"GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME" tom jones
Well, the budget passed… 6 to 1 with Andy Flock being the only NO vote. We can debate the merits of the budget until we're blue in the face but one thing for sure is Joe Hada will not be able to look over at Andy and claim, "you voted for the budget."
For some reason the city can't grasp the idea of outsourcing the grass cutting for the city. They have made inquiries about it, may even have been given a proposal or two… but for some reason they have never put it out for an official bid. Why? It is time to save the city some money, even if it requires giving up a little control and/or authority. Maybe we would not need that $30,000 riding lawnmower/tractor (whatever it is).
There is still no answer about a Columbarium.
This council seemed very unorganized when it came to the ordinance amending sections 352.24 and 352.99 relating to parking penalties. They seemed to take a simple matter and confuse it. Out in the audience it appeared that we were watching that proverbial monkey with a football.
I was told the zoning of Steele Mansion had nothing to do with the CUP (conditional use permit) put on the mansion. Well, when will the owners be given time to offer amendments to the rezoning?
Andy Flock brought up an interesting point in the city's 78 million dollar budget… there is over 23 million places where the word "OTHER" shows up in expenses. Seems like a whole lot of ‘others’…. almost a third. I wonder if the city receives awards on budgeting for all those ‘others’?
On a final note… near the end of the meeting during the visitors' portion… no one spoke… that's the first time I believe that has happened at a council meeting in the last five years. When we got up to leave two people mentioned to me "what's the point? They don't care to listen anyway."
Truer words were never spoken at a council meeting.
posted by terminator1 @ 6:46 AM
31 Comments
31 Comments:
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
How could a private business compete with the city? Most city groundskeepers are only payed alittle over $25.00 an hour with a benefit package that is just so so. Where as a commercial landscaper probaly pays his employees atleast twice as that amount. Lets face it the residents only purpose is to keep 300 plus people making a great income.
I'm amazed we outsource trash removal? Guess no one wanted that job?
Did I offend the employees? I could careless. 75% don't even live here they just suck the money out of Painesville
Great question for JaHada Are you for it?
Speaking of bosses.
Council is so stupid they let the city manager be the negotiator for city contracts with city employees.
Now you wonder why the city employee's only pay 12% towards their health insurance?
There's a city employee doing the negotiation's. Only a fool would think the she would raise her own contribution to the insurance to a higher limit. She would be raising her own rate. She ain't going to do that.
Why does the city pay the law directors health insurance? He is a part time employee who has a private practice and also is employed by two other communities.
I rarly agree with Term but something stinks here in Painesville. The roads are crap, the sewers are crap, the water systems crap, but the opportunities of employment in the city are great. $420,000 to take care of the cemeteries who's kidding who?
$30,000 riding lawnmowers-tractors, $89,000 new phone systems won't be long this city will be broke!
314 You need to go to the city hall and request to see the pay scale yolu might be very suprised that a person in ground and cemetary might make mear or around 40,000. Then there are some around 28 to 35 area. I don't think people working for small citys to towns make a fortune
The people keep electing the same people and expecting different results. Yeah, this whole thing is a BIG surprise. Not.
Didn't know what topic to post this under, but did you read the News Herald article about the dropout factories in Ohio? I looked up the whole list and Painesville Harvey is at a 62percent dropout rate. An average of the last 3 years. Just 2 points away from being labeled a dropout factory. I guess new schools don't mean anything.
3:43 I think 3:14 was concerned about council President Hada's claim that four cemetery worker's cost the city over $208,000 a year.
I don't want to blame the workers the administration bargained the wages and benefits.
I only worry that they may price themselves out of a job. It happens in the private sector everyday.
As far as the outside company having to be bonded, and using professionals ask your councilman if the city is bonded? It seems last year a private citizen had a very expensive bench destroyed at Riverside Cemetery. It has not yet been replaced, is that professional?
BEAR in mind I believe this person expects his bench to be replaced and I guess council people aren't even aware of this incident.
Something else under sweeped under the rug.
That was hardly a bench. It was made out of marble with four letter on each bench.
The city's lawncare professionals?
Term, What is your beef with the cemetery workers? You don't complain about other city workers (Police & firemen) pay and benefits. What is the cemetery workers hourly wage, do you know and if you do, lets us know. I'm getting you want the cemetery taken care of, by illegal workers. They work for less. Is that what you want?
My beef is with the administration. When they mention it costs $410,000 a year to take care of the cemeteries of which $300,000 is to cut the grass seasonally somethings wrong with this picture.
How many large and small companies have there own landscaping crew?
Fasson,Lake Erie College. most companies outsource these jobs.
The main reason is that the city has no money to fix streets or storm sewers yet continues to operate as if this is the 1950's
Have city workers priced themselves out of a job? You tell me.
I believe there will be levy's coming down the pike to pay for some of these problems.
Myself I will not even think of backing a levy until city employee's pay at least 25% of the cost of their hospitalization.
My beef is with the administration. When they mention it costs $410,000 a year to take care of the cemeteries of which $300,000 is to cut the grass seasonally somethings wrong with this picture.
How many large and small companies have there own landscaping crew?
Fasson,Lake Erie College. most companies outsource these jobs.
The main reason is that the city has no money to fix streets or storm sewers yet continues to operate as if this is the 1950's
Have city workers priced themselves out of a job? You tell me.
I believe there will be levy's coming down the pike to pay for some of these problems.
Myself I will not even think of backing a levy until city employee's pay at least 25% of the cost of their hospitalization.
Face it your just jealous of the wage and benefits the city employee's have. Now you want to lower their standard of living to yours? You could have applied to the city years ago but you chose not to. That's not the employee's of Painesville fault.
You want a city that attract's people well pay for them.
Without a levy the services will just keep going down.
I don't believe it has anything to do with jealousy I just wonder how much longer the residents can afford to keep paying these wages.
Think a road levy would pass? If it doesn't do we just keep cutting our workforce?
Police and Fire resources suffer because we want to cut the grass by city workers rather then save money by outsourcing the jobs?
The economy will turn around soon but let's face it we lost a lot of income tax money due to the hospital and others closing or moving.
TERM, Let's have all the relatives that have people buried in the cemetery, volunteer to mow the grass.
Term, do you have a good lawnmower and will you be the first to volunteer?
Or, we can just let the damn grass grow. The residents won't mind at all!
Term, I wonder how the grass cutting workers feel about you trying to get them fired?
At one of the last council meetings a resident offered to cut the grass near his residence to save the city some time and money. Council-President Hada REFUSED the offer.
Volunteering by residents is an idea that should be looked into.{don't worry it won't be.]
As I mentioned before don't price yourself out of a job. I wonder how those grass cutting workers view the over 10% unemployed in Painesville?
As a former union member I always had to be concerned with not giving a competitor a leg up that might result in a job loss. The city workers should do the same. I believe in collective bargaining but you must always take into consideration how your demands affect your employer. A government worker competes against who?
Did the council-president give a reason?
It is a well known fact the unions have him in there pocket.
If not mistaken, Jim Fodor volunteered last May. He helped cut grass and weed wacked in parks and cemetaries in an effort get ready for Memorial Day. Many residents and City employees volunteer at the Easter Egg Hunt, Earth Day, Party in the Park, Taste in P'ville, Fall Fest and lots more...
Good point. Mr. Fodor a councilman can be considered city personal.[Ask the law director]
The other above mentioned efforts are not part of the day to day operation of the city.
How do the grass cutter workers feel?
Probably the same as the sanitary refuse workers did when they priced themselves out of a job.
Waste Management shows you how a public company can do a job more efficently then the city can'
Cutting grass is an honest living, but really $52,000 a year?
Forrest Gump would do it for free.
Also tell us more about this needed $80,000 phone system that Rita needs?
To 8:35 PM
And, we could work all for minimum wage and everyone would be happy in Painesville. Silly post? ... Yes! The point is, why do you people always want other workers to work for lower wages? BTW, Have you notice how the garbage pickup cost has gone up?
To 11:39
Riding a lawnmower is a minimum wage job.
How are the new school board members doing?
Well as to what I can see they are doing what they said, and getting involved.
Many more questions are asked at board meetings as well as special meeting continue.
One thing that may make this work is everyone on the board has the goal. Improving the educational system in Painesville.
It just seems everyone has a different way of arriving to that goal
Term, I was at that meeting and Hada did not REFUSE to allow that person to mow their grass. In fact, I'm fairly certain it was offered and there was no response given.
As for the grass - have you mentioned to the readers that we would still have to pay the wages of these individuals even if they did not cut the grass because they do other jobs also? It is not a matter of whether or not a company can do it for less as much as what's most cost effective. The lawn company isn't going to send their employees in to clear our snow. They are not going to provide staff to plant flowers or run any of the parks programs. We would still be paying for these personnel.
Well if you were at that meeting what exactly did Mr. Hada say. "Go ahead the city appreciates you doing this"? No he didn't. Tell us what he said [it's on tape] I guess it will come down to laying off safety forces so grass can be cut and flowers planted? My statement concerned only the Cemetery budget period.
Actually ask the gentlman yourself. He's been given permission to do the patch of grass.
Amazing what a little pressure will do huh?
Funny it wasn't accepted that night?
Pressure? What pressure?? He asked, they cleared it through legal, and contacted him to take him up on his offer. Not everything is a conspiracy. And believe it or not, there is protocol for how things are handled. They couldn't just say yes go ahead without some form of legal document protecting the City from liability. Life is not as simple as it used to be - when there was no such thing a suits.
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