The BOA met on Sept. 8, 2009, and guess what, they bought us a bridge!
You bet folks, we bought a "bridge" that will never, ever be used by the people it is intended for, namely the Fire Department! You see this bridge is in White Cliff Park, and goes into a section of the park that, well is hardly ever used. But should we ever experience a "canopy fire" in the trees there we can send in a truck or two!
The Fire Chief was asked if he could extinguish a "canopy fire," and he said "no, no one in St. Louis County could with out areal support," but forget that he can now try with our new bridge!
I called a couple of Alderman reference the idea and was roundly criticized for not realizing that "we asked for a grant, and it was FREE MONEY!" You got that right, FREE MONEY! Well is it me or do we pay taxes to the Federal Government to provide that "FREE MONEY?"
Now just how much is this foolishness going to cost? Well let's just say that you could buy and pay for a modest house in Crestwood for just the cost of the treated timber alone! Add in engineering fees, the cost of peering (wonder who will get that bid?) and we have a rather substantial expenditure even before we get to the Federal monies!
At this point I must give credit to two Aldermen who had the courage and foresight to vote no, and that would be Messrs. Duchild and Schlink! Gentlemen, I applaud your fiscal responsibility, and your willingness to stand up to people like Mr Pickle who railed against your "Questioning of our employees!" It would appear that Mr. Pickle is too ingrained in the "everything for everybody" line of thinking to do the right thing for the City!
I hope to have in the near future the comments read into the minutes of the meeting by Mr. Duchild who obviously did more than his share of homework on this as to why it should have been postponed. When I do, I will post the here for all to read and understand!
Lastly, I think by now all of you can understand why these "elected officials" can no longer be trusted with one red cent of our tax money ever again! Please join your neighbors who are fed up with this travesty, and the next time a tax increase comes up for a vote, well, just say no!
Tom Ford
NO. 669
posted by Crestwood Independent at 19:28
22 Comments:
Hey Tom,
You should continue to rant and rave about the bridge. Then once you are all worked up and have that blood pressure up real high. Go for a run(lol) walk back by the quarry and have yourself a big ole heart attack. What? You mean to tell me you can't get an ambulance or fire truck back there. I enjoy this blog and the Sunday comics so it would be a tragedy if anything happened to you or anyone else while back there. And, what about the park employees that have to go back there. If one of them were injured and need medical attention the money the city has to add to the grant will be pennies on the dollar compared to the lawsuit they would have
I agree. There is a huge quarry with a pond back there. I know kids go back there and jump (illegally) off the cliffs. I would hate to see a kid pass away because we could'nt get Police and Fire workers back there.
Bridge to nowhere? How about bridge to the gigantic wooded area of Whitecliff?
Amazing. Simply amazing. So, let me get this straight. The public can go into a large area with many dangers present, but our emergency services cannot? Wow.
How many emergencies have occurred in this area?
How often is this bridge used?
If this bridge is used often, who uses it?
Parks?
Public works?
It only takes one. Emergency that is.
I'd hate to see a kid die back there because he broke the law, not because the city couldn't get a truck in there.
We can always assume what might happen or ask a thousand "what ifs".
Did the board / administration consider these questions -
How many emergencies have occurred in this area?
How often is this bridge used?
If this bridge is used often, who uses it?
Parks?
Public works?
Well first off I don't run anywhere! Every runner I have ever come into contact with has died, so forget it!
Second, that area has been the same way for years (no bridge,) and now suddenly it's a horrible thing? Oh wait we wrote for a grant to use "free money," (read our Federal tax monies) and now it's OK to blow our savings on this project? It can wait till 2010 (per the grant) when we have more funding available (I hope.)
By the way there is a road behind the Rec. center that will accommodate any emergency vehicle they need to take back there, so?
The bridge that is there now is a foot traffic bridge that has never been able to accommodate a fully loaded fire truck from the get go, but now we will have one complete with $5000.00 worth of signs to tell the firemen when they get to, cross, and are on the other side of said bridge!
Now I know this is silly but what do with a fully loaded fire truck that weighs 15,000 pounds (water alone) along with the full weight of the truck and troops when it has rained and the ground is soggy? Answer the truck WILL stay on this side of the bridge, and the signs while they walk in (as they would do now if needed!
Think about it kiddies, it doesn't take Werner Von Braun to realize that minus a road on the other sider it's a waste of money!
By the way, I just came from a Doctor appointment and my blood pressure is 124/78, with a total cholesterol rating of 169, so plan to read on for some time to come.
Incidentally, I just paid for another year on the server (contributions can be made to the bridge benevolent paint fund.)
Tom Ford
Your right. Don't ever try to fix anything in this city that doesn't directly impact me as a resident. If I don't use it we must not need it. If I can't see it they can get rid of it. Yes, thats right people. Welcome to the city of crestwood. The community that cares. Great place to raise your kids. As long as you live on Tom's block because that should be the only place the city uses any funds or resources.
oh brother...
Was hard data used to justify the rebuilding of this bridge or was the decision based on emotion?
Definitely emotional! I was at the meeting a short while ago when alderman Foote jumped up waving handfulls of pictures he said were of forrest fires, and shook them in another alderman's face. He ranted about all the houses adjoining the park burning to the ground because the fire trucks could not get to the quarry area.
The Fire Chief discussed the situation calmly, and professionally, and it seemed to me that they have not been able to get to the quarry in quite a while. No cases were mentioned where this caused a problem. In fact he said they did not have the equipment to fight a fire in the woods. This was mostly due to the amount of hose two men can drag. (NOTE THAT IT WAS THREE MEN BEFORE THE RECENT CUTS!!) Of course, there is mutual aid available, but not much equipment for forrest fires.
I don't remember anyone saying if a fully loaded fire truck would be able to use the proposed bridge.
As I recall, this grant requires the city to spend about $140,000.
Some were concerned that turning down a grant would make the city less likely to get grants in the future.
It seems kind of screwy to be all worked up about needing a bridge for emergency crews when we are CUTTING THE SIZE OF THE EMERGENCY CREWS.
I hope that now all of you see why the change in the civil service rules about employees being active in city elections/politics is wrong.
Changing the Charter without a vote of the people is just a pay back to the Fire Fighters Union that supported the Mayor in his run for office. This bridge is just a straw dog to raise the citizens concerns that our over paid, under worked fire fighting union thugs need more to protect us. Poor firemen, they risk their lives daily washing and waxing their trucks, drying out their fire hose and we wont allow those that live in Crestwood to put a sign in their front yard for Roy.
Bullderdash, the City is already spending more that it is taking in and now we need to spend more for a bridge to the woods that has a hole in the middle of it? PLEASE!
"The bridge that is there now is a foot traffic bridge that has never been able to accommodate a fully loaded fire truck from the get go,..." It may have had it's load limit reduced to only foot traffic now because of it's deteriorated condition, but in years past that bridge certainly has accomodated fully loaded Crestwood fire engines.
"Think about it kiddies, it doesn't take Werner Von Braun to realize that minus a road on the other sider it's a waste of money!"
...There is a gravel road on the other side of the bridge, and since there is an old quarry on the other side of the bridge as well, one would suspect that the gravel road accomodated fully loaded dump trucks without problems.
not about the bridge but about our recent past history.
In this weeks South County Times there is an article about citizens in Sunset Hills wanting the city to help wit an outdated private sewer system. Citizens effected want the City to give them a $40,000 loan to repair the sewers. the spokesperson for this is Ken Boegeman Jr. Is he the owner of the Creston Center on Watson road? If so he sure has changed his mind about what a city can or should do with or for private property.
Any updates from the mayor's town hall meeting?
A complete audio of the meeting will be posted soon. Stay tuned.
SMN
The town hall meeting was attend by the pro animal control and pro sappington house lobbyists, seven alderman, four city employees, the mayor, pro mayor committee and a handful of concerned citizens. I have to assume the rest of the citizens are content with eliminating the taxpayers contribution to the Sappington House lobby and the elimination of the animal control division.
"I have to assume the rest of the citizens are content with eliminating the taxpayers contribution to the Sappington House lobby and the elimination of the animal control division."
YES
"The town hall meeting was attend by the pro animal control..."
I have learned that when they are at a meeting, no one else get a word in edgewise.
"...a handful of concerned citizens..."
I feel sorry for them.
I agree John. I agree.
" Well is it me or do we pay taxes to the Federal Government to provide that "FREE MONEY?" "
You bet! And in addition to us paying for that free money, we are using our Crestwood tax money in the amount of $140,000 to qualify for that free money!
Is this the new math??
The bridge is not that big. I'm surprised it costs that much.
I wonder if any consideration was given to repairing / strengthening the existing bridge?
I crossed that bridge with my grade school class 30 years ago on a field trip. As I remember, it is pretty much the same. Why all of a sudden is this an urgent matter?
2:34 PM Blogger: The short answer is that the BOA really believes it's "free money" from the Fed's!
And if that's not enough, Chris Pickle doesn't want our people to feel bad as they worked so hard on the grant!
Now couple that with the extra $140,000.00 WE have to spend to get this, and, well. "whoop dare it is!"
Tom Ford
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