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April 7, 2009: Catching up on Council | April 17: You might be a right wing extremist.... | April 17, 2009: Tea parties not about taxes...but about Big Government | April 20: City Council | June 10: Here's what I think | June 16, 2009 The Council Meeting Another no bid contract | June 17 -- Picking our pockets, one no-bid contract at a time | June 22, 2009 SCS Voice is back | June 22, 2009: Retired chief runs for Council. Can we afford him? | June 27, 2009 -- 'Bidding?...We don't need no stinkin' bidding!' | June 30, 2009: EPA Coverup on Climate Change | June 30, Guest Column...Letter Shows Stabenow believes health care a "right" | June 30, 2009: House energy bill a piece of S***T | July 3, 2009: Forget Socialism --we're racing toward Totalitarianism | July 4, 2009: Independence Day | July 6, 2009 Letter to Editor - Climate Change Not Real | July 6, 2009: Seniors Beware! Government run health plan might just kill you | July 10, 2009: Bill Clinton would be proud...it depends on what your definition of a 'bid' is...business as usual in the Shores | July 10, 2009: Minutes of Special City Council -- Ahearn and Activities Committee, 2006 | July 20, 2009: City Council: Sometimes you just get tired of the BS! | July 21, 2009: You decide | July 23, 2009: ‘‘America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009’’ is anything but. | August 3, 2009: VOTE TOMORROW | August 3: Shocking things from Health Care Reform Bill! | August 3: Look at Frederick's property on Elizabeth | August 12, 2009: Bev, get a life! | August 12, 2009: President's rigged town hall | October 11: Teddy Boys' support should be kiss of death | November 3, 2009: Now comes the hard part | November 11, 2009: Wahby distances himself from losers; Veteran's Day and other matters | November 16, 2009 A new day | November 19, 2009: A personal message | November 17, 2009: Socialized medicine failing in Germany | City -- Some Pension Costs, Oct. 2007
June 16, 2009 The Council Meeting Another no bid contract
Another no-bid contract
Well, surprise, surprise! AEW was again awarded the contract for engineering services to the city, continuing a process of no-bids for this company which has not been bid out for the past 15 years! That's right...fifteen years without a bid.
This contract, according to Mr. Rubello, has bought AEW a million or more a year for at least the past three years and over 15 years, well, that is as my daddy used to say, "aint' hay."
Considering that Mr. Haney admitted that the city, like the state, has a "structural deficit" -- which means that they are spending more than they take in-- it is ridiculous that there are five people on council who seem not to want to address this problem by continuing to allow no bid contracts which in no minor part contribute to the 'structural deficit.'
There is no excuse not to bid out these types of contracts. If we need to change the charter, then let's change the charter. Until we start demanding that any program which will cost us over $10,000 go out for bids -- even those under direct control of the city manager, we will continue to see no bid-contracts.
Chris Reyes, our vaunted Community Development Director, gave a myriad of reasons not to bid out this contract not the least of which was the fact that AEW "knows our system...they know our sewers, our streets, how things work." Well, that knowledge is ours. We bought and paid for it. It does not belong to AEW and any knowledge they 'have' is our property. If there are maps, plats, etc., which AEW has they belong to us, the taxpayers of this city. If there are things that AEW supplies us with for which we 'do not pay' ... mileage, etc., then they can easily be made part of a bid package. I'm sure AEW is not the only engineering firm which knows about grants (and by the way, why doesn't our community development director know about them?) and has the ability to help our city obtain them.
As Mr. Walby pointed out, this "knowledge" is no excuse to have no bid contracts. If knowledge is the key, Mr. Walby indicated, then he should have a "lifetime" council seat without having an election...an excellent parallel to the no-bid culture which permeates city hall.
Voting to approve this no bid contract were: Mayor Hison, Mr. Ahearn, Ms. McFadyen, Mr. Frederick and Mr. Moffitt. Why Moffitt, who had been a supporter of bringing the Waste Management Contract up for bids voted to 'renew' this contract is a true mystery. Either you support the bid process, or you don't. It has long been obvious that the Gang of Four does not support the bid process, but Moffitt? Well, I was and am surprised.
Another thing...why was the Insurance proposal tabled and is or has it been put out for bids?
And, it wasn't Tim Haney who foresaw the need to start pre-funding our commitments to our retirees. Yes, he knew it was coming, but as I recall it was Kip Walby who insisted that we start funding these commitments about three years ago.
More:
Good to see that the council voted to keep the two minute opportunity for residents to speak, before the vote, on agenda items. Recognizing that the residents like this rule, Frederick and Ahearn admitted that they had been mistaken when they initially voted against it.
But I weigh that against Frederick's comments that he had thought that allowing residents this opportunity would result in an "unruly" bunch of citizens at the podium. That statement, in my opinion, represents Mr. Frederick's true opinion of the residents of this city...an "unruly" mob. That's why he wants the Audience Participation part moved up, so that he rebutt those who dare question him, or other members of council. His words, "residents pose questions and we can't respond to them" again shows that the wants --no, needs -- to always have the last word.
Yes, it is frustrating to residents to have questions unanswered, and I'm sure that council members get frustsrated too. In my opinion, as frustrating as it is for every one, the best system is the one we have now with audience participation at the end of the meeting and if you're unhappy, there's always the ballot box. With the opportunity to speak two minutes before council votes on agenda items there is no need to have audience participation moved. Council members have the entire meeting to make their views and their voices heard.
Water Meters:
I find it ironic that there are a majority on council who have no problem with no-bid contracts, are moaning over "possible" water loss through residential water meters and that we will be installing new water meters, which will allow the city to monitor our water usage. Rubino was correct, too, as I recall the meeting where a huge fine was proposed, the sense of the council was that it would never be enforced. Moral of that is never give power to a govenemnt to do something on their word that they'll never do it. Remember seat belts?
The city says the new water meters will be used to monitor "leakage" and not your usage...but you can bet that this is just another money grab by the city. "We are not doing it for revenue," Mayor Hison said. Yeah right. Cost, this go round, is about $100,000.
Loved comments in audience participation from the lady about the water meters.because if it is true that the state will be mandating a totally new system with five years, why are we putting new ones in now ... and do the current meters, of which I have one, operate on batteries and could that be the reason for "incorrect" readings? Who on council will ask these questions?
Audience Participation:
This remains the most important and entertaining part of city council meetings. If one listens carefully, one can learn a great deal about what is really going on in the city. Some of it is eye-opening. Some of it is strictly pandering --and don't you just love Duane? What's the deal with handing over "$20 in view of the camera" which thankfully didn't follow him as he handed the money to Haney -- but one can learn of the every day struggles of the residents and their inter-action with city staff.
Kudos to Erin Stahl for continuing to ask why certain things are still not on the city web page...every individual or
committee who has access to or uses city funds should be required to post their minutes, expenditures, etc., on the city web page. What's the delay here? There is no reason in the world not to place public information where the public can easily access it.
Only your hairdresser knows for sure....
Hison retire? Rubello to run for Mayor? Don't you love beauty shop rumors? In my opinion, Hison will have to be taken out of city hall kicking and screaming and as for Rubello running for Mayor, well, why not? We could and have done a lot worse! Personally, I think Rubello is doing a great job as a council member...he has done just what he said he would do...represent the people of this community -- not a voting bloc or group. Mr. Rubello, in my opinion, has represented every resident and business owner in this city, which is more than I can say for most on council.
Stuff -- The AutoNautical Mile?
What's up with the all the cars from Don Gooley Cadillac parked along Jefferson in the vaunted "Nautical Mile."
Didn't someone want to open a "used car" dealership in that area and didn't the council turn them down? Why, then, over the past weekend, is it that we have Cadillacs parked all over the vacant lots in the area? There was even one parked on the grass in front of Fishbones. Did Gooley have to get a permit to display their cars like this?
Come on, Mr. Walby, where is your outrage over this? I mean you were obviously ticked off about the Gourmet House, yet I haven't heard one word about Jefferson being turned into an Don Gooley Cadillac dealership, nor about the vacant ice cream shop just south of 9 Mile, nor the vacant building next to the barber shop...I could go on and on, but well, you get the idea.
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