July 6th, 2009
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1. NO GROWTH AS CHARM?
STOP KIDDING US!
At a recent meeting in Port Orange the assembled crowd, which we are told included some of the key State legislators’, said that the leadership in New Smyrna Beach was laughable. Port Orange considered the bumbling no-growth craziness in New Smyrna Beach as an asset and benefit to its expansion of its tax base and someone joked that if Sally and Richenberg did not exist they would have to invent both of them. The Shadow does not think of this reputation as charming. Her concept of being Mayor does not comport with the definition of a Mayor-Commission form of government. She is not the leader of the City of New Smyrna Beach and has no more authority than any other commissioner. She only sort of runs the commission meetings for the most part. Everyone should stop treating her like the CEO, which she is not.
Besides, we find it funny that we oppose Port Orange for a commercial center on their own turf but play lap dog when the chief environmental lobbyist, Clay Henderson, became the key attorney for the mis-named “Restoration” project in Edgewater. It is a plan to put 25,000 new homes (some in NSB) in what looks more and more like an environmentally poor choice.
2. LETTER FROM KEN TAYLOR
ON HIS TRAFFIC TICKET
We promised to keep you informed as to the final solution for my traffic ticket. Some of you exhibited much interest in its disposition.
If the parties to an incident do not appear in court, and the officer did not observe the infraction, it is usually dismissed. If the claimant did not appear, the officer could not swear to what happened because he did not observe it happening, so the charge was dropped. Two days wasted on this process. Luckily I had the time to spend on this wasted procedure, not to mention the officer’s time and the time of the court. But it was only taxpayer money wasted, so why worry? Ken Taylor
END Note: There is usually no “right of way” in a parking lot although what the parties were doing is evidence, a ticket for a fender bender is not usually given: you are usually told to call us and tell us what happened. The churlish blog poster who wanted him to pay should go to church more often.
“Best Blogs of the Week”
(Edited for grammar and punctuation)
A POTPOURRI OF CITIZEN COMMENTS IS
AGAIN PROVIDED THIS WEEK IN ORDER
FOR YOU TO GET IN TUNE WITH THE
MOOD OF OUR READERS
6/28/2009, 10:20 am
Slash and Burn
If you listen carefully to politicians, what they say may not be as important as to what they do not say. The artful dodgers are alive and well in New Smyrna. The commission approval of the money needed for the MDC was a choice that will show up in Novemb if tax payers do not agree. What not one of the commissioners agreed to the fact that when the MDC puts hands out there is never a clear accounting of where the money goes, the business plan or why after years the MDC is still not even close to the black ink. Last year the question of where the MDC spends its money was asked at a commission meeting. The city manager was to provide answers? Wha Lha! No accounting. Ms Sally jumped on the MDC bandwagon with both feet and sang the praise, then defended the future revenue through expanding the Water Taxi. The rest of the commission followed with more money from the general fund even though all other city departments must reduce their budgets. History shows that the Water Taxi has not succeeded in anything more than being a black hole to which our tax money is poured. Being pro or con has nothing to do with the Taxi issue. If our commission wants Sunshine to show through , than ask for and then give a full accounting of where the MDC cash went. Not one of our elected officials seems to care what they spend money on when it comes to the MDC. I wonder, if truth be known, how much the city shells out for the MDC. Electric, lawn service, material, electronics, etc, etc. Listen carefully to what they do not say and learn.
6/27/2009, 10:15 pm
TO RANDY;
FYI: The City Taxpayer's contributions to the City's Firefighters Pension Plan:
2001-$104,000
2002-$130,000- 25 % increase
2003-$192,000- 47.7 % increase
2004-$203,000- 5.7 % increase
2005-$394,000 94.1 % increase
average increase 2001-2005=43.1 percent
AND IF THAT'S NOT BAD ENOUGH;
TODAY,
THE TAXPAYERS OF NSB SPEND NEARLY ONE MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR FOR FIREFIGHTERS PENSIONS.....
( $954,000)
THAT'S NEARLY $20,000 PER FIREFIGHTER-PER YEAR......( on average)
JUST FOR THEIR PENSIONS........
AND RANDY DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO CUT THE CITY'S BUDGET??????????
ps
There are none so BLIND, as those who WILL NOT SEE......
NOTES
1. FOR THE COUNTY MANAGER—DO NOT FIRE DEPARTMENT VOLUNTEERS
The attached newsletter from the Montgomery County fire department says it all. It shows how a combined pay and volunteer service can work to the benefit of its citizens. See page 6 for the volunteers. Here in Volusia County the paid fireman are more like cow birds, killing the volunteers whenever they have an opportunity to do so. LINK
2. THE NEW SMYRNA BEACH NEWLY
SELECTED CITY MANAGER.
We do not know who really selected Mrs. Pamela Brangaccio as the new City Manager. We suspect it was Clay Henderson. We also suspect she was running out of money from the severance package she received from her last job, and that she must be hungry (Broward County has a budget of $3.6 billion where as NSB’s budget is only $44 million). We also know that she was hungry for a job because she accepted a position to work for a lady who believes in space aliens and sees witches, a high school drop out, and a Mayor who can not produce a college diploma from any college, much less than the one from Oxford she implied she had. Lots of Luck in your new job. Just try not to do it because if you do address the real issues they will fire you, with or without cause!
DEAR KHALID
As we have stated in the past, we realize that the City Manager is limited in the resources available to him for pursuing cost reduction projects, so we have decided to help him out and provide draft letters for his review. As we have said this will free him up for important things, like dealing with all the serious problems of the police and fire department pensions.
TO: MAYOR MACKAY
From: From Khalid Reishdat
The following “Dear John” letter appeared in the Shadow more than two years ago. Considering the fact that you implemented the new fee schedule this month presented by the Golf Advisory Committee, I thought I should remind you what my predecessor wrote to the then Chair of the Golf Advisory Board:
March 19, 2007
Marilyn M. Lindley
Chair of the Golf Advisory Board
1000 Wayne Avenue,
New Smyrna Beach, Florida 32170
Dear Marilyn,
I have reviewed the statements and presentations made by the Golf Advisory Board of the New Smyrna Beach Golf Course and have concluded that your commitment that the City would be repaid the $2.8 million dollars expenditure for renovation from revenues is simply not plausible. When we look at this closely at the numbers, these expenditures have added about a $4,500 subsidy for each of your 600 members, a subsidy that I do not believe the City ever intended to lavish on so few beneficiaries. While we have no legal basis to demand repayment, we believe the various membership boards have a moral obligation to repay the City.
To that end, I have drafted a proposed letter asking the members of the various membership groups to voluntarily contribute $4,500 each to the City. The City could give each member a letter to be used with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for a charitable contribution. Of course, I am open to suggestions on your part for changes to this proposal, such as just having the members pay the entire $2.8 million.
Sincerely,
John Hagood, City Manager
Administrative Office Building
120 North Causeway
New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168-9985
THE FIRST MEETING ON THE 2010 BUDGET IS SCHEDULED FOR JULY 9,2009. WE HAVE DUBBED IT THE “CREATIVE WRITING” EXERCISE, OR
“POCKET TO POCKET” FRAUD
Lost Revenue for the 2010 budget:
•Do not build another unnecessary Fire Station, $5,000,000
Do not build another unnecessary Fire Station, $5,000,000•$500,000 loss for not obtaining bids from professional management companies to manage Municipal Golf Course.
$500,000 loss for not obtaining bids from professional management companies to manage Municipal Golf Course.•$1-2 million savings by abolishing all fire department lieutenant positions.
$1-2 million savings by abolishing all fire department lieutenant positions.•$500,000 to $750,000 savings by abolishing three police department Commander Positions so that when the current crop retires the positions are not back filled. Last year the Commission refused to even consider a proposal to eliminate one of the positions and reassign the individual with the same pay but different duties, this year one of the Commanders was given “a so called market adjustment” to increase his pay.
$500,000 to $750,000 savings by abolishing three police department Commander Positions so that when the current crop retires the positions are not back filled. Last year the Commission refused to even consider a proposal to eliminate one of the positions and reassign the individual with the same pay but different duties, this year one of the Commanders was given “a so called market adjustment” to increase his pay.•$300,000 by consolidating tri-city RCC operation with County 911 center.
$300,000 by consolidating tri-city RCC operation with County 911 center.•$87,000 annual subsidy for Marine Discovery Center. We do not even know how much more I provided under the table.
$87,000 annual subsidy for Marine Discovery Center. We do not even know how much more I provided under the table.If all savings above are realized, the City could reduce its budget by almost $3,000,000 or so real dollars and save another $5,000,000 capital costs. We, of course, cannot picture these politicians taking such extreme measures to accommodate the wishes of their constituents over their special interest supporters, but we can hope for the best.
But if they do not, you will get a chance soon to vote for them again to say quit spending my money on unnecessary things. Ensuring fiscal responsibility will not hamstring government, as they will argue from the bottom of their heart. It will make them think of themselves spending their own money, not yours.
CAMPAIGN BEGINS - ISSUES FOR THE MAYOR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CAMPAIGN
JANUS: TWO FACED ROMAN GOD DEPICTING SEEING BOTH BEGININGS AND ENDINGS. ALWAYS SHOWN TWO FACED.
The main issue in the budget process for New Smyrna Beach over the past two years is how to justify the pay in the $100,000 range, paid to high school graduates with a little technical training, against the fact that similar occupations by most taxpayers with a high school education are paid one third of that with little or no pensions and benefits.
The Mayor has started her campaign for re-election. So we thought that when she goes to the meetings that she is hosting (like Minorca on June 13th) she should address the pressing problems that have been put off for the last two years while she has discussed “visioning” and told little anecdotes about growing up in England that are “feel good”. Failure to reform the fire department pay, pensions and benefits is both the short and long term prescription for failure. The City can not count on receiving overdue payment from FEMA to take the edge off large shortfalls in revenue. Address the fire and police pay scale and tell the crowds how you are going to balance the budget without raising taxes.
1. The Commission stated over a year ago that it was going to the “mat” over the fire department contract. Two modest proposals were presented by the then City Manager John Hagood to reduce expenses: eliminate four hours of mandatory overtime and no pay raises. You asked the fire department personnel to “step up to the plate” and help reduce their burdensome pay, pension, and benefits package. You then gave the fire department personnel a contract which included both the four hours of mandatory overtime and the pay raise. We know that you told the fire department that you would support them, but you also told the taxpayers that you would cut expenses. What are you going to tell them this time that is not just the same different messages that you told different groups last time?
2. The Anglers Club and other leases have not been set at market pricing. Will you go on record that you support market value leases for City property as required by common sense and fairness to the taxpayers? Commissioner Plasket wanted to put in place market based leases. For two years you have avoided the subject like the plague. You, as Mayor, should state for the record that you did not tell or write the Angler’s club that you would not change their lease. You know the one for $25 years for the benefit of 85 white rich male members to run a private club on City property worth four of five million dollars. Just deny it. We might be skeptical at the answer but at least you will be on record. Think also of the value of the Chamber of Commerce and its one dollar lease.
3. The fire department pensions have not been modified. The City received, before you voted to fire Hagood, a report from a consultant that specifically gave four options to reduce the pension plan that is currently bankrupting the City. It would be appropriate if you, as Mayor, stated which of these solutions you support. Do it publically so that we know that you did not tell the fire department one thing and the taxpayers something else.
CORRECTION:
The Daytona Beach News Journal this week stated that the new needless fire station on 3rd avenue cost $1.4 million dollars. HUH? The land cost $1.8 million alone and the bond issue is for $5 million. We wonder who gave them that number. We do not wonder that they published it without thinking!
LAKE NONA FIRE STATIONS -
LOTS OF EXPENSE AND NO WORK
We Sleep well in our baby sleep set!
The Orlando Sentinel printed a story a week or so ago about the two new Lake Nona fire stations in Orlando that have no work. Literally. N0 WORK.
“…..But, according to Fire Department records, the four-man crew at Station 16 hasn't had a whole lot of work since the station opened in June. In February, they responded to only two emergency calls in their territory — and only 22 calls in the first four months of 2009.
Things aren't much busier a few miles away at Lake Nona's other firehouse, Station 15, which had 78 calls during the same period.
Compare that with Station 2 in Paramour — Orlando's busiest — which handled 1,948 calls during that period.”
You read that right . Most could have been false alarms or fender benders. Two calls all month for a crew of four on duty at all times, 24 hours a day. For the four months they averaged one call a week. There are simply not enough calls at either station to warrant there remaining open. They are monuments to building for future needs that have not materialized and they are staffed with full staffs who have nothing to do. Times change, but the demand for keeping what does not work or make sense now in providing service to the public is ignored to save jobs for public employees.
The “justification” for not moth balling them immediately according to the fire chief is that a “few minutes” count in medical ambulance situations. He was joking was he not? First there are none or few situations where those few minutes would make a difference. Secondly, there is no showing that a minute of two on any v-fib heart attack call will save a life which is the false argument for a four minute response time. And third, the risk /cost factor is totally out of whack. A single ambulance rescue vehicle with two employees stationed somewhere in the area (covering roughly 10 square miles) would do the same job at a fraction of the cost.
Although we are certain that the analysis by Orlando elected worthies will reach the same result, we thought we would help out. The fully distributed cost (a fancy term meaning all costs for a service by each unit) for an ambulance type medical vehicle with two trained staff is a fraction of the cost for a fire engine with a staff of four. Keeping both stations open gives you 33 staff as against eight or nine for an ambulance rescue vehicle. You only need an available public like garage or hospital overhang in the neighborhood where they can hang out waiting for the three or four calls a week they might receive. Instead of $2.3 million in wages for 33 fire man, it would cost only probably a third of the money than two fire stations, and cover more territory effectively than the service area of these two stations. Of course you would have to put a television in each vehicle (for Playboy?) and have a ping pong table available somewhere to keep the ambulance rescue vehicle employees from also being bored. We hope this helps. We do not mean to be pushy.
APROPOSAL FOR REDUCING YOUR UTILITY BILL
Gentlemen,
My name is Richard Barnett and I am President of Florida Rural Cities and Communities, Inc. I write this letter in response to a posting from one of your readers of the Shadow. Based on the phone calls I received due to that posting and its content (which was supposed to be a confidential communication) I feel a little background information might help.
A tremendous amount of effort went into FRCAC’s proposal to the Utilities Commission (UC) in 2005. The FRCAC board of directors drew on their 150 plus years of combined experience to develop the Facility plan that we felt to be a perfect fit for NSB and possibly surrounding communities.
First: It would supply NSB with low cost Power/Water and with an added Plasma Torch configuration a safe method for disposal of Hazardous Waste and allow the production of Hydrogen fuel.
Second: The facility would be Clean/Quiet and Compact and be located next to the Waste Treatment Facility on property already approved for a Power Generation Facility which helps greatly in the permitting process.
Third: The financing of the projected cost of Construction of $300,000,000.00 (Yes Million) had already been acquired. No monies were asked for from NSB nor was any Federal Grant money required! Financing was in place to cover all cost by a Group that is involved in the Power Industry and believe me when I say they did their Homework on our proposal. Cost and revenue estimates from the plant producing 160 megawatts of electrical power and 10 million gallons a day (mgd) of potable Water were thoroughly and professionally analyzed.
Based on current rates published by the UC our cost to residents and business concerns in NSB would have been approximately half of what they are paying now. Also important to the consumer is there would be NO DEMAND CHARGE! This means that no matter what amount you use our rate charge stays level.
The Desalinated water would be Pure. That means zero filtration costs to the city and only the normal chemicals along with a lime bed to provide taste would be required.
I appreciate the chance to provide this information through your venue. The one important thing I noticed on the Shadow’s Opinion segment is very few seem to be concerned over what they pay for Utilities. Perhaps that is as important as are Fire and Police retirements.
Realizing our proposal was in 2005 our dedicated price for fuel with the contracted increase raised the cost of power to the City was still less than half.
I thank you for your time and if you wish you visit our home page at http://frcac.org/
Richard N Barnett
President FRCAC
HOW ABOUT THE CITY COMMISSION FINDING OUT AT A PUBLIC HEARING WHY THE UTILITIES COMMISSION HAS NEVER ANSWERED THIS LETTER. HOW ABOUT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TAKING THIS MATTER UP FRIDAY INSTEAD OF HAVING A SOCIAL HOUR!
NEWS YOU CAN USE
The newly renovated Food Lion on A1A has gluten free sections in both its grocery and frozen food sections. The manager would appreciate some one from the local gluten association contacting him as to products they might want to see on the shelves. Heaths Natural Products on Third Avenue we are told also specializes in these gluten free products. We are sure Publix has some too.
