Dear Editor:
We have all seen the character assassination play out in our national politics. We envision our local election process to be better and more civilized, and yet reasonable people and reasonable arguments are tossed aside in favor of politics as elections draw near. Linda Naas questioned some so-called events that took place during my time at Westfield supporting the construction of Grand Park. I’d like to address these accusations and set the record straight.
The construction industry is a profession I have worked in my entire career and have supported more than $1.4 billion in construction. The largest of such was the $754 million Eskenazi hospital where I was charged with coordinating design, purchasing the construction trades and overseeing the budget.
I can unequivocally state that I have never violated the public works statutes or worked outside of the statutory financial checks and balances that have been insinuated by others. In fact, I am regularly asked to give presentations on project procurement by organizations big and small, both public and private. It is fair to say that my knowledge of Indiana State statutes as they apply to government contracting is respected throughout this industry. The libelous statement that I knowingly violated the law is meritless and inflammatory and required a response from me personally.
Take what you read or see on social media or in the Op-Ed portion of your local newspaper as nothing more than biased propaganda spread by nervous candidates. You may want to research the people speaking out as they often are the one with an axe to grind.
I was hired by Westfield largely to oversee the construction of Grand Park. While the Public Works Director, I sought and won several grants for our community, embarked on an initiative to better support water quality through intelligent design (Regional Detention), promoted economic development in downtown, advocated for trail connectivity and sought efficiencies within the Public Works staff to handle snow removal and road repairs through a mix of privatization and staff empowerment in a growing community. I’m proud of the legacy I have left.
I’m proud of the impact Grand Park has had on our community, county, state and region. We live in a wonderful place. You have the choice to look for the negatives and continue to tear down our community, or focus on the positives and help build our community. I chose to be positive and support visionary leadership. I hope that you will too.
Ken Alexander
Candidate for Hamilton County Council, District 4
Westfield
It would be much easier to judge the impact and performance of Grand Park if the City of Westfield would comply with the Freedom of Information request for their financials on the Park submitted months ago by members of the press! Why the blackout?