Bridgeville’s most passionate traffic and hydraulic engineering enthusiast made it clear earlier this month that he’s all business when it comes to fixing two of the town’s most pressing problems.
Bob Fryer arrived at January’s borough council meeting with collection of maps, proposals, and engineering drawings mounted on a pinboard that stood nearly 7 feet high and stretched the width of two McMansion doorways.
When it came his turn to speak, Fryer, who has has been frustrated by some recent council decisions, didn’t just dispense with the pleasantries—he lit the pleasantries on fire, threw them into a gasoline-filled tire, and rolled them down a hill.
“I’m not going to wish you a happy new year,” Fryer said.
Council president Mike Tolmer, however, was undaunted.
“Why not?” Tomler asked.
Fryer paused and said, “I don’t know why.”
Another pause. Then Fryer chuckled and said, “Okay. Happy New Year!”
If Tolmer was hurt by Fryer’s auld lang sike, he didn’t show it.
Two years ago, council implemented a three-minute time limit on public comment at meetings. The measure seemed aimed directly at Fryer, who often uses detailed visual aids to illustrate his observations on traffic patterns, landscape architecture, and hydraulic engineering.
But at this meeting, Tolmer let Fryer speak for more than 16 minutes about recent Pitt student research into Bridgeville’s flooding problems.
You can watch Fryer’s entire speech here:
And here is a front-facing shot of his document board.
