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“We get a discount, so materials will be under two thousand, and then it’s just manhours to build it. I have several talented carpenters willing to do the work on their own time if needed.”
“Are we telling the council that?” I asked, and he shook his head.
“I’m saving that for my ace in the hole. They should pay them to build the ramp. We shouldn’t even be having this conversation. It should have been done the day you brought it up or before it was needed. Everyone deserves dignity; you did not get that on your first night here. The committee will be an easy sell tonight, but their approval should help us when the full council meets.”
“I hope we can, man,” I said, shaking his hand. “I love the model, and as an end user of the ramp, I can promise you the design is solid and will last for years. I’ve used enough ramps in my life to know.”
“What do you think our chances are with the committee, Shep?” Hazel asked as she rubbed her crooked fingers. I noticed she did that when she was anxious, which seemed to be a lot lately.
“The committee is a slam dunk. We’re the boots-on-the-ground guys who see what happens within public works and parks that the board members don’t see. We believe anything we can do to improve Bells Pass’s accessibility is a win for everyone, businesses and community members alike.”
Hazel enthusiastically pointed at him. “That. Just that. We shouldn’t even be standing here,” she said, motioning around the park. “Everything is a constant fight with the board and it’s taken me by surprise. The board sanctioned New Beginnings, but they want to micromanage it to the point we’ll never get it open.”
Shep lowered himself to a stair and sighed. “It’s three board members who have banded together to make sure that New Beginnings doesn’t bring ruffians into town.”
“Ruffians,” Hazel repeated. “They do realize that the candidates are screened, must have a job in Bells Pass or a surrounding town, and must agree to a stringent behavior code before they can move in?”
“They may not realize that, actually,” Shep said. “I think the housing board doesn’t always do a great job of conveying to the full council what is happening with your project. That causes issues where there shouldn’t be any.”
Hazel glanced at me and then back to Shep several times. “I can fix that easily enough.”
“How?” I asked, my head cocked in confusion.
“We invite them to take a tour of the property. While they are there, we go through all the requirements for the tenants. That way, everyone is on the same page, and no one can say they didn’t know. Right?”
“Right,” I said with a tip of my head. “That could work. Should we make the offer at the board meeting?”
“Might be smart,” Shep said, standing and wiping off his pants. “That way, you can finally find tenants to fill those apartments.”
I laughed loud enough to scare Star, who glanced back at me. “Find tenants?” I asked in shock. “Do you know how many applications we already have?”
“I didn’t realize an application was already available,” Shep said.
Hazel held her hand out at him. “This is why we need to do a tour. Everyone should get on the same damn page.”
“She’s right,” Shep agreed. “When you hold the tour, give me a heads up. I’ll bring a couple of my city works guys with me. You’ll have your own maintenance people, but we’re responsible for the pipes and other utilities. It will be good for the guys to get a feel for everything.”
“Everyone is welcome,” Hazel agreed. “The sooner we get the go-ahead to open, the better. I’m sure the one hundred and fifty-four applicants feel the same way.”
“One hundred and fifty-four?” Shep asked, his tone incredulous. “You only have half that many units.”
“Our point is made,” I said. “We need to get the units open. I’m tired of this back and forth. It’s incredibly frustrating when they literally pay me to do what they don’t want me to do.”
Hazel lowered her hand to my shoulder and squeezed. “We’ll get there—one step at a time. We focus on the committee meeting tonight and the board meeting in a few weeks.”
“I think you both have a handle on what needs to happen,” Shep said as he hefted the model into his arms. “To make it easier, I’ll have this at the meeting for you tonight?”
“That would make life easier,” I agreed.
“I’ll head back to work then and leave you two to plot your evil plan for this evening. See you there.”
“Thanks, Shep,” Hazel and I said in unison.
“Anytime, guys. And I’m serious about being looped in on that tour of New Beginnings.”
“You’ll be first on the email,” I promised, and with a nod, he headed back to the parking lot, the mini gazebo in tow.
“That’s a fantastic model,” Hazel said, lowering herself to the stair. “I think it’s going to make all the difference tonight.”
