Southbridge, Does This Smell Fishy To You?

Ken O’Brien

David Livengood

Tomorrow’s Southbridge News will carry an article byGus Steeves titled, “First industrial park lot sold in Southbridge."
The article will say, in part:

SOUTHBRIDGE— After being on the market for months, the first parcel has been snapped up inwhat the town has designated to become the Southbridge Technology andEnvironment Park on Commercial Drive.
Accordingto Town Manager Chris Clark, Oxford-based Mid-State Welding bought three of thenine available lots, approximately four acres in total, for $107,000. Butbecause the state did the feasibility study there, the town is paying for thatout of the proceeds, meaning Southbridge is netting $26,000 less. Income fromfuture sales, however, will go entirely to the town. 
"Hisbid was just above the minimum," Clark said, noting the town arranged itso a bidder could buy the whole area for $240,000 or any subsection of it. Inthis case, Mid-State bought about a third.
"His bid was just above the minimum,…" Hmmm. I can’t help but wonder if this whole deal hadanything to do with the fact that one of the employees for Mid State Welding isformer Southbridge town councilor David Livengood. Interestingly,he did not seek a third term on the council in the last town election.
As Livengood states on his Linked Inprofile, “I have worked hard to achieve the positions [sic] that I have and plan on advancing even more. I have served mycommunity by sitting on their Conservation Commission, Served 2 terms as a TownCouncilor, and currently am a Representative to the Central MassachusettsRegional planning Commission, I also am President of the Southbridge OptimistClub.”
He goes on to describe his current employment as:Sales,Estimation, Project ManagmentMid-StateWeldingOctober 2006 – Present (6 years)Estimate & Bid projects
Work with Contractors to win bids
Perform project managing & detailing
Purchase Materials
Issue project billing
Now, maybe I’m just suspicious by nature, but I’minclined to think that something about this, given that Mr. Livengood chairedthe subcommittee on Planning and Development for a number of years, just doesn’tsmell right.
What are your thoughts?