Special Meeting on Muni/Police Building & Financing

Author: yinn

Apr 17

A special meeting Monday of the DeKalb City Council and the Financial Advisory Committee is set to examine two Municipal Building remodeling/building options with emphases on police station space needs and improved access for people with disabilities.

The Good
One of the options presented includes a proposal to sell off city property worth $2.2 million to help finance a renovation and addition.

The Bad
We don’t know where the rest of the money will come from. Perhaps some bucks have been “freed up” by the debt restructuring. After paying some employees twice for not working and having the General Fund balance dip to $22,000 recently, it’s uncertain whether they can make a solid case for it, though. Read the rest of this entry

9 Comments

Filed under: Council/City Watch, First Responders, TIF | Tagged as: open thread, police department, police station

City Layoffs

Author: yinn

Jun 9

Here is a comment that popped up in another post this afternoon:

Well as of today start to look for your own way of provideing some city services. Twenty employees got laidoff today, and 10 others were taking the early retirment package, and reportly 2 got terminated. So what does this mean no one left to do the blue collar work.

At this moment the Daily Chronicle states that a news release with the specifics is expected about 4 p.m. It is 3:40 as I type this.

The budget hasn’t been finalized yet, but some contracts — AFSCME comes to mind — require prior notice for layoffs, in case the unions can come up with an alternative plan in the interim.

4 Comments

Filed under: Council/City Watch, First Responders | Tagged as: fire department, police department, public works

City Budget: Mulling Over Police, Fire and More

Author: yinn

May 6

In 2008, in the midst of a self-proclaimed fiscal crisis, City Council voted to allow the (former) Community Development Department to obtain a new SUV.

This is symbolic, see? The Police and Fire departments have had to put off replacing vehicles and some equipment since then. The Police Department, in particular, is getting nickel-and-dimed on old patrol cars that should have been retired last year, and the year before, and the year before that. But Community Development got exactly what it wanted.

And, as each new downtown brick paver is tamped into place, it must seem like a slap in the face. Read the rest of this entry

6 Comments

Filed under: Council/City Watch, Payment Due? | Tagged as: budget, city council, financial advisory committee, fire department, police department

Wogen Charged with Domestic Battery

Author: yinn

Aug 17

Chronicle story here.

Having DeKalb County Sheriff’s Police handle the arrest was the right move.

I am making a different decision about comments than the Chronicle has but please note I am ambivalent and may change my mind. Depends on what we end up with.

6 Comments

Filed under: Council/City Watch | Tagged as: 3rd Ward, police department

Renew Our Trash

Author: Kay Shelton

Aug 7

catbox1

Yes, that is a cat box. Sorry about that but the city started it by deciding that they think they know best on dictating how people take out their trash. Although called a “pilot” program at this point, as described in the Daily Chronicle article, my guess is the city will put this program in place. I do not believe this is a cost-savings plan. Instead, this gives the city the opportunity to make everyone’s trash look the same. DeKalb would look like some sort of Yuppieville, with matching garbage cans. I do not need nor want a trash can. I certainly do not want to be forced into buying two new ones. How will the city buying trash cans for everyone save citizens any money? Read the rest of this entry

0 Comments

Filed under: Community Resources, Council/City Watch, First Responders, Snark/Humor | Tagged as: fire department, police department, waste management

The First Step

Author: yinn

Jul 28

One of the citizen commenters at the council meeting last night brought up the City of DeKalb’s Management Pay Plan. She was scandalized by the leap from Step 1 to Step 2. It is easy to see why. Grade One starting pay, for example, is $18.158 per hour but on the first anniversary it jumps to $21.199. That’s a 16.75% increase. After that, annual increases are a more modest 2% per year and in fact they call it the “Two Percent Pay Plan.”

What the commenter seemed not to know is that all city contracts take a big jump from Step 1 to Step 2 (or Step A to Step B).

In 2008, the Police Contract (p. 35) started a patrol officer at an hourly wage of $26.69, which increased to $29.08 at Step B.

The AFSCME contract schedule (p. 40) pays a Building Supervisor at a rate of $28.291 the first year and $33.20 the second.

A new fire fighter makes $23.979 hourly to start, then goes to $29.524.

2 Comments

Filed under: Council/City Watch, Payment Due? | Tagged as: AFSCME, city council, compensation, fire department, police department, public works

Police Station Letter

Author: yinn

May 13

An LTE sent to the Chronicle last week made it in today:

To the editor:

During the municipal election campaign I remarked publicly that DeKalb’s Police Facility Advisory Committee (FAC) was not allowed to consider any police station options other than a brand-new station built on the Lincoln Highway commercial site that had already been purchased. Then-alderman and FAC member Donna Gorski took issue with my statement in a letter to the editor. Read the rest of this entry

1 Comment

Filed under: Council/City Watch, First Responders, Payment Due? | Tagged as: budget, city council, police department, police station

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