Senior took steps to corral city waste

Re Homemade $550 park staircase shines light on city hall spending,

Keenan, July 21 Kudos to Adi Astl for his imagination and initiative. If this makeshift staircase hadn’t been built, I think city bureaucrats would have accepted the idea that this staircase would cost $65,000 to $150,000 and settled on a price within that expensive price range.

With all of the publicity surrounding this structure, some contractors have come forward with estimates of $5,000 to $10,000 to build a concrete staircase with metal railings, which is a much more reasonable estimate.

If we had more citizens of Mr. Astl’s ilk, not only in the bureaucracy but in government positions, they would be searching for more economic solutions to problems. Warren Dalton, Scarborough

We have all seen photos of the staircase, built by a senior for $550 plus his own time, which the city insists must be replaced by an official one costing $60,000 to $150,000.

I cannot possibly imagine a 10-foot staircase costing $150,000 without the thick smell of corruption and graft. I propose that the bidding process include details of exactly how the price is arrived at, and these details should be scrutinized by armslength, experienced people for reasonableness, and be made public, for comments, before awarding the contract. Then the construction should be overseen to be sure that the costs coincide with bid price.

Yes, I know, I am dreaming. Edward A. Collis, Burlington

With the wealthy condo developers making money hand over fist, I would think they would be jumping at the opportunity to build a proper park staircase at no cost to the city. In fact, Section 37 of the Planning Act allows for exactly this type of community contribution. Jeff Green, Toronto