'IN THE YEAR 2525 zager & evans
At last nights council meeting I couldn't figure out was going to take longer. The start of tonight's council meeting or the streets in Painesville to be drivable on again?
At the start of Monday's meeting Council-President Hada asked to go into executive session, this lasted until 8:45? Due to matters pertaining to purchasing property and personnel matters.
Well after an hour and fifteen minutes the regular council meeting started.
Ordinance number 1. Is pretty much a no brainer taking properties that were zoned business back to residential when the properties have been used this way for as long as I can remember.
Resolution Authorizing the city manager to enter into a contract with Ashlawn Energy LLC over the Vanadium Redox Battery Demonstration Project. Houston we have a problem. I have know idea what the problem is but presently this has been tabled? A representative of the company spoke of 200 jobs for Painesville. Remember we have already built the 4000sq.ft. building for this project and now we have a snag no one wants to inform the public with? Look if we remember this was not how the project was sold to us? Best thing we now have a building to park our new 22 year fire truck as well as a new $364,000 sewer-jet truck. More on that later. After listening to the back and forth this project might have be the reason for the executive session?
Resolution Best guess is that the city to enter into Memorandum of Understanding with the senior center for the purpose of providing senior services? The city can't even take care of the streets and now they want to provide senior services. My understanding and rumor's are that a new senior center will be built on the site of the old hotel in or around 2525? What will happen to the Allen Building the present site of the senior center? Plan on a future levy.
Resolution for a 3 Mill Tax for road and street improvement. Another no brainer that it would be put on the ballot 6 yes 1 no. At that rate and the present condition of our streets MAYBE by 2525 this program will succeed.
Resolution to Levy a 2.74 Capital expenses for public safety. Well this one also passed 6 yes 1 no???
Why would Councilman Flock vote against this levy? Well along with believing people in Painesville are already taxed enough, maybe the fact that this councilman has asked the administration and department head ,"how many miles and hours are on that fire truck" He has asked at least four times always with a promise to get him that information. He's still waiting and he believe this is just more of a show of arrogance by the administration? If they can't answer a simple question what chance will any of us have asking where and how the money will be spent? Look if this levy passes the dedicated funds must go into a fund along with the safety forces guaranteed the same funding average for the say the last five years. If the percentage goes down than all you voted on was a general fund levy.
In other news Doug Lewis brought up that the bids were open for the Main St. streetscape and the lowest bid was 1.4 million. In grants and general fund money the city has only about 1.1 million. Back to the drawing board. Find more money or get rid of a few whistles and bells? My best guess is that this project will be put off until 2014 or 2525?
New sewer jet truck $364,000. We will get a trade in of $30,000 the company will make the $58,000 worth of repairs at THEIR expense letting us use the truck until our new one arrives? Why not pay the $58,000 of repairs and keep the truck? Council-President Hada explain "you don't know the whole story". Well please explain it to me.
Well all three utilities use the truck and the majority of the cost will come from those three utility funds with little or none coming from the general fund. [ what is it little or none] to replace this vehicle that has already six years over it's recommended life.
Now if this is true why did the city wait this long to replace it. Service Director Lynch claimed this is the best insurance that over the last weeks keeping basements dry. Sorry Mr. Lynch if you had checked with Mr. Lewis basements did flood a few weeks ago.
This could end up being quite a dilemma for the administrations. Do we enter parades with our 22 year old fire truck or our brand new $364,000 Sewer-Jet cleaner? Wonder if it can make siren sounds?
Oh, and council went back into executive session.
***********************************************************************************
To clear something up Mr. Torre asked the administration what was the conditions of the hiring of the new City Manager Mr. Anthony Carson.
He was told Mr. Carson was hired at $120,000 a year and has a THREE year contract.
Hope that clears it up for some of you.
posted by terminator1 @ 7:40 AM
19 Comments
19 Comments:
So Main St. project is delayed?
Someone must have tipped off someone. Why else would you setup a fenced in area for less than a month?
Time to call American's with disabilities people.
I'm not disabled but I am a mother trying to push a baby stroller down the sidewalk. Wonder if they could throw you off of city property if you sat on their bench?
Watched the council meeting on the city's web site. Look I believe as you must the administration and council seem to operate on a different planet?
They first ask for money and then show you how to stupidly spend it.
Sewer jets cost $360,000 quite a mark up.
Now the city chose to build that building for Ashlawn now what's the problem?
The city hired an engineering firm for Main St. They are told we have a million dollars now the job the engineer did brought in costs $1,400,000? Back to who's drawing boards.
I will vote No to both items and they cost me far more because the value of my property.
On a final note Why can Bill Horvath make a statement and Tony Torre can't? Nice job from a guy who has done little for Painesville and now I see why.
No planning? If all three utility departments will share in the major cost of the sewer jet and Mr. Lynch knew the truck had out lived it's life by six years. My question to the city is why didn't the city budget make plan to put funds away from the departments for the last six years to replace this vehicle? Poor planning as always. Think you want these people to have more money?
No planning II? If the city has funds of a million dollars for Main St. Hires an engineer who know how much money can be spent, how do the bids come in $400,000 higher than the money you have 30% overrun? No planning by someone?
Why is Mr. Flock a member of the safety committee? He is on this committee and won't support the levy? Time for him to step down and get someone in that will support the safety of this community. Goodbye.
In the year 2525, if the city of Painesville's still alive...
I had a discussion with Katie Jenkins about the levies and such a week or so ago. The math doesn't add up to me...if we have so many miles of roads that are in such bad condition that we are about to add a new category to describe them, we are going to need something more than $150k/yr + a 3mil levy. A 3mil levy will probably only serve to keep the status quo.
However, what's the solution? Do nothing about them? That's hardly an option. We discussed the possibility of trying to come up with some 'good faith' money to show that they are putting their own skin in the game and not only throwing it on the taxpayers; I don't see this as a real option - where does the 'good faith' money come from? You and me, ultimately.
I think the roads tie in with a larger problem in the area; look at it this way: if the city won't/can't take care of their own property (in this case a roadway), can we really expect homeowners to have a sense of pride in the appearance of their own property? There are some pretty houses in this area but they look like hell because of the streets they're on. Ever driven down South Saint Clair?
As far as the safety levy, well, we all know I'm biased so again I won't say much. But the way the city runs everything else, I'm skeptical. Especially since the departments both seem to have a "maybe" approach to where the money will go. Sorry, that's not good enough. Line item exactly what you want (cars, trucks, guns, Jaws Of Life, a new dispatch center) and then let the voters decide whether those line items add up to a passage.
I can't even begin to comment on all the errors in these statements.
Lynch said the truck was 12 years old, and life was 9. That, by my math, equals 3 years beyond life. I'd like to see all the future costs they talked about for repairs to see if it really IS cost effective to replace.
Proposals for main street came in $240k over engineers estimate. And the money for that project is not in the City's funds - more than 2/3rd of the funding is grants that we just don't get it if we don't do the project. I guess the upside to that would be then we have $200k for roads one year.
And City officials have said on several occassions - it's not poor planning. It has been lack of money for several years. They have held off on replacing things in EVERY department (with the exception of Electric I'd assume), and so now when things break, we don't have funds readily on hand to replace.
There's already a senior center levy. The county administers it. And you'd be surprised to hear that the current building may be used in the same way it has been, just without the senior center in it (and with the Church leasing parking). The alternative has been for years the church buying it and tearing it down for a parking lot.
6:24 O.K. he's on the safety committee. Now if he asks for overtime reports, as well as simple questions like how many miles or hours on that truck is it unreasonable to expect answers? You tell me.
4:34 Yes so why didn't Mr. Lynch who knew the trucks life was nine years didn't ask the three utilities to budget say $25,000.
for replacement of that truck? Five years at $75,000 would have paid for a new truck. Sorry poor planning.
Over budget on Streetscape poor planning.
Adam. Yes you do the math maybe in thirty years this will be completed. Once a levy goes on do you ever see it leave? Unless replaced by a larger one. The story is no increase in taxes, just more of the same.
If you presently trust this administration with more money be my guest. I for one will wait until Mr. Carson evaluates this administration.
So you asked Mr. Lewis what would that company do with that truck after they put $58,000 in repairs and paid Painesville $30,000 on a trade in.
His reply they would sell it for $30,000? Enough said. For some reason they believe we are as dumb as they are.
Glad you cleared up the contract. I'm relieved Mr. Carson had the common sense to get one.
6:34 Where do you work? Look if a superior asks for information an elected head of the city should get it. If after the first request this department head should be told by the head of the administration will you please get that councilman the information they requested. Why not?
Not in our city it appears they do as they wish. Do you treat your superiors of the company you are employed by in this manner?
You have be a part of the system.
So we asphalt all the roads in town and then need to dig-in storm sewers/basins to catch the run-off. Then we need street sweepers to keep the clutter from going down the storm sewers. Then we need sewer jets to unblock the storm sewers because even the street sweepers can't keep up. Just wondering - why not cut to the chase and fill in the holes with gravel, and let the current asphalt breakup some more - until finally we are left with gravel roads. Then we can dig some drainage ditches here and there and call it a day. Don't need no street sweeper, no sewer jets, no asphalt or cement, not even salt - we'll just use cinders. And no need for traffic cameras 'cause no one in their right mind will drive over 25 anyway, unless they're a moonshiner. Problems solved. Let's have a beer.
Wonder if we'd get a few more years out of city-owned trucks and cars if the roads were properly maintained...
There I go pipe dreamin' again.
I'm skeptical that the math adds up on this road levy but as bad as some of these streets are that I travel daily...........I can't believe I'm leaning 'yes' right now.
Kathy, Really? I believe more asphalt goes down the UNGRATED storm sewers than go into the street sweeper.
Adam, Stay skeptical my friend if you believe this is the solution?
Odd how the city replaces trucks with less miles than your average car.
Ditches go with gravel roads, storm sewers on pavement. But it was meant to be silly - like solutions I am hearing from government. Does ANYONE on council EVER speak up and say, 'Gee, maybe we should explore why we need to pay an assistant city manager, economic development director, and 20-some department heads for a population of about 15,000?'The answer is no. All we are hearing is more taxes, more taxes. Painesville's leadership is out of control. Money has been mismanaged, solutions are non-existant, and the borrowing and taxation roll on. Here's an example - we spend countless hours planning a Main Street project, which doesn't need done, and ignore rusty pipes/drinking water, major flooding, rotten roads, and a power plant which will never in a million years meet new EPA regulations. Now, consider taking the senior center in, add it to what - the recreation department? Then maybe hire another director - a senior center director, and pay that salary too. And council just sits there week after week and comes up with "We don't have enough money, we need more taxes!" And where is the line item budget? Where is the accountability? Why so many secrets? Why can't some councilmen get documentation or answers? We are all stupid, right? Only those sitting under the golden dome are smart, right? Right - we'll just give them more of our money - I'm sure there's another $400,000 battery building needing built, of a street that needs more flower pots, . ...
I know it was meant to be silly. Only if you would watch how any council person who asks those question or others is viewed as a complainer. Ask Andy Flock. I also agree with everything you mentioned.
Now first look at council how many have worked in the public sector and have no idea how the real world works? Teachers, county employee's and not for profits. I don't think they no any other way to operate.
The former CM had that battery building built, telling us we were on the cutting edge? I'm feel we should get ready for anothe train wreck? What happened? Want to guess who received the excavating job to build that building? I can't trust this bunch with another dime. Then we get threats, I guess they can't take our bussing away or larger class sizes but with a stroke of a pen raise your income tax?
Anyone running for council should be asked if they would raise income taxes on the people of Painesville. Doug Lewis is a nice guy I just don't know if he's needed. You must admit we provide a comfortable living for about 350 people. We are so thoughtfull we never layoff anyone. We only cut staff if and when they retire. We leave that position unfilled. The solution for Painesville is not more taxes but less overhead. Tell me again why 3 people are needed to collect utility bills at City Hall? That billing could be outsourced. Our Finance Department has 24 employee's for what I thought we were broke?
Term I have gone over in my head several times and can not find 24people in the entire city hall staff. There are four in utilities cm and asst cm finance director two clerks cm adm asst.community delvolpment director, two in billing dept. clerk of council, one in personal dept. two more running computers input to utility bills. I believe that is it unless you can come up with more, that totals 17 short about 7' .
That's the number the finance director reported at the June 10th council meeting. I got the impression others may work in other areas. I remember he mentioned a stores clerk?
Going back to Kathy Saks comment 24or 17 in a city with 19,000 people?
You seem to know where everyone works under the 'Golden Dome'.
On Painesville.com under heading City Departments, click on the contact us link. I count 22 directors, managers, or supervisors. I also counted one for the police chief and fire chief. The total of 22 does not count clerks or people sitting at computers. Nor does it count secretaries or administrative assistants, or people collecting utility payments. Nor does it include Muni Court.
Does anyone know what County job Jennifer Bell is headed to?
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home