Now I previously posted ordinance 361 on this blog.
This showed that our city repealed all our rights to be an emergency services department and gave them to Hood River.
When I put this on line was 3 weeks after I informed this city and questioned why this was posted on the web with no post ordinances following this. I was not seeing any ordinance concerning the formation, administration and policies of our Fire and ambulance departments.
Yesterday I received 2 ordinances.
This post will deal with resolution 933 which I will show here.
When I first read this, I never knew we had officially created a “Public Safety Department” in legislation.
And I thought it was bad not to find an emergency services department in legislation and now I find an emergency services division and ordinance enforcement division in this public safety department.
Which brings me back to the fire department and ambulance services departments, I have been looking for, that ordinance 361 repealed which started this search.
Yet I read this ordinance establishing the position of fire chief.
Well budget it is created here and not only that, this means that fund is not the emergency services fund but the Public Safety Fund.
That this council by the use of the word “lateral” officially violated the law if they meant that word to be laterally supported financially by the public works department and city light/CATV.
Just look up the legal definition of the word “lateral” and then “lateral support”.
It also appears that the wage range for the chief position was not stated, so how about minimum wage until this is all worked out?
But it appears this ordinance does require a paid chief as well as a paid ordinance enforcement officer to operate.
It is no wonder this snuck through as a resolution as an ordinance may not have made it.
But I also do not see the signatures correctly shown in this document, so is this something that was a draft or did it actually pass by a vote of the council?
You tell me what is going on.
Look for yourselves.
Cody
50 comments:
Looks to me like the chief was out of a job last year when the funds dried up.
Ok budget that was just dry humor.
I have not got a clue what all this means yet.
But people who should know only said "what" today when I read it to them.
So far we have a Public Safety Department.
We have the Ordinance Enforcement Division with a paid employee as the manager of that division
We have the Emergency Service Division with a fire cheif as a paid employee as a manager.
There is no sub-division of fire or ambulance specified.
The fire chief is supervised by the city administrator.
The administrator determines the amount of time worked subject to funding levels.
Yet the ordinance enforcement officer has no supervisionary controls or requirments for time worked or budget limits.
The fire chief is subject to all adopted personnel rules unless the city administrator says other wise in writing.
(Council will like that).
The salary is wide open.
This resolution is not signed by the mayor or city recorder.
This resolution appears to be financed by our utilities?
Can anyone shed any light on this?
Cody
Lateral in this instance is meant to say on the same level as, or of the same importance.
It not only is not signed, the range is not filled in. It's just a piece of paper. Also, I have never seen the chief's salary associated with any of the pay levels. He has always been a "free agent" lol.
This is all interesting stuff, but the problem seems to revolve around money, not legislation.
The city pays for fire buildings and fire equipment out of the general fund.
The city pays about $80,000 per year in additional operating capital into fund 5, the fire department fund.
All of the information we need has been gathered, tabulated and put into a multimedia presentation by a professional consulting firm who specialize in evaluating public fire agencies. We paid $6,000 for this report.
The reports conclusions;
We already pay more per resident for fire coverage than most other cities in Oregon. The consulting firm, made of of retired professional career firefighters, did their best to portray the costs we bear in the best light they could. They used different formulas and tax comparisons to try and make things look better, but even with their best efforts and ignoring the costs of buildings and equipment, the best they could come up with was that Cascade Locks residents already pay more than average for for limited (45 hrs a week) protection.
If it's not a funding problem then it must be a spending problem, right?
What was their one suggestion for increasing/maintaining service? Partner with another fire department for the chief's duties because "it doesn't take much more time for a chief to manage 2 stations than it does to manage 1".
Why wasn't this expert analysis acted on?
Is a town hall going to change the numbers?
We have had 2 votes on fire hall funding issues;
The fire district vote, citizens said NO
The electrical meter fee scheme, citizens said NO, and we don't think you believe us when we say NO, so we are taking back the authority we gave you in the past to impose taxes and fees on us.
The residents here have been more than reasonable, they give more and get less in return than most other cities.
I keep hearing how we owe more support.
How much more do you need?... You don't have any idea....Then how do you know we can afford it?
Oh, just keep trusting in the integrity of our "professional" to know and do what's best.... Isn't that how we got in the mess we are now?
Feel free to comment is what it says! So a handful of mean spirited underemployed, underinformed paranoid conspiracy theorists and medical marijuana users can carve you up with visious petty insults for attempting to have a meaning resonable exchange of opinions and ideas? I think I'll pass
Perhaps you should learn to spell vicious before you act that way.
Hey Anonymous 4:05 I agree 100% I am so tired of listening to the same old bull do nothing people. At least some folks are trying to put ideas out there. It is sure better blaming the past councils for the fall of Cascade Locks. It is so funny how the council blames the past council and they were on the past council. All I hear is a council who is mad things have not gone their way in the past so they are willing to sink Cascade Locks no school, no new business, no fire hall absolutely nothing new because we are children and we did not get our way. Crybabies! I really don’t think the citizens of Cascade Locks are going to sit by and watch council members and budget members threaten us and criticize us and just plain lie. You have gone too far! May God have mercy on your soul should anyone lose their home or their life in a fire or if someone could not be saved in time because we did not have the emergency support service we needed and you refused to look for a solution. And I might add I think it is horrible the way you mistreat your Seniors who are possibly the most likely folks to need ambulance service. What kind of world do you want to live in? I have one more bone to pick, to the council member who said he called his agent and his rates would not go up if the fire rating changed in town. Could that be because you have money and you are insured to the hilt you have the Cadillac plan for insurance so I am sure your agent won’t have to raise your insurance. Why don’t you find out if the insurance rates would go up for your neighbors who are not as wealthy as you and can’t afford the Cadillac plan. Then share that with us at the next council meeting. How about you find out the truth, you would if really cared about your citizens. Typical of the wealthy to not worry about such things, hey they got it covered what about the rest of us? The Mayor the City Administrator, Kevin, Tiffany, Tom and Don unless there are major changes concerning revenue in this town you will be fighting this same battle over and over again. Listen to the citizens or get out of politics. You could start with a town hall meeting.
I believe my rates will go by up the same amount they went down when we hired a full time paramedic.
I'm pretty sure Don drives a Ford Ranger, what kinda insurance plan would that be?
Crybabies??? Really??? You must be talking about those who ran but weren't elected. "I gots me $500 in my pocket". What're you gonna do, buy votes?
Listen to ALL of the citizens.
What is a "vicious petty insult"? Sounds like something a medicinal whiskey imbiber would say.
I read a quote that certainly is apropos to Cascade Locks at the moment.
"I know better than to judge a village by its idiots."
Our budget committee and current council are doing their best to straighten out a mess from the past. In my opinion it is not a personal vendetta, it is about having enough money to pay the bills. Some of which are way out of line. Give them a chance to try to balance the income & expenses. It is no easier for a city than it is for a family in these hard economic times. Sometimes you must do the hard things.
Great quote
10:28pm,
I bet if 4:05 = RB, then 6:29 = LK
It is a shame that grown people are resulting to personal insults and wild threats.
Signed, 5:36pm
Where was the wild threat? You certianly have 6:29 all wrong,way off for sure and I am certian you have never ever even met me.
If you really sure of that then sign a name, maybe even your own...
I am tired of all the fine, upstanding citizens hiding behind anonymous while throwing their personal jabs out against someone they politically disagree with and the venom against one person because they are rich and another because they voted their conscience and the third because they were once caught with a DUI (yeah, like you've never done that.)
At least, if you really feel you would be attacked personally once you did actually sign your name, as I was, then choose an avatar, as I have done and post under that so that we can at least address the same person all the time. For all we know you're schizophrenic and posting all the anonymous ones.
“There is no good in arguing with the inevitable The only argument available with an east wind is to put on your overcoat”
Oh my God that is crazy so if I sign the BLOG with an alias then that is somehow better than anonymous. I have no intention of ever signing my name you people are scary.
Sincerely, Misanthrope
“He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak.”
I think it is important to remember the great quotes and adventures of Brad, Robb, and Lance in the 2011 budget process.
They stated that the debt from the fire hall was being paid for the last 3 years. It is one of the fear and chaos tactics they used to get their 110 people fired up. Also, does everyone remember Brad with his red face and his quaking voice telling city council that he had 35 signatures supporting his point of view and that it would be EASY for him to get 10 times that amount!? The fact is, Brad got 110 signatures, which is a minority in this town, and if you do the math they are going to get trounced in any kind of recall. Go ahead and waste your money with a recall, fact is you were a very unpopular mayor Brad because of your sneaky nature. You will never be mayor of Cascade Locks again, your time is over. Focus on your art or go back to California. Please fellow citizens if you have any other quotes and/or lies connected to the 3 stooges please post them!
Small m...
"We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails"
I really don't give a sh*t who you are, how about a good idea or point of view?
Just pretend the debt doesn't exist,
It's worked for several years, and Lance says it's a good idea!
Oh, and while your at it, pretend Brad's still the mayor. He'll appreciate that.
And in case you were wondering, yes, Jeff is still an insolent, incompetent, dishonest, jackleg, fund miss-appropriator. Even while he's on vacation.
...on vacation AGAIN...
It must be nice to be able to take so many vacations and STILL not get your job done. No wonder he and his posse are so upset about his salary being cut, he's got a good thing going here - get overpaid to do absolutely nothing!
He's probably spreading around his resume.
From your mouth to God's ear.
To 5;36
That kind of assumption and accusation is exactly why our townsfolk are at odds with each other. Before you decide to pick a little more at a persons reputation, name, or any other target you see fit to take a blind pot shot at, how about a fact check first? Or at least something substantive to back it up? I have a Home Depot receipt for that time, like to see it? I have no Iphone and the checkout clerk wasn't offering the use of their computer. Should I wish to participate in any discussion or debate on this blog, I will sign my name.
Lynne Kononen
A receipt! Are you kidding? I thought you just took what you wanted! A fact check? Hilarious, absolutely hilarious! You crack me up, please keep blogging. You are really entertaining!
Cody I don't se anything on this blog than insults. Are you sure you want to keep it going?
Who was the city employee quoted in the HR News referring to when he said "they knew" about the miss-appropriated funds?
BS, obvious, but who else was in on the little secret?
He had no problem pointing the finger at BS on the time card back-dating fiasco, who's he going to put the blame on now,
Marianne?
Brad?
Lance?
I guess time will tell.
I've been telling my dad for months now how seriously underfunded my allowance is. I wasn't sure how I was going to explain his empty retirement fund until I started watching channel 23.
Thanks Jeff, you rock!
I've got $500 I'd like to donate to the re-elect Brad, Gail & Robb campaign.
If we're successful it'll be like a country song in reverse;
Brad'll get his gavel (and Bernard) back,
Gail'll get his chairmanship on budget back (to help hide Jeff's deficit)
And Robb'll help obfuscate it all by doing what he does best, blowing smoke out his a#$.
You can help too, send your $500 to
Help Brad, Gail & Robb (& Bernard) get a life
PO Box POOR LOSERS
Cascade Locks, OR 97014
"Cody I don't se(e) anything on this blog (other)than insults. Are you sure you want to keep it going?"
Cody, I see a bunch of citizens dealing with a dire situation while having a few laughs at the expense of the perpetrators. Please keep it going.
Okay, Here's an attempt at a discussion.
I hear a lot of talk about a new tax for fire protection. My questions;
1. How much tax money would we need to raise to fund the fire department as a stand alone service?
2. What tax rate would it take to produce the amount needed?
3. Would the voters approve that tax rate?
What I think,
1. $350,000 for debt service, equipment replacement, salaries and operating expenses.
2. About $5.50 per thousand
3. No, it would increase our property taxes by over $800 per household, per year. There is no way people here (or anywhere for that matter) would approve that big of an increase in taxes.
Feel free to challenge the numbers if you have more information than "I don't believe".
I think the voters would approve a rate near $2-3.35. You could get close to that proposed number above if the city reduced their rate from $2.705 by a $1.15 so that the actual increase was more or less near a $1.25 to 2.25(give or take).
The addition of ambulance revenue would allow for a total revenue close to the $350,000.
One of the other problems we are facing though is the tax/fee initiative. Because of it we will not be able to afford a lot of things in the very near future. Street lights, power, water, television and yes ambulance. Nothing can be accomplished because the council is too afraid to educate the public and lacks the cajones to actually put something on the table for the voters to look at.
I hear a constant whine about how expensive it is here; its not actually. We have a lot of convenances. Take for example a monthly utility bill with sewer, water, electrical, cable and internet all bundled into one. You can't get that in too many other communities. On the surface a $200 bill looks expensive, but when you break it up and compare together places its pretty close to the same. If your electric bill is to high, maybe you should look energy efficiency, or am I now sounding to green or BS?
While we do pay a little bit more in some ways, there are less of us here to help reduce the cost. That by itself dictates that we will HAVE to pay more. It is simple economics. I get that some that feel they don't want to pay any more; But the reality of that thought process is devoid of not only common sense, but a lack of how government works and what it really takes and costs to keep this city running.
Cody, you brought up several good points with the find. But what you also uncovered is that one of the loudest voices on the council now also voted in favor for a lot of these "ordinances" that you have so manny issues with.
The rhetoric of "I just didn't know" does not sit very well when you stand back and the the big picture.
Cascade Locks has a lot to work on in the near future. Streets, Water system, Sewage treatment and others. The people out there that say all of the eggs were put into the fire basket are not seeing the trees through the forest. Yes fire got some loving, but next it will be water, then city hall, then who know next. But eventually we will continue to keep chasing the tail of the dog as we move from one department in this city to the next. Why, because there is not enough money coming into the pot. It has nothing to do with amount of employees at city hall or how many handouts the tourism committee gives away or how many sailboats we buy. Its revenue that is needed to keep this city afloat.
I look forward to hearing other thoughts on this thread.
Are you kidding me????
If the city reduced their rate you are still taking money from the rest of the departments and giving it to the fire department.
11:19 this town could be handed the answer to Cascade Locks problems from the good Lord himself and you would still have the BLOGGERS on this site criticizing your ideas. They simply have an agenda and they will not listen to logic. Nice try though I agree with most of what you had to say. I suspect there are many in this community who agree with what you have to say and I think they will express themselves with their votes. I am also beginning to suspect there are about 5 or 6 regular BLOGGERS who continue to express their opinions over and over again. Hardly a majority!
8:43 I agree with most of what 11:19 says. Just not with the logic of reducing town taxes (Peter) and adding taxes for the fire department. (Paul)
We have been including the ambulance "revenue" in the Fire Department Fund.
We have a $60,000 negative fund balance.
We have not been including the building or equipment cost in the Fire Department Fund.
This "revenue" is not going to get you any closer to $350,000, it's already part of the equation.
June 24, 2011 8:43 PM
Your agenda seems to be to add absolutely nothing to the discussion.
Apparently the good Lord can only inspire people you agree with.....what a joke.
(I guess your the 6th or 7th BLOGGER ;)
How is robbing Peter to pay Paul any worse than robbing the citizens to pay for a fire chief we can't afford?
$800.00 per household per year, not a chance.
10:54 What discussion there is never any discusion on this blog just a bunch of mean spirited people.
6:17: You know, throwing descriptions around like mean spirited doesn't make you any better of a person.
10:54 That was a simile, you know... if you don't, look it up and while you are at it check out metaphors, parody and analogy.
Simile,
A figure of speech in which two fundamentally unlike things are explicitly compared, usually in a phrase introduced by like or as.
What was that again?
Sigh....
never mind.
10:54?
I agreed with you...
Is it true the Fire Chief resigned? What happens now?
Ask the paper. It seems that he told the reporter before telling his bosses.
Finally, a HR News worth buying :)
It means he quit and we continue on without him.
RECALL
Recall for what?
He flipping quit!
This council did not create these problems.
This council was left with this mess.
So place the blame where it belongs.
Get real
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