Received an e-mail response from Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority Director Buddy Croft, in which he offers some detail on questions I had asked about projected maintenance costs and revenue options in advance of tonight's meeting at Portsmouth Town Hall.

Here's what I asked:
1. The Current and Recommended Ten-Year Plans differ significantly in their financial implications, but they are not included as part of the PB study. Also, a "Twenty Year Forecast of Capital Expenditures - Recommended" is referenced in the report (p.20) but not included. Are copies of these documents available?

2. Can you confirm that PB, Inc. is a subsidiary of the same PB America (cited in RIBTA's minutes) which has maintenance and consulting contracts with RIBTA? What is the current yearly value of PB's contracts? Do you anticipate that PB would be a bidder on work should the Recommended TYP be adopted?

And here are Mr. Croft's answers:
From: "Buddy Croft"
Date: January 10, 2008 11:11:13 AM EST
To: "John McDaid"
Subject: Re: Questions about the PB study and meeting in Portsmouth

PB Consult is a group within PB America's that does strategic financial forecasting and consulting. PB America's currently provides maintenances on the Pell Bridge at an annual cost of approximately $450,000 over the last ten years. The 20 year forecast study was a separate assignment in which bids were received under our procurement process. PB America's was awarded the contract and the cost of the study was approximately $70,000. PB America's is an engineering consulting firm with no construction division and thus would not be eligible to bid on the construction work which is about 95% of the estimated cost. They would be eligible to bid on the engineering portion of the estimated work.

Mr. Croft then gave me a call to be sure I had gotten his e-mail, and I tried to ask him some follow-up questions. I asked about what PB America does for RITBA, and Croft replied that they provide "on-call engineering" and the "contract is bid for 2 years. It will be rebid in 2009." Croft said that PB America has "No construction branch, but they could bid on engineering portion."

But they currently do maintenance, I said. None of the revised ten-year-plan is maintenance? "The vast majority is construction," He said, then, "Just wanted to make sure you received the e-mail. Gotta run."

Well, 5% of $200M is only about ten million dollars. Hardly worth getting worked up about. And he didn't volunteer, nor did I get to ask about the availability for citizen review of the revised plan. We'll see how forthcoming the RITBA folks are tonight.

Also, they may not be in construction, but PB does construction management, according to their Web site.