Budget, 2008 work session 7:00 PM at the BOA chambers!
Ladies and Gentlemen, This is our chance to show up and demonstrate we care about where the money is going!
I understand that the position of Economic Development Director ($64,000.00 per year) has been removed for 08, and there are other reductions as well.
I don't know if we can come to the floor and ask questions or not, but we sure can " button hole" our Alderman when it's over!
Please click on the header for the notice.
Tom Ford
NO. 411
I understand that the position of Economic Development Director ($64,000.00 per year) has been removed for 08, and there are other reductions as well.
I don't know if we can come to the floor and ask questions or not, but we sure can " button hole" our Alderman when it's over!
Please click on the header for the notice.
Tom Ford
NO. 411
posted by Crestwood Independent at 16:26
23 Comments:
If the EcDev position is now eliminated, one has to wonder why is was so essential when refilled. You know just a little continuity and stability would go a long way up there. Either we can do without positions temporarily or forever or not. But one thing, for now the word is conserve. Saving $64,000/year is a great idea. I saw no results from either of the EcDev people. No doubt we will need to be patient to get stores filled. But seems little by little it can be done. Real Estate people are in business to fill stores, let them do their job. I'm sure they know where the empties are. Besides $64,000 is ridiculous, way too high. This does not make residents smile one bit.
Come on bloggers, sound off on this pro or con, ideas, suggestions, etc.
78:29 PM blogger: I agree 100%! As you may know, I was never in favor of havind an E/D in the first place.
In my business a person in the office is "lost time," we need to have the people who know this market (real estate folks) doing the job.
I fear all we have had in the past is an expensive figure head that has been "all hat and no cows!"
Tom Ford
Mr. Ford
If I am not mistaken, the BOA Budget meeting to attend would have been the one held last Tuesday where expenditures for the upcomming year were discussed. I believe the one this Tuesday, 11/6, is to discuss revenues.
7:53 AM blogger: I was told that expenditures would be discussed as a continuation of the last session.
We shall see though. Thanks for the heads up.
Tom Ford
"The work session is open to public comment and if any resistance to public comment is offered the resistance will be delt with.
Please encourage all to be there. We have eliminated the economic development position but I suspect the C/A will return with a proposal for a another position."
(from a City father.)
There is your answer as to if we can speak or not
Tom Ford
7:29 PM I totally agree with you that the E.D. position does not need to be filled. You are so right to say that real estate people are in business to fill stores so let them do the jobs they are paid to do.
Seems like developers knew where to find us before! I think the problem is that many developers are not developing because of the same reasons our homes are not selling well right now.
This seems to be a bad time for all cities if you listen to the news. I think we need to wait and sit tight for awhile. Also, someone needs to have a few meetings with the new CA and educate him about how things work in this town. Every city needs to do things based on past experience.
This is just another instance where what has happened in Crestwood history could guide us on what decisions we need to make in the present.
I would suggest that we lay off of development just a little, and concentrate on other things in house. St. Ann has reduced their work force as I just heard today on TV.
ALSO maybe I am the only one who thinks that the Kiosk is ridiculous. People who have come into city hall before, have always gone to the city clerk's office and someone would also direct them where to do.
The Kiosk was a Don Greer spend money deal. Sorry, but it was money unnecessarily spent and just another place for employees to get distracted going from one department to another.
Just my view. Sorry if you don't agree.
Why doesn't the Mayor get rid of the kiost, he said "he controlled the whole city"? He's had almost 3 yrs to undo Don Greer's spend money deal, why hasn't he done it?
Because he likes to waste money as much as anyone else....letting Myers have thousands of assistants, buying new police cars by the dozen, and keeping many, many unnecessary positions such as kiosk reception, code enforcement and economic development. Maybe now that the last one is eliminate, he'll start looking at some others.
3:28 pm Me too. I hope he eliminates the Kiosk and all the other unnecessary people that Meyer has on the books in the Executive Offices in the back.
I just recently found out about all the people he has hired and I am really upset about it.
We never needed all these people before and we did just fine. What is wrong with making some of these positions part-time.
Code Enforcement? If we are falling short of merchants, why can't one girl handle all of the code enforcement for residential and commercial; or at least make one part-time. Pat Haines has always been super at this job. Why we needed two people is beyond me. Pat Haines knows Crestwood like the back of her hand and she is so good with people. She has proven herself over the years too.
Before all we had was a CA, and an Assistant CA and a Finance Officer period. I can't understand why we have to have more than that and I am really not understanding why Roy can't put his foot down about it.
Meyers should be made to understand that we didn't hire him to create more positions so our payroll expenses would go up; we are in a crisis here and cutting the budget means "cutting the budget".
This really boils me and Roy needs to step in and instruct the Ways and Means Committee about what positions we can and cannot live without, and control the situation, not Meyers. If he has to overstep Meyers, so be it. Otherwise we are soft-pedalling egos again.
This is serious business and Meyers should understand that he is not the mayor and has to be made to understand why we got in this mess in the first place; otherwise, what's the point of having another CA. We don't want another CA like the last one.
Yup, you got a couple of things right, when Roy became mayor he had just a C/A who also was the Police Chief so that save one income and just one Finance Officer. But Roy ran both of them off and has allowed the Myers to go hog wild with the hiring.
Of course the only members of the Ways and Means bunch who can vote are the 2 Aldermen. I guess it's about time Roy started backing up his threat of a veto and veto this budget for 2008 since it is so bad.
What we need to do is hire more "girls" like Ms. Haine, and fire MYERS. Ms Haines, she always knew her place.
"Ms Haines, she always knew her place." Just what is that supposed to mean?
Sounds "raciest to me!"
"Yup, you got a couple of things right, when Roy became mayor he had just a C/A who also was the Police Chief so that save one income and just one Finance Officer."
It may have saved some income expense, but don't forget about the car allowance and the controversy it caused. Anyway, was it fair that one man be given two high-profile demanding jobs? I don't think it was fair to him or the citizens of Crestwood.
Hey 7:28 and 8:15 ding-a-lings. Read my post again idiots. 5:21 Nov.7th. NO WHERE DID I SAY PAT HANES KNOWS HER PLACE. I said, she knows her job, knows Crestwood like the back of her hand, and has proven herself over the years. YOU DARN PEOPLE THAT LOVE TO START RUMORS MAKE ME ILL. WAKE UP! DID YOU DRING YOUR DINNER OR WHAT? If you can't get it right, don't post comments.
Mr. Meyers has brought another girl to Crestwood, that he knew in from the City of St. Johns to be another code enforcement person and we don't need two people. Get It! We are in a budget crunch and he turns around and adds another person which doesn't make sense.
Now quetion is if he gets rid of one, who will it be?
Yes, I am still DRING my dinner from a paper sack, hic, want to make something of it? Just send in one of Myers "girls" and we can really party down, if you know what I mean.
Now quetion is if you can spell or type.
7:19 Yeah, OK, you can spell and you can type better than I, but you spell and type things that are untrue and disgust me because others read your comments and think they are correct. You obviously don't retain what you read or you would remember my comments were nothing like you stated. Things like that spread like wildfire and that's why innocent people get their names smeared.
Do everybody a favor and stay off the blog.
10:30 nope, not gonna stay off the blog, it's open to the public. You sicken me with your postings because you think your view is the only one that can be correct and if someone proves you wrong then you accuse them of drinking or being drunk. Typical liberal way of doing things, if your view can not be supported by facts or logic, attack the person who proved you wrong.
5:28 PM Pat Hanes has been code enforcement officer for many, many years. Thanks to Meyers we now have two which we do not need. The one he hired hasn't been on the payroll that long. Pat Hanes was not hired by Meyers, you got that!
The girl he hired is Roseanne. Two different people, understand!
When the comment was made about Pat Hanes knowing her place, the blogger probably meant that Pat Hanes is a kind, honest and respectful person. She does her job and is always pleasant which is more than I can say for the one Meyers hired.
She knows Crestwood and has been an extremely nice person. She gets her job done but does it in a soft spoken manner and has managed to be one of Crestwood's best employees.
Now, I know my facts and I am not wrong. Do you know your facts?
How sexist using the term "girl" for a woman.
From what I see on my street, (many years now) Pat has NOT done her job.
Yup, you got a couple of things right, when Roy became mayor he had just a C/A who also was the Police Chief so that save one income and just one Finance Officer.
WRONG! The Finance Department under Greer had Ms. Midrid "Director", Junstina Tate, Michelle DePew, Pat Fintrip, and a part timer. 4.5 positions!
We also had an Internet Design Specialist that cost $65,000 a year and and an Economic Development Specialist.
1:59 PM If you call in a complaint about your street, Ms Haines will check it out. If it is in violation, it will be sited. But you can't expect her to read your mind or patrol all the streets in Crestwood every day looking for all problems!
Pick up your phone and call her. I guarantee you she will do her best to check it out. And like I said, it if is in violation of the code, the house and resident will be sited. So stop with the balony.
Now if you are just not liking something that a resident has on their property or anything that isn't a violation but just isn't to your liking or personal preference, that's different.
Your statement is extremely vague and hard to understand. I just know that she does her job and does her best, but don't expect her to be a private investigator. Call her and tell her the problem! Geez!
She has addressed the problem in the past. Citations and nothing more. Resident was not made to comply. Period. I am not going to list the noncompliances. Would not want to be identified on this site!
5:03 I understand what you mean and that really is frustrating. But, what I am trying to say is that just because you have gotten no results, it doesn't necessarily mean that the code enforcement person didn't do her job.
She only has so much authority. After she goes as far as she can, it should be up to her superior to step in.
I would call her superior and ask for his assistance in reviewing the issue, because you have had no results. That's what he is there for. If citation(s) have stopped nothing, maybe after these residents have to pay a court fine for non-compliance, they will be forced to change.
I am just trying to help. I just hate to hear things like this because it is very frustrating and becomes infused with animosity. People that work hard to keep up their property have a right to be upset when they see things others get by with because they don't care.
If the person is found to be in violation, they should be cited and brought to court and fined, pure and simple.
Good Luck.
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