PTC to cut 23 jobs?

Sat, 01/10/2009 - 3:18pm
By: John Munford

Peachtree City Manager Bernie McMullen is recommending to the City Council an elimination of 23 positions, all of which are on the city's landscaping and mowing crews.

To take their place McMullen wants the city to outsource all of its right of way mowing and landscaping for a projected savings of $840,000 a year. The proposal will be considered by council at its regular meeting Thursday night.

The employees were notified Friday of the proposal. If approved by the City Council, they would get six weeks severance pay and medical insurance with a COBRA option therafter and access to the city's employee assistance program for three months.

Also, the city will require any contractor assuming the services to consider any of the eliminated city employees for any new jobs created by that contract.

McMullen, in a memo to council, noted that the city has a budget shortfall of $3.3 million projected for FY 2010. This action will reduce that deficit to $2.5 million.

Four of the employees are with the city's leisure services department and the other 19 are with the public works department split between the landscaping crew and right of way mowing crew.

McMullen noted that the city started last year by outsourcing highway right of way mowing and landscaping along with ballfield mowing "at a significant cost savings with little change in service provided."

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DarkMadam's picture
Submitted by DarkMadam on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 5:12pm.

Is anyone aware that it has taken over $20,000 to get the fountain at city hall up and running again. Or, the
cost of the new bathrooms that are 400 feet from existing bathrooms was in the area of $160,000. Here is
some other food for thought. The police officers take home their squad cars nightly because there was not
enough paring at the temporary station when there is more than adequate parking in a secured and locked
parking area a public works. How much is that costing the tax payers in gas and insurance. Don’t think that
these are just the officers that live in the city either! Chew on this - There are 2 new fore trucks on order at
a cost of approximately $500,000 that could easily be deferred for a few years to save jobs. I say, work on
these things and then re-work the budget and look at each employee individually before cutting them. Look
at the length of service. Re-look at their driving history, criminal history , and their attendance before
eliminating them. McMullen and Logsdon, do you job. Run the city but also TAKE CARE OF THE CITY
AND THOSE THAT TAKE CARE IF IT WITH YOU! This economic situation is just a blip on the radar
in the long run. Think ahead!


DarkMadam's picture
Submitted by DarkMadam on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 5:01pm.

Has anyone here thought about furloughing city employees one day a week to save money? This would save
jobs and help families and far and beyond make the city of Peachtree City and not to mention the City
Council, Mayor, and the city Manager look like the actually care. There are many employees that I have
personally spoken with the would rather give up one day a week (and they are not even in this round of job
cuts) to save their co-workers. Think what it would save. Even just 3 days a month on a rotating basis so
that no one person or their families take the financial hit. One person that I know of very closely has worked
for the city for 14 years and has year after year of perfect attendance! Where are they ever going to find that
in today’s world. The work ethics of some of the people that are making this decision are no up to that kind
of standard. Decrease benefits. Less sick days, maybe even like delta short term paycuts, or better yet stop
paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars to “volunteer” firefighters that would not be needed if the ones on
the payroll stepped up?


Submitted by buzzed on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 11:44am.

If you believe that these men are being treated unfairly,or believe that YOUR city will suffer from their dismissal please come out in force to the City Council meeting Thursday night @ 7pm in council chambers and let your voice be heard. Everyone knows money has to be cut from somewhere but there are other ways of doing it. These cuts would definetly change the way that this city is kept looking wonderful. There are many people "on the chopping block" that work there hardest everyday to keep this city beautiful. With the "proposed" cuts there was no regard for senority or worthiness just simply cut this crew and that one. Lets not get caddy and attack peoples families, theres no need for that but on the other hand lets take a stand and at the very least let council know how we feel..
PLEASE - PLEASE come to the meeting Thursday January 15th @7 pm...

Submitted by buzzed on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 11:44am.

If you believe that these men are being treated unfairly,or believe that YOUR city will suffer from their dismissal please come out in force to the City Council meeting Thursday night @ 7pm in council chambersand let your voice be heard. Everyone knows money has to be cut from somewhere but there are other ways of doing it. These cuts would definetly change the way that this city is kept looking wonderful. There are many people "on the chopping block" that work there hardest everyday to keep this city beautiful. With the "proposed" cuts there was no regard for senority or worthiness just simply cut this crew and that one. Lets not get caddy and attack peoples families, theres no need for that but on the other hand lets take a stand and at the very least let council know how we feel..
PLEASE - PLEASE come to the meeting Thursday January 15th @7 pm...

Submitted by Woty on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 9:57pm.

I am appalled, disgusted and embarrassed by the comments most of you have made here! Do you even know this family the McMullen's whom you are completely out-of-line and context in attempting to trash? The son, the Firefighter, EMT and so much more, has an exemplary record in his career. Not to mention his 1-year tour in Iraq as Sergeant. You, or your own Mother, could get a DUI Less Safe if you had one glass of wine at a restaurant and got pulled over on your way home.
This is the Georgia Alcohol Zero Tolerance law.
Leave the McMullen family out of this, and get on with your own job, while you still have it.

Submitted by nepotism on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 9:57pm.

The problem is that when a person in authority does something severe like job cuts, then all of a sudden the shizzle hits the fan. The bottom line is that Bernie is the ultimate manager over all city employees (including making recommendations about job cuts, pay cuts etc, to City Council.) Well since he controls all city employees, then he shouldn't be allowed to have an immediately family member on payroll, Part Time, Full Time 1/2 Time, NO TIME. And if the rules are fuzzy that needs to change, same for City Council members they shouldn't be allowed to have family members on payroll either. Then to make matters worse, they both have a problem operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, which in most instances in government would not allow a person to get hired or would be cause for immediate dismissal (unless their father is the City Manager,(what a stinkin coincidence?) or unless your golf buddy/ business partner/ House Flipper Upper/ Dragon Boat Partner/ Man Friend/ is the Mayor, then you just get a slap on the wrist...

The rules are a little tighter when it's a government job. If you are the CEO of TDK and you have too many shots at the company christmas party and get a DUI Less Safe (Blah Blah) thats a little different because it's a private company, you aren't a public official that makes decisions that potentially effect the entire population of PTC including their employees, and since his paycheck comes from you and me, that makes it a major conflict of interest. The truth is that most of the residents in PTC couldn't believe that Bernie was able to keep his job with a DUI, and now that I just found out about his son getting hired (even if his son had a stellar military background, finished top 5 in his court mandated defensive driving class, and won SON OF THE YEAR 2008) it still raises a red flag. What is the fire chief supposed to do if he has a problem with Bernies Son? Knowing that Bernie has control over "ALL". It makes for awkward government, and no matter how good, bad or indifferent a City Manager, this type of nepotism shouldn't have been allowed. So now that he wants to cut jobs I don't blame the employees for having an issue with it, it actually has EVERYTHING TO DO WITH FAMILY...
DUI Less Safe still has the three letters DUI in it, so either he refused to breathe for the officer that pulled him over, or he had a top knotch attorney. But we all know he only had one drink, right??? Whatever the city council decides tomorrow, the sequel "Weekend at Bernies II, The *Less Safe* Conflict" has just begun.

Submitted by skyspy on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 11:37pm.

1. Nepotism

2. We have disclosed to the insurance company that insures our city vehicles, of the status of city employees with DUI's on their driving records. The insurance company is now charging us out the yang for that liability......

or

3. We have not disclosed the DUI record of some employees (acts of omission)......therefore since the insurance company is not aware of the questionable driving records we are not being charged out the yang...

Which is it??

If we have "accidently" forgotten to mention the previous DUI's of employees driving our city owned cars, I bet the insurance company would refuse to pay for any accident that occured while any of those people were driving said city owned vehicles. Leaving the taxpayer with a HUGE BILL!!!

Is this a valid concern? What is our liability in this situation? As a private citizen I bet my insurance rates would triple if I got a DUI, if my insurance company didn't drop me.

Submitted by Buzz Brother on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 7:18pm.

Everyone as a child has painstakingly tried to set up dominos, hoping and praying they will not be knocked down. On Thursday, December 15, the Mayor, City Council, and the City Manager will more than likely bump the table and the dominos will begin to fall. Lets be honest, we all know that these lay-offs are inevitable, but do we really know how deep the domino effect will reach? Yes, families across the board will have to tighten up and weather through this economic crisis. Ex-City employees will feel the crunch first as they scramble for work to pay bills and health insurance, doing what they have to do to provide for their families. Again, lets be honest, this is not the end of the layoffs. This is just Round One. How many more rounds are there going to be?? Two, Three, Fifteen?? And the dominos keep falling! Citizens will begin to realize how much work these employees were willing to do and how much the new contracted workers are not willing to do. And as more dominos fall, Peachtree City will not be a place that people want to, "Plan To Stay", because Peachtree City will become just ordinary instead of extraordinary. One by one dominos fall leaving a cold empty sound, like the empty storefronts that litter the city, and there are more to come. Mr. Mayor and City Manager, the last domino to fall maybe the one that ends your business adventure together. Rome was not built in a day, and this situation should not be determined in one day either. Please take the time and explore ALL of the options. Listen to the employees and the citizens. It is possible their ideas could be better for everyone, including yourselves. You want us to "Plan To Stay" then lets plan to work together. Together we can do this. Lets keep the dominos standing up for a little longer.

Spear Road Guy's picture
Submitted by Spear Road Guy on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 10:40am.

All my years in the military taught me horrible leaders come and go. They leave a pile of debris behind them. This team of Logsdon and McMullen are a real pair.

If the posts below about McMullen's son being hired by the fire department and the DUI are correct, both father and son should be fired.

To think I paid for first class tickets to China for Logsdon and McMullen. The bums!

Logsdon and his gang are getting their pay raise while they hack the city employees to pieces.

Logsdon and McMullen are too busy tanking on alcohol to be good leaders.

Vote Republican


Submitted by mperry on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 10:49am.

I'm angry like most of you have commented. I agree that if the son has a DUI and part of the fire department there is some unhealthy politics there, but what would you do as a father? Would you do the same thing in his position? Maybe or maybe not, the fact is what are you doing about it?

I worked at the same company where I refurbished old storage containers for 16 years of my life. Last November I was given layoff papers (a month before christmas I might add) and now I work doing mowing and landscaping.

I don't have insurance and I'm not a migrant worker by any means but the layoffs of those city officials help my family. Things tend to work themselves out.

Submitted by NSHB on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 10:45am.

I've switched sides. Logsdon and McMullen, if the Dunns don't like you, you can't be all bad. Janet, don't go away mad, just go away.

Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 12:22pm.

That this not Greg Dunn. Sheesh...where have you been?


Submitted by NSHB on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 2:28pm.

New people aren't allowed?

Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 2:49pm.

Welcome aboard HIVBS. It's nice to meet you!

Now what part of Spear Road Guy not being Greg Dunn did you not understand. A simple thank you would have sufficed. Smiling

Git (not) Real Oh gee... golly... like we ain't seen that one before.


Submitted by Dog on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 8:55pm.

Do you honestly think that any contractor taking over these services is going to hire one of your unemployed city employees??? C'mon Bernie, there is a run on "day laborers" ever since the construction industry went bust. Do you honestly think we are all that naive?

Tell us Bernie, why can't PTC compete with these contractors that will be assuming these services? What are these contractors doing differently? Oh, that's right, they don't pay benefits or taxes! Why don't you have ICE come out and visit with the contractors applying for the job. Maybe ICE could have the final interview...

Submitted by jackyldo on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 6:08pm.

drive around the city and see the maintenance work being done and wonder if all these people are local residents, working to provide for a local home, wife and kids. I bet not.

there are about to be billions of dollars unleashed from uncle to stimulate the economy. Every contractor with his hand out for a buck
should be made to certify that our tax dollars are going to be paid to employees who are American citizens and every employee who fills out an I-9 and does not have proper documentation but is hired will cost that employer 100 dollars for every dollar he accepts from the stimulus.

Submitted by Disappointed on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 8:14am.

I have never posted comments like these: I would prefer to sign my name. I tend to behave in ways that I am NOT ashamed of! The fact that this medium is anonymous allows for the worst behavior!

These are terrible times for everyone. Everyone is frightened and concerned. But we should not turn on each other! Our City Leaders may not be people with whom everyone agrees, but rest assured, they are PEOPLE. With feelings. Tough times call for tough decisions.

Our public servants devote a lot more of their time to this City than it takes to spew vitriol like that which is found on these pages.

If anything good is to come out of this situation, let it be a more caring community. And let's start here.

Submitted by NSHB on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 8:23am.

Let's start by not putting 23 people out of work to solve our short term problems. Unkind is sending 23 families in a financial spin downwards to make yourself worthy. Drink a beer and think about it Bernie. The powers-at-be were not so quick to hand you your walking papers. Pass it forward.

Submitted by Disappointed on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 8:27am.

"Drink a beer and think about it Bernie." ??? Very nice. Stop being so mean. Please.

Submitted by NSHB on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 8:31am.

to fire 23 people in this economy?

Submitted by Disappointed on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 8:35am.

It's BECAUSE of the economy that the people have to be let go!

Submitted by NSHB on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 8:42am.

It's Bernie. If he wants to show his worth he should find a way for the City to go on without ditching "the ones that brung ya!"

Today it's the yardmen, tomorrow it could be Bernie.

Submitted by Disappointed on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 9:12am.

Oops. Was that unkind of me? Sorry! But you actually just wrote: "No, it's not the economy - It's Bernie" Are you inferring that the loss of jobs is all Bernie's fault and has nothing to do with the economy? I think your anger is mis-directed.

Submitted by Dog on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 8:27pm.

How is the city going to save all that money??? They are going to hire a company that uses illegals - it's the American way! When in doubt, outsource to illegals! Every landscaping company operating in GA is using illegals.

So, don't thank your City for saving you any money. All they did was help some business owners, who uses illegals, get a little bit richer! Meanwhile, we have 23 more Georgians, now on unemployment. Thank your PTC leadership for putting more hard working Americans out of work. More American dollars diverted to Mexico...

Submitted by shafted on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 8:04pm.

I wonder if Bernie has any kids? If so, how would he feel if they were getting this treatment? Oh wait! He does have one....he works for the fire department. Why don't he lay his own son off? If he was one of the 23 employees getting laid off would he still make the same proposal? No, that wouldn't happen. He wouldn't do that to his own son now would he? I think Bernie is not for making the city a better place, he is just worried about putting the money into his own pocket. I'm sure he could do without his fat paycheck a time or two. He could take a cut in pay or lose some of his bonuses that I am sure he gets. I agree with everyone else....why does he still have his job? Maybe we should all go out and get DUI's if that is the way to keep your job. We work hard to make our city look good and all of these rich arrogant people making rude comments of how the city workers take so long to complete their work and these "shovel pushers".....blah, blah, blah. Give me a break! If this proposal does go through, let's see how good your city looks then. Yall have all the money you need to live in these expensive houses, sitting on your front porch sipping your coffee, reading the paper, watching the city employee for 3 hours blow your pine straw down the street......We work for our money. We have families to take care of and you may think its cute to make all of these comments. This would not only affect the lives of 23 people, it affects the lives of their entire family, their children. What about when our babies are sick and we dont have insurance to take them to the doctor, or when the baby needs diapers and formula? Do you want to take that away from our families? How could you do this to poor inocent children. Their daddy works hard for his money to support them. Don't make our babies suffer. Don't let this happen. There are plenty of other proposals that could be made to cut other budgets rather than taking our jobs from us. If you care about your city, please show up at the meeting on Thursday and help us fight for our jobs, our lives.

Submitted by winer on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 11:54pm.

Get a real job! It wasn't that many years ago that little boys did the landscaping. They mowed and raked and hauled out the debris. They did not get benefits like health insurance. And they sure as heck didn't try to raise babies on their salary!

Back in Dec. I spent my afternoon off hauling boxes of Christmas stuff out of the attic and putting up my tree. I wasn't wasting my day watching those worthless rip off landscapers. I could hear the stupid leaf blowers! As I climbed up and down the ladder they were right outside my window. I worked as they goofed - blowing the leaves into my yard, so I had to deal with the mess. I saw the man scooping pinestraw another morning as I left for a doctors appointment. He was about a block further when I returned 3 hours later. Maybe he stopped working with his shovel and rushed off to assist the FBI in a major drug bust and thats why it took him so long. Smiling But the fact remains his efforts (and our tax dollars) were for nothing because the wind and rain put that straw right back into the gutters the next day.

Those knuckleheads cut the crepe murtles trees off at a 3 foot height in May!!! a couple of years ago. You want to guess how lovely that looked for over a year why the trees recovered? I'll admit that Peachtree Parkway is usually kept in good condition. But I've picked up bags of trash along a major throughfare. I've never seen city workers doing it. They just mow it into small pieces that blow away.

I work hard at my job, physical labor and I have no health benefits. I don't want the city to contract this work out to those that hire illegals. But we are not getting an honest days work from all of these city employed landscapers. Why do we keep so many on the payroll in winter? How much work is there for a landscaping crew during the winter? Other than blowing leaves into peoples yards?

Submitted by shafted2 on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 7:16pm.

I am the wife of a city employee who happens to be on the list of employees to be laid off. I must say that I do not appreciate your rude heartless comments. This may not be a "real job" to you, but to my husband it is. I myself work a full time job and I am also in college full time. I may not have the best job in the world right now, but I am going to school to better myself. I also have 2 small children and like someone said yesterday, this does affect the lives of them too. For you to make the comment about that is not how people used to raise their babies on these salaries, well guess what? That IS how my husband helps raise OUR babies. He makes good money there and he works his a$$ of for our family. My husband has been employed with the city for many years and he loves his job. Yes WINER, that is how WE raise OUR babies. You don't know anything about us or our families and we will all do whatever it takes to help them all keep their jobs. We all may not be as fortunate as you, but we work damn hard to support our family. We are not like some sorry people who want to live off of the government ya know. We choose to work. It may not be the way YOU do it, but it IS how WE do it. Not everyone is a heartless piece of crap like you. Hey everybody, may this WISE GUY (Winer) is actually Bernie himself or someone affiliated with him. So you just continue to make your stupid comments if that makes you fell better about yourself - good for you. I hope you get laid off of your "hard labor job" too. I hope something bad happens to you to ruin your life and your family's life since you don't care about anyone else but yourself, you heartless B*$t**d!!!!! I am not just speaking for my husband and our family, but also everyone else. All of those guys are good guys and they all work hard no matter what you say. I know them all, I don't think that you do. You don't know the half of it. They do what they are told and if you have a problem with that why don't you talk to the ol' drunk himself and tell him that he or his supervisors over these guys don't tell them the right things to do. What did you want them to do instead of blowing those leaves? Eat them? I could probably tell them a great place to put them and I bet you know where I'm going with that....Why don't you get off of your lazy a$$ like all the rest of us and do your own yard work? Im sure that you know that leaves do fall in the FALL and even if they blow them away......you're gonna have more. I didn't know that leaves in your yard is such a BIG DEAL.......You seem to be stuck on that one....

Submitted by winer on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 9:17pm.

I have never paid anyone to do my yard work. I do it all myself. So after I rake my leaves from my yard, I was furious to have my tax dollars pay city workers to use a leaf blower to move leaves from city property into my yard. Get it!!! I refuse to believe that city supervisors told employees to stand in single spot and aim a leaf blower at an empty spot, while staring off at the cars passing by.

I have highly educated family members who have lost their jobs in this economy that is tanking. I know nurses that had their hours cut and some in nursing administration that have lost their jobs!!! My immediate family is dealing with someone who spent 8 plus years in college. She accepted her first post-grad job in the 6 figures with a hospital. The position was rescinded 5 days before it started, after she relocated out of state. There are large hospitals all over this county that are on the brink. These are important jobs, with lots of training.

Landscaping jobs with a municipality are luxuries we are not going to be able to afford. My job ended at the end of 2008- but I expect that every year, as it is usually seasonal work. However, with things being what they are now, I doubt I will be called back any time soon. But PTC, like many businesses, is going to have to make some cuts. Residents can’t afford higher taxes. We are all dealing with hard times now. I don’t want the city to cut needed city services like police and fire.

I'm sorry you are hurting, but when times get tough, jobs like landscaping are expendable.

Submitted by skyspy on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 11:30pm.

You are appreciated by most of us.

You do a fantastic job of keeping our city looking pristine. You keep our city looking nice despite the horrible kids and their parents who throw their garbage everywhere.

Hang on in a year we will have a new mayor and with any luck a new city manager worthy of the title "manager".

Most of us want all of you to stay, and our worthless city drunks to go.

Submitted by thebiggun on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 9:38pm.

Are you talking about his son who also had a DUI before he weas hired as a City Fire Fighter. Come on Fayette Citizen Investigate This If You Have The Guts. Seems the Fire Chief BERNIE appointed could not say NO to rubber stamping the hire. Yea that is right he drives a City Fire Truck with a DUI just like dear old dad. I was told he is the only city fireman with a DUI arrest and conviction. Well dad is the only City Manager with a DUI arrest also. I understand he worked it around the police department who does the backgrounds by getting his new Chief "Chip" to sign off on it. You folks need to understand that BERNIE is your city problem. You can point the finger directly at him with all your problems. He was hired to run the city and all he has done is run the city into the ground with his ability to pass the buck and make excuses. When the tough questions are asked he is out sick. When the Mayor is being "stupid is as stupid does" Bernie is his whipping boy as he has to boot lap because the Mayor saved his job after his arrest. What a great deal for the Mayor. He has a convicted drunk driver running the city and will do anything he wants him to do. Citizens need to demand that Bernie be shown the door right now. Get him out, hire a professional City Manager and do not alow him to continue to ruin this city. CORRUPT CORRUPT CORRUPT !!!!!

Submitted by CheckYourFacts on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 12:57pm.

deleted

Submitted by skyspy on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 11:21pm.

No surprise. The bovine manure never falls far from the manure pile.

I am surprised that we have a firefighter driving our TAXPAYER OWNED trucks with a DUI on his record. How much has that liability cost us, the taxpayer in insurance?? How much has it cost us that our drunk city manager drives a city/TAXPAYER OWNED car?

Can we really afford to have drunks driving up our insurance costs??

This SCREAMS for the I TEAM!!!!!

Submitted by Buzz Brother on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 5:02pm.

I hope Bernie knows how to pick up trash on the side of the roads. Since he is going to lay-off the workers who pick up the trash, we should all see him on July 5th picking up trash on the side of the roads. That is unless he calls in sick because he has a July 4th hangover. It's interesting that the man who is informing the workers of the lay-offs, is the same guy who recieved a DUI. I am pretty sure anyone else with this offense would be terminated, but not Sweet Bernie. Bernie should be a stand up guy and take a pay cut. If he and all the other six figure salary employees took a pay cut, then people would stop talking about his DUI, and actually start saying nice things about him. By the way, where is the mayor and his financial wizardry?? WAKE UP PEACHTREE CITY!!!, you are not exempt from this economic crisis. Let's hope the City Council will take some time to explore ALL the options before cutting off the legs of this city.

Submitted by ddodge on Sun, 01/11/2009 - 1:54pm.

Regardless of who cuts the grass and keeps the bushes trimmed, lets make sure that we get our monies worth. Either private contractors or city employees need to be under a more watchful eye to make sure that the job gets done in a timely manner. Lets keep watch of how many "shovel leaners" do the actual work,again either private or public employees.

Submitted by insideman on Sun, 01/11/2009 - 1:30pm.

Is cutting jobs the best way to save money? If so, why don't they start with last in first out? I guess picking crews is the easiest way for a drunk to handle himself. If the citizens new all that goes on I bet they would rather the top Cheifs out the door first! for the employees don't make the bad decisions that got the city where its at today. they just suffer by losing their jobs to keep morons in place. There's gotta be a better way! Get the drunks out and put someone in his place that can actually think of a way to eliminate the shortfall and keep the jobs of the employees.

Submitted by skyspy on Sun, 01/11/2009 - 2:38pm.

That would be the perfect way to cut expenses from the top down. If you have a DUI on your record you get fired. Also I don't think a small city like ours needs an assistant city manager.

Submitted by PTCGOIL on Sat, 01/10/2009 - 11:30pm.

Is the same City Manager who, at the Dec. 18th City Council meeting asked if the city staff could have Jan. 2nd off, with pay. What was his reasoning? "Other municipalities are doing it." And we are paying this person HOW much to "manage" this city?

Bernie, listen closely..if this city has landscapers who aren't able to do the job, FIRE THEM. Are you aware how many people would line up now in this economy to have a city paycheck and actually do an honest day's work? It's a new world out there now...do the job efficiently and professionally or be unemployed. Period. There are many, many people looking for work.

In defense of these workers, I have (for YEARS) driven up and down the Parkway and never, ever been ashamed of that I saw. Who can complain about the beautiful landscaping and grooming that is done to keep it looking so nice? Just drive up to Union City and see what it COULD look like...

This absurd suggestion is not an option.

How about we publicly itemize the expenditures this city has and see what we all think about how the money is being spent. Maybe we can help Bernie come up with some OTHER ways to cut expenses...Hmmmmm

Submitted by Insayn on Sun, 01/11/2009 - 1:02pm.

"How about we publicly itemize the expenditures this city has and see what we all think about how the money is being spent".

That's a good idea in theory, but not in practice. Who would made the final decision in where the money is spent? All 40,000 people would want to spend the money 40,000 different ways. That's why we have a city council and a mayor.

Unfortunately, ours don't care about what the people want and dont listen to us. Something thats even more unfortunate is that its our fault. We Elected the mayor and his two cronies, who continue to keep their buddy in his place as City Manager. Next election, do some research into the mayor, and city council members. We can avoid putting fools in office by avoiding being fools ourselves.

Submitted by PTCGOIL on Sun, 01/11/2009 - 1:43pm.

cynicism in my suggestion. The point IS, the mayor and council will do whatever Bernie recommends (by 3/2 vote, of course).
Bernie doesn't know diddly about managing, so he just throws things like this out there. Having one less dept. to manage would lessen HIS workload. Less work, same pay..... Then, he throws this out to his business partner and buddy, Mr. Mayor, and he gives it the ok. Then, the other two follow along as they always have. We do not need 49k people doing the budget...let's look at admin. costs and cut there. We clearly are not getting our money's worth from this management.

Submitted by thebiggun on Sat, 01/10/2009 - 9:43pm.

Come on folks all the problems in the city and this convicted DUI jerk just skates by. Maybe because he is in business with Mayor "Loser" that allows him to continue to rip the city off with no one watching the candy store. Ask him about his big bonus every year that he get's. He is the one that decides how much he can have and the Mayor rubber stamps it. Come on Citizen Newspaper publish how much he has received during his tenure from his management bonus plan. Does he give this back before he cuts the working blue collar workers. NO !!!!! He has protected his half wit stooge Colin for years and paid him more then the 16 workers that are being cut. Has him in a job he is not educated to do and that is why problems with planning keeping happening. All the problems that face the city sit on his shoulders and he is just tying to get buy to get his 5 years in so he can vest his pension and get a fat check from the city. GET RID OF HIM NOW !!!!

Submitted by Nitpickers on Sat, 01/10/2009 - 7:31pm.

19 people let go is that much?

480,000 divided by 19 = $25,863 savings for each person eliminated.

These fellows make about $14 an hour, I think, plus maybe 20% benefits = $34,000 cost per person.

$34,000 X 19 = $646,000 as current costs of labor.

So, 646,000 - 480,000 = $166,000 which must be for equipment (trucks, etc,?)

Is the contractor doing the job with his equipment for NOTHING?

Must be really hard times!

The Wedge's picture
Submitted by The Wedge on Sat, 01/10/2009 - 6:57pm.

will come with a relaxation of standards. That means be prepared for higher and wilder grasses in the medians and byways.


Submitted by winer on Sat, 01/10/2009 - 8:49pm.

Does this mean that the city employees won't get paid to stand in one section for half an hour pointing a leaf blower in the same spot? I watched 2 guys spend well over an hour, "work" an area that stretches the length of my yard. There is approximately a 3 foot strip of city easement. They blow the leaves from the easement into my yard. It takes them forever. They barely move - it's looks like slo-mo camera work.

Right before Christmas, city paid someone to go along the gutters and clean out pine straw. He stood there with his shovel and slowly scooped the pine straw up out of the gutter and put it barely onto the grass above the curb. He was there when I drove by and 3 hours later he was a block or so further down the street. Next day the wind and rain had washed it all back into the gutters.

I thought these guys had great job security - if you only move the debris a few inches instead of take it away. That way the task will need to be done all over again in just a couple of days. It's like paying someone to push a mower without a blade!!! They sorta look like they are working for the paycheck.

Submitted by mysteryman on Sat, 01/10/2009 - 9:25pm.

And a rifle can increase productivity 400% garunteed...or your money back.. in these types of situations..STOP THE MADNESS...PEACE, P.S. why are paid servants doing these types of jobs, when our jails and prisons are full of folks getting three hots and a cot, on our dime, just sitting on their kiesters, when they should be out putting in work earning their keep...FOOD FOR THOUGHT....GOD BLESS...

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