There were a lot of eye witnesses to this scene because of the many people who came in to see the swearing in of Sherry Mayszak. You opinion is?
Thursday, June 30, 2011
News Tribune - News - Local - Alderman, mayor clash — this time on time cards
News Tribune - News - Local - Alderman, mayor clash — this time on time cards
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Council also discussed the elimination of credit cards, ordinance to crackdown on absent property owners. And a number of other issues.
I believe that, in the past, there have been some questions asked and some possible rumors spread that some individuals on the payroll may have been taking advantage of the system. Time cards could be a possible solution to the speculations from the past. My opinion!
The exchange of words between Mayor Harl and Ald. Potthoff seemed to overshadow other important topics. At the finance committee earlier in the day, there was a discussion about the time card issue and also the credit cards and at that time there was no dissension among those who attended and that included Potthoff, Bartley, Radtke, Bleck, J. Potthoff, Perez and Bleck. I was very surprised to see Clerk Bartley take the other side of the issue at the council meeting.
The property issue is mostly that of foreclosed properties and landlords who rent their property out occassionaly but do not maintain the property and as a result are affecting entire neighborhoods. Long past time to address this issue.
Credit Cards - absolutely not! One city card held possibly by the treasurer and that you would have to sign for and then return the card and the bill back to the treasurer (or designated person). The reason for getting the card and the purchase to be made by it would have to be okayed by the card holder before it was released to you.
Also, the Mayor mentioned that a few city employees are people who also work at home on city business and some people at the meeting heard the name of Frank Taylor and another person who evidently are being paid for taking work home and getting paid for it. Ald. Potthoff indicated that he thought this was in appropriate and that the work should be done in their offices are city time.
Wouldn't Frank Taylor be a salaried position, as asst. building inspector?
I believe the news also stated that the mayor is going to make a push for the 1/2% sales tax increase next week. Personally I would like to see the plan they keep talking about implemented prior to pushing the tax increase. Wouldn't you like to know exactly where your money is going to be spent? By that I mean are we only going to do the roads that lead to businesses or will our residential roads also be repaved entirely?
I'm sure we are all in favor of an accurate and honest system of time-keeping for all city employees. I was not aware of any allegations of abuse or which department alderman Potthoff was referring to. If the department heads feel the need for an automated time-keeping system then I say, ok. It is the responsibility of department heads to police their people, not the aldermen. If anybody is cheating they should be terminated immediately. There is no better deterent then that.
I have to wonder why this issue was never brought up for discussion by any aldermen
three, five or even ten years ago when it was a widely known fact that at least two individuals within the Public Works Department were padding time-sheets with overtime totaling thousands of dollars a year with the knowledge and consent of then superintendant Don Kowalczyk. These
two favored employees racked up tens of thousands of complimentary OT hours during the years of the previous administration. It was never a very well kept secret and there was never anything said about the abuse.
One of the individuals was stationed at the petting zoo south of the landfill and the other was Jack O'Beirne's
personal plumber and handyman at Jack's rental properties. Anybody else remember this arrangement?
Well, it appears that cheating happened in the past, was widely known, and nothing was done. Who's to say it isn't happening again or could happen in the future? Just food for thought.
Why do some of us continue to discuss the past. The time card system and credit card elimination is a common business practice. It sounds like you have a council that wants to take control of spending. To argue that some employees are paid for work they do at home shows a lack of sensible management. God forbid that some residents want to stopping hearing that this is my office and I can do as I please.
no wonder he wants a tax increase. People work at home and are paid, no checks and balances. Is this for real?
Post the employee wages including overtime and lets compare to the private sector. Not ranges, actual dollars and then we can make judgements if the residents want to cut overtime.
You can't require union employees to punch a time card. It against collective barganing. The mayor was right to be upset.
Are you serious ANON 2:00?
A couple of thoughts... the only people that should be taking work home should be those on a straight salary. People on salary are more than likely "managment." There should be no overtime for people on salary. They should be paid the same if they work 80 hours in a pay period or 200.
How are time sheets turned in now? There must be some record... sounds to me that the only difference is the method of collecting a report.
What the city should do is outsource the payroll entirely.
there you go mayor/union-and people are going to vote for him again? while i am at it, the old adminstration is over-get over it worry about now the way i look at the old was better. get a handle on things
Another thought regarding the 1/2% sales tax increase - remember we are home rule which I believe means we can move funds freely from one to another. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
8:12 PM 6/30 you are absolutely right - just call it a General Fund. General Funds are alright except it does open the door for mismanagement. The way I understand it you can truly borrow from Peter to pay Paul in a much easier fashion than keeping good accounting records to show that funds were spent for where they were designated. And, remember Peter is broke!!!!
Secondly, please spread the word regarding the mayors town meeting. It is very important that as many attend as possible. Not only should you attend but have your questions, "concerns" and answers ready and SPEAK UP. With Peru's form of government our Aldermen can vote at "their" will and if tied the Mayor will be a tie breaker (and right now it on his agenda). This is a big deal! A big cost to everyone and it does impact those from the outside areas who come to shop Peru. Does it make a difference - YOU BET! As Peru revenue income goes down, Peru taxpayers will have to ante up. Does this make a difference to you?
Does anyone have any doubt that Mr Harl is out for his own pocket to be lined versus looking out for the city ?
Ask yourself about the city clerk who is a FLIP FLOPPER in the presence of the mayor, he says one thing at the finance meeting then a few hours later he says something else 180 degrees opposite, he also must be guilty.
The time card issue probably has been going on for the past two years and now it is coming to light.
NO ONE SHOULD BE WORKING FROM THERE HOME AND CHARGING THE CITY. (INCLDING THE MAYOR SECRETARY!)
The purpose of the new city building is to WORK ON CITY WORK WITHIN THE WALLS OF THE NEW BUILDING. That is where the tax dollars are targeted to go not a private residence.
I am having a hard time with this administration that they just like to SUCKER PERU TO PAY FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL GREASING OF THE PALMS. (Tax dollars to go up for what? to line the Mayors pockets?
Corruption is smelling a bit raunchous .
From a outside perspective it looks like the committee is trying to place some financial restrictions in place. And it looks like the Mayor and Clerk have no interest in this and it won't be done. They look to have much more interest in making the troops happy with additional raises.
Most residents don't care about what someone else is doing unless it has a direct effect on them. The result of irresponsible spending is higher taxes and get ready ......its Time. The old adage is that its a recession when your neighbor losses his job and its a depression when you lose your job.
Anon 8:12 with a new city council the time to strike on tax increases is now. Home rule allows 8 elected members to decide if a tax increase is needed. In case of a tie you have a Mayor vote, so in basic procedure you only need half the council to vote YES. 2 members were hand picked by the Mayor, 2 other newly elected members may believe their election was based on the Mayors backing. You have 4 council members that have been on the council and they have not supported the past sales tax increase proposed and a number of other tax increases, maybe they will change colors.
Don't forget to support the Mayor's golf outing fund raiser for reelection. I bet many employees, contractors and city vendors won't miss this event.
9:54AM
The newly elected won on their own and from what I know, they will vote for the increase for 5 years and then require that that increase come before the council once again for renewal.If the wording is not in the increase they indicated they would not vote yes.
RE:6-30-2011 at 1:09. Don't forget the grandsons that were off playing baseball at the same time the time sheet said they were working 40 hours a week. Don't forget the time spent at the wild life refuge across the river, don't forget the plumber who spent more time maintaining rental properties while on the handwritten time sheet, aka clock (does the City have rental properties?) I bet if you were to poll the street/water dept, they would welcome time sheets with the exception of 2 of them that seem to still have many liberties. With my opinions in mind, exactly what do we spend in maintaining our horticulturist each year? Salary, truck fuel & mileage reimbursement, classes and training, greenhouse maintenance and utilities, landscaping software (you got to be frikkn kidding me), stainless steel tools, dead plants, bus trips out of town with Peru citizens(yes, taking our sales tax $$'s out of town?) In earlier years, I remember that the park staff went to the big greenhouse south of the Valley and bought about 15-20k in plants. Now we spend how much per year for dead plants and weed beds? Have you seen the trees up at Veterans Park? You should have seen the weed beds on Memorial Day at Veterans Park. Pathetic! Unacceptable! Back to the time card issue. It will be a burden for the majority of the staff such as the fire dept and police dept. I'm not sure why it would be a serious burden for the water/street dept. I assume the staff goes to the shop to get their trucks every day. I will admit, why would Potthoff want to spend so much money in order to catch the abuse of a few employees? Everyone in the City knows who the "problem" staff are. Ask the staff? Ask their managers why the rubber stamp continues? Don't punish all and risk even lower morale when the problem is only with a few who continue to abuse the rules.
anon continue 12:06 OR why take away credit cards or make expenses of $5000 or more subject to approval or why not let employees work at home. Why burden employees with time cards, leave it alone. Everything is fine.
Ald.Potthoff and his conservative agenda is outdated. People do work at home and many don't punch time cards. He sounds like Limbough or Reagan.
1:37 PM
Can you give me an example of hourly waged people that are working at home for the same hourly wage they get on the job?
I can understand that salaried people do take their work home with them and no one has a problem with that.
Since most work seems to be computer related in this day and age, do they have computers at home with all the data they need to be working with.
This needs a lot more explanation as far as I am concerned.
12:06AM
The police department is already set up and do clock in and out via computer according to deputy chief Pyszka.
I do not understand the continuous references to a morale problem within the employees of the City of Peru. They WANTED TO BE UNIONIZED they are now unionized with a city administrator who acted as if he was a union steward at last Wednesdays meeting. They are unionized and don't have a time clock! The SPW complains about being short of help and no one answers back that early retirements were awarded with the promise to the citizens of no replacements but the early retirees have been replaced. In addition forty-one (41) employees are hired for a summer work program but the Public Works Superintendent cannot take on any more work because the city is short of help.
City of Peru employees are highly paid to the tune of being the WHITE COLLAR EMPLOYEES of the area. If you don't believe this read up on how many make $50,000.00 + per year and what their average wage is. What is the average seniority of Peru city employees if morale is so bad, when did the last person quit, how many applicants have there been per job opening?
Chamlin Engineering reduced their workforce to four days a week a long time ago and is still functioning as such. What was the response of some of the city employees when the same was asked of them because funds were continuously too low to make payroll.
Some of our representation best learn the difference between a morale problem and a attitude problem. When comments such as "The troops are not going be happy" or "Your dealing with a double edged sword" are made by the city's highest administrator (the mayor) in regards to a suggestion of looking into the cost of hardware for a computerized time clock for city employees I suggest he realizes what side of the fence he is on when he represents the city. I hope this attitude does not rub off on the city employees. City officials should not worry as much about the morale of city employees as their own management responsibilities to the City of Peru.
First comes accomplishment of the mission and than welfare of the men! You might not like it this way but history has proven it to work best!
Making threats to a Alderman like You better watch out your dealing with a double edge sword makes me think of Chicago. I know the one the Mayor was speaking about and I don't think he will back down.
What's the difference between union steward and the Mayor?
Can I say that for the most part this is a great discussion. Some are trying to make their points but instead are truly only being nasty. The truth will out and it is certainly happening. Go to the meeting, let your opinion be heard but let it be done in a professional manner.
We want our City officials to act as professionals - let us be professional as well.
My opinion...since when does it question an employees honesty to simply have them punch a time clock? In my mind it is good accountability. I would think the city's liability for insurance coverage could possibly play a part - especially in the event of an extreme illness at work (like a heart attack or injury). Proof is in the time clock.
Is true that two employees are now on call each week and regardless of the length of time spent on a call they are guaranteed 2 hours overtime (not to mention the already 5 hours Contract OT for standby? So if they need to place a barricade up and it takes 30 minutes they are each paid 2 hours OT? Also is it true that the senior foreman are/were paid 6 hours extra OT just for being the senior foremen?
Perhaps the Mayor should stop protecting his troops in "battalion 150" and worry about the 10000 troops in "regiment Peru".
The Superintendent complains about being short handed but does not correct the problems that cause him to be short.
If anyone pays attention on a daily basis, the superintendent does not supervise the men but he rides around town even I see him in La Salle.
I continue to see 4 to 5 people on a ditch digging job with 2 men working and 2 to 3 men watching. BUT WAIT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MEN TO DO MORE WORK OR WE SHOULD NOT USE TIME CLOCKS TO MEASURE JOB ASSIGNMENTS!
What a crock of BS ! If these folks work in industry they would BE FIRED at the pace they manage and work.
Guess who is paying for the gas and maintenance on the SUV he rides in all day long ??????
A secretary working from home? Honor system for timecards? Senior foreman paid for not being at work? Overtime for department heads? Early retirements that cost hundreds of thousands? 2 raises a year for selected employees and the city will be raising taxes? We have 2 blacktop machines and don't have enough employees to fill one machine. Like the Mayor said "We don't have any problems and the troops won't like this"
Alderman and the Finance committee are out of bounds. The Mayor controls the day to day operations and its not their business to be involved. The control policies that are being discussed by Potthoff are ridiculous and he should go back to CEOing some other business.We elected a Clerk and Mayor to do the job. Employee morale is at stake and who is going to do the work, not the Alderman.
9:17PM
Sorry we elect the alderman to be involved and be concerned about what goes on in the city and the city just elected 2 new alderman who did not support the Mayor on this issue. This is not a dictatorship.
9:17
Would you be kind enough to enlighten the aldermen of the Peru City Council to what is their authority, responsibility and jurisdiction limits? Would you also share with the rest of us as to what you consider control policies? You surely do not mean that asking to see if there would be any interest in getting a estimate for a computerized time clock systems as being ridiculous.
Time clocks are not a recent innovation nor are they considered to be a threat to employees morale as a large percentage of work places have them. As a matter of fact a time clock was on the wall of Electrical Superintendent Beckers office in the 1950's.
If you are seriously in question as to who would do the work rest assured that there are steps which are in place that would eventually result in having a replacement, if needed, do the work.
1:09, I do remember that. It was all over town. But nothing was ever done about it. Also the Super of Sts. worked in his woodworking shop, and grocery shopped in city vehcile, all the time. Never once called on it. This is before Harl took office. I think they all should be accounted for their time. And not the rideing around time, the actual work time.
If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would never have believed it. With all the talk about a sales tax increase, the poor economy, and the lack of money why in the world would 2 city employees be emptying garbage cans on a Saturday? Why can't the 41 summer employees do this on a Friday? Not only that, but the containers around the path at Baker Lake are filled to capacity and they were not being emptied.
And, now I see that the City of Peru is advertising for a Code Officer. I know that topic was discussed but don't ever remember an okay given to hire. More money that we supposedly don't have? Do we even have the proper codes established before we hire someone to enforce them?
The mystery of the missing concrete swimming pool tables and benches is beginning to unfold. Remember we were told that they were distributed amongst the parks and that one is at City Hall? Well, 2 complete sets of table and benches (along with an umbrella) was located at the green house which is located behind the masoleum, behind a fence, in the city cemetery.
All of this conversation about the mishandling of our tax money is great to have our people engaged.
However we cannot forget how the Mayor and City clerk are NOT DOING THEIR JOB TO MANAGE THE CITY. WE MUST BEAR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, THEN WE HAVE TO VOTE THEM OUT.
If they did there job the finance committee would not have to recommend time cards. Remember the city clerk agreed with this action at the finance committee meeting.
(I believe this was brought to the committee's attention by concerned employees).
The Mayor responded the way he did because he is aware of and condones "this working at home". And of course how many hours are we paying for when the work at home is intermingled with home life.?????????? Guess ! Other then management people, working at home is ILLEGAL. The city attorney should investigate.
One way these infractions will be corrected for the people is to get them out of office and elect leaders for our city that will put our city first, our house in fiscal order, and someone that has the intelligence to be conservative with our money and spend it wisely. The other is a law suit.
Inefficiency and incompentance MUST BE THE FIRST TO GO. If there is anyone currently working on staff for the city of peru that sees themselves in this mirror, they better resign now or before the next election.
For their sake, Quitting is much better then being fired.
Simple solution is to install a computerized time clock and pay to only time recorded on the clock. If a person wants to take work home and do it on volunteer time without compensation so be it until something is proven wrong with this idea.
Why would the concrete tables and benches be moved to the city cemetery behind a fence where no one can see or enjoy them? It almost appears as though someone is trying to hide them and use them for their own personal use. Especially since apparently one has an umbrella. Has anyone verified this?
Please tell me that those cement patio tables are not at the greenhouse! If that is the case why were they not offered to the school or to the library where they could have been put to use?
Someone earlier had mentioned that several city workers were emptying garbage cans in the parks on SATURDAY - O.T. Well, just came from walking around Baker Lake and almost every garbage recepticle is filled to capacity. This is the 4th of July weekend. Did the city put all its efforts into the doings for the pool and forget about everything else. We need leadership and direction.
To 8:26am
It against the law to take work home on a volunteer basis. the city is still libel.
Where is the city attorney? There should be a law suit filed.
4:04
What is the city libel for and why would the city attorney file a law suit and who would he file it against?
Get real... it is NOT against the law to work at home and it is NOT agianst union rules to punch a time clock. However, it is not prudent to allow secretarial staff that are being paid by the hour to work at home. Afterall - who is going to answer the phone - or is that being forwarded also? I do not understand the resistance to automating the system used to track employee time.
I agree with you Brian Foster. It almost makes one wonder why you would be afraid to ask your employees to punch a clock and account for their work time. Of course, you still need proper supervision to make sure WORK is being done while on the clock!
To Brian 2:53PM
I guess you have never worked in industry.
to 5:14 - I'm currently employed by a local manufacturing company.
Summer help can't empty garbage cans? It must be cheaper to pay overtime than have summer staff work on Saturday or Sunday? And were city workers paid to work on the family fundraiser for the pool? This doesn't make any sense. Raise a penny for a dollar?
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