streets in town where they are needed and appropriate. It’s inconceivable that they were approved for their current use and I’m glad they’ll be removed and hopefully put to better use.