"DOWNTOWN" petula clark
Uneventful council meeting.
It was explained to me that the city is not buying a 60” riding lawnmower but a 72" Ventrax 4231TD with tandem tires and a turbo diesel engine…and it still won’t cost more than $21,000. [Google it] Maybe an extended warranty?
Well, council members seem to have no appetite for taking on the city manager’s budget. For those of you promised road improvements and sewer water improvements: the roads get $150,000 and the sewers get $87,000. So when you live on Hickory, Hayer, or Cedarbrook and your basement floods… be happy to know that when you call city hall there will be a new $80,000 phone system to take your call. They might even drive out to look in a new cargo van or a new management car and draw you a new AUTOCAD map. The Finance Director can pull out his new laptop to help you add up what your losses were this time. Smart money tells me to pray for a dry spring.
The City Manager also would like to replace the server for the citywide computer system with a virtual server system. I guess all our information will be on the cloud.
We are in dire financial times but longevity and "Step" raises are still on the table. Maybe we can get payroll and benefits up to 80% of the General Fund. Why not? There is still $150,000 for roads that you can't do much with anyway.
I have to wonder how many projects are put out for bids and how many the city manager just asks for a proposal on.
The highlight of the evening? Downtown Transportation and Streetscape project. Pay attention.
The city received a grant for $600,000 to enhance Main Street for parking and landscaping from State Street [Key Bank] to Veterans Park [Nolan Building]
Now the catch: the total cost of the project... $893,445.00. So pray tell where does the extra $293,445 come from. Out of the same Painesville fund that we use to repair our city streets… like the resurfacing of Hartshorn Drive last year.
$893,445.00 for less than a quarter mile?
My feelings are that you will get a good sense of the real character of council members that vote for or against this budget in its current state. My question: why even have a council?
posted by terminator1 @ 2:16 PM
12 Comments
12 Comments:
Aren't they having a special meeting for the sole purpose of addressing the short budget for roads and sewers? All you have to spew is negativity, and yet you can't share all the facts.
They're trying. And as for those who were JUST elected and their promises - how are they supposed to do anything in two months??? This budget was created even before elections.
Everyone wants change, and things to be better, but no one is willing to change anything. What helpful suggestions have you made? Don't get a lawnmower - which has nothing to do with the general fund? Money for roads and sewers doesn't come from the funds that are paying for some of these things.....ok, don't get a car. It's costing the general fund something like $5k. Great, now we have $92k for sewers. Any other suggestions?
The spew of negativity just happens to be facts. The car is 15K not 5k. The point of this is in the areas the city could save money on are they are not put out bids, only proposals.
Two months two years? Now is the time to get control of the budget.
Put offical bids out for cemetery grass cutting and maintenance. Roofs on storage buildings no more "I asked around."
We put refuse collection out for bid? Speaking of recycling where did the saving the city incurred when they closed the recycling site along with the cost to clean it up? [Could that money have been added to streets?]
$893K for 300 yards of Main Street road, presently in better shape then many of the roads in town. Who does this benefit?
The council and administration's answer to roads will be a levy.
You might be right. With all those educators sitting on council the only solution to anything is more money I mean levy
So clearly you don't listen at these meetings. The general fund, which is supplementing the funds that don't have money (ie. roads and sewers) is only supporting a portion of the vehicle. The money for the downtown plan can not be reapportioned to streets and sewers because it has been earmarked for that. We have a $600k grant, and we had to front part of that money. This money has been in place and spoken for for almost 2 years now. If we want to use the $293k that we're contributing for something else, we forfeit the $600k.
A budget has to be passed by March 31. So we can fight it as much as we want, but the formal bid process takes weeks. And the money for building repair (parks and rec?) again....can not be used for roads and sewers! funds can't be mixed. that's the bottom line, no matter how much you complain.
$893K for this project is a waste.
Don't worry the budget will pass.
I believe parks and rec comes out of the general fund so doesn't roads.
$293K Main St
$250K Horvaths Lagoon
It all adds up.
The simple fact is the city spends money foolishly, and without regards to the needs of its citizens. I blame council for keeping the same failed city manager.
Where is Horvath Lagoon? It sounds nice, I might like to canoe there.
Do they rent kayaks?
Horvaths Lagoon is a nickname for the 16 acres of land in and along the Grand River just before you cross the Richmond St. bridge heading into Fairport. Purchase price $250,000 that for some reason we had to aquire it.
Then Council-President William Horvath told me and others ""We had to purchase the property."
No kayaks, boats or even a place to fish from?
The longgevity and Step increases are part of the labor contract and city laws. The city pay ordance show each employees grade starting from first hired through a three year step increase to top level. This is much like private industry. The longevity is a small increase you get to over 5 10 15 and 20 years of service. About the same as private jobs.. The new phone system is needed because the old one keeps breaking and is very outdated, or maybe you can send informtion to city hall by pony express. I do agree that a new car for schools is a little much but who will use it when it is not going to school. or will it set around the parking lot. Af far as dsthe road repair we need millions and millions of dollars to corect that problem. And billions move for sewers and water lines...
Has council or the administration given any more thought to that lady's wishes for a Columbarium at Riverside Cemetery?
3:46 The car for schools? You must have misunderstood the car's main purpose is for trips to Columbus for business.
The Columbarium as far as I know has not been discussed. As I think about it since it would not help a city administrator or employee do their job they probably see no need for it just to please a resident.
Whats goin on with the boss that's over the street department? THink his name is Linch?
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