Wednesday, June 08, 2011
New committee format allows for better access and accountability
The new council format initiated by Mayor Harl allows aldermen to focus more on their respective committee assignments. No overlap in committee duties should allow each alderman ample opportunity to research and initiate action pertaining to the "single" committee to which they are assigned. But perhaps even more important is the fact that each and every alderman will be easily identified and accountable for all actions or in-action of that committee.
As citizens we must have a clear understanding of who to approach if we have a specific question or comment regrding our city and the new committee format will make it easier for all of us to do just that. More importantly, it will allow us to hold specific aldermen more accountable on the issues at hand and holding our elected officials accountable is our priveledge and our right.
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15 comments:
Keep them all separated Stevey. Then the only one who will know what is going on is the mayor. That will allow the mayor to gain control of this council. Divide and conquer. Too bad this is an aldermanic government. How do you hold Public Safety accountable when you live in the fourth ward? I know, we could become like Ottawa and have commissioners!! That way we would no longer have neighborhoods elect representatives. We would have citywide elections!! The group with the most money would win. No thanks Stevey. Your change isn't working. Less than two years until the people take it back.
11:36 a.m. - How long have you been suffering these paranoid delusions? Are you suggesting this group of aldermen are incapable of keeping themselves informed and in touch with each other? You act as though they are a jury sequestered in a run-down hotel in north Peru unable to communicate. How silly of you.
I will repeat what I have been saying for years about elected officials in Peru.
"Elected officials have an opportunity to work just as hard as they like. They can roll up their sleeves and commit to it with high energy, enthusiasm, and a willingness to research and learn all there is to learn. Or, they can choose to sit back and simply "pretend" they are serving the citizens of Peru by allowing themselves to become totally dependent on the advice of, for example, the city engineering consultant, or the the city attorney, or a former mayor, or worse yet a contractor employed by the city like TEST. Peru has had more than a few aldermen over recent decades who were simply incapable of forming an original, progressive, or independent thought or idea. Fortunately, one of them finally contributed something to Peru by just stepping down.
Unfortunately, there remain at least two multi-term aldermen who have absolutely no vision how to improve the quality of life in Peru. They will continue to be pretenders, totally dependent on the long-time "insiders" to tell them what to do and say. They will eventually be replaced as well.
In less than two years there will be even more new faces on the city council and perhaps a new mayor as well. Regardless of who they are there is only one indisputable fact.
You can't stop the change. It will continue. But most important of all, your time is over.
11:36 Why do you always insist on being so personal rather than intellectual? I am sure that if you would limit yourself to constructive criticism rather than destructive criticizm you would be more effective with everyone.
Your private grudges hold no interest to anyone!
I have no problem with the new committee set up other than I believe the committee chaired by aldermen Lukosis and Waldorf is a little over loaded.
To 10:32 a.m. - I understand where you're coming from and I agree the projects and business to be conducted through the Public Works committee is substantial. But, I do not beleive it to be overwhelming. This is what an alderman signs on for and as a resident of Peru I expect these aldermen on this committee to shoulder the load to the best of their abilities. I am confident that Alderman Lukosis is capable and committed to learn the operations of our public works and infrastructure. I have expressed some of my concerns with him about ways to cut some costs and he has agreed to be open-minded about some things I have brought to his attention.
I believe Alderman Waldorf needs to get himself better informed about the needs of our infrastructure and start researching ways to cut costs and improve efficiency. He has to be independent and learn on his own. If he acts solely on the advice of Chamlin and TEST, the status quo attitude of "there is only one way to do things", will continue.
There is a huge responsibility for this committee and it will demand time, research and effort beyond the time spent in meetings. I expect this committee to plan and make improvements to our infrastrucure. I expect this committee to look at every imaginable way to cut operating costs.
As elected officials they are accountable to those tasks.
The possibility of a city engineer is looking better every day but not sure the Mayor and entire council are on board yet. I would surely like to hear a public discussion on this topic. Especially if any major road projects are to take affect and we would have to be dependent on an outside source.
Could a cost analysis be initiated to determine whether the City of Peru would be more efficient dollar wise to employ its own engineer or continue with a consultant? Could the same procedure be utilized in regards to TEST and competitive bidding?
9:54 I think that is an excellent idea. I have always felt that just maybe a great deal of money could be saved in each of those fields. I guess it would be up to the aldermen to initiate such an analysis. I can't help but think it's something worth looking into.
The demolition of the electric plant looks to be in shambles. Was the delay a part of getting a job for local labor?
Maybe the city should take the advice from somebody looking for a job in water testing?
What are you talking about or suggesting 3:05 and 3:08?
I agree with the post 9:54 to review the costs associated with an employed engineer vs a consultant. I would also be very curious to see an entire list of expenditures to our current consultant over the past 10 years with project detail listed. A quoted price (I assume quotes/contracts were solicited for each project) in comparison to final billing would be an interesting topic too.
I have been out of work for 6 months and I hear that the city hired some friends of the Mayor for demolition of the power plant. I live in Peru and it sucks that the city hired a outside company and they were instructed who to hire patronage jobs for the work. Can I get a job or my family member if I sign up for campaign manager?
9:21 If what you say is true and you are disturbed by it contact your aldermen with your concerns and ask them to look into the situation.
To 9:21 a.m. - Oh my! This blog has been witness to more than a few ignorant and baseless comments from people with no real sense of the actual degree of stupidity and ignorance in the lies they attempt to spread.
Congratulations, you just topped the list.
How can a guy as sharp as you be out of work?
I think you would be a great candidate for a Private Investigater correspondence course.
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