“It doesn’t take a majority to win, just a tireless minority that will keep starting brush fires in the mind and hearts of their fellow men.”

Samuel Adams

Monday, April 29, 2013

It's April and Its Grass Mowing Time.

The Park Department is responsible for all Park maintenance, i.e. grass cutting, park equipment repair and replacement, and playground equipment maintenance, etc.

The above is taken directly from the city web site but several weeks ago Ald. Potthoff said the city would be going out for landscaping bids. Well not really going out for bids but more like seeking local mowing services for prices. Can we hire someone to take care of our city grass for under $20,000 which is the price at which the city must seek bids.
Mum is the word down at city hall. There has been a question about hiring of summer help as usual, I have not officially heard this mentioned as in previous years. The deadline on the application on the city web site is April 30 or tomorrow. But that application has been online since 2011 and it may not mean anything.

Any bids received for Landscaping will have to go to the Public Property Committee and neither of the curent  members will not be returning to the council. So at this point there is no committee to receive those bids so it can be sent to the council for approval. New aldermen will be sworn in on May 6.

I don't know about your grass but we have already had to mow it about 2 or 3 times. Who will now plant the flowers, trim the shrubs and mow the grass while we wait for the process of government to act in a legal manner.


La Salle had announcements for summer help on the radio weeks ago. Peru has made no announcement that I am aware of.

 It seems that if you plan on going out for professional services it is something that must be in the works months before the weather warms, the rains begin and the grass grows by leaps and bounds. Keep your eyes and ears on this topic.

I have always been in favor of professional lawn service open to all in a fair bidding process and I hope that is what is being done.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

I never saw any ad in the paper for bid specs on mowing, landscaping, watering, yard waste bag pick up or flower planting. They must've already picked out who they are gonna hire anyway! Same old story in peru , its who you know and who gives you a payoff under the table.

Anonymous said...

I as a taxpayer in this crooked town better not see my tax dollars paying for a company that hires illegals to do the work. Because its a guarantee that the company pays them cash so we lose out on more tax dollars.

Anonymous said...

DRIVE AROUND TOWN, LOOK AT A
COUPLE COMPANIES WHOSE WORKERS ARE DOING WORK AT HOMES AND BUSINESSES. THESE COMPANIES THAT EMPLOYEE ILLEGALS SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN, AUDITED,FINED ETC.. This is a reason teenagers can't find jobs, adults also. And taxpayers are paying for some to be on welfare! Don't hire these companies for work to be done. Hire companies that hire US CITIZENS. The owners should be ashamed of themselves and they should get a hefty fine for hiring illegals!!!THEY PAY CASH TO WORKERS . What alot of illegal immigrants do is have a ID THAT IS ACTUALLY A FRIENDS ID WHO IS LEGAL. Many may use the same ID. WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO PAY A LITTLE EXTRA FOR A SERVICE TO BE DONE WHERE WORKERS PAY TAXES AND MONEY IS GOING BACK TO THE COUNTRY?

H, Tom said...

Its bad enough they pay a retired X DOT FORMAN 25,000 a year to cut grass at the parks , instead of hiring summer help to do it . thats blecks buddy for you !!!! Spend the tax payers money to keep his buddys happy !!!

Anonymous said...

If we keep hiring outside businesses to do our routine maintenance jobs does that mean we will decrease our work force? I would assume it would at least eliminate most, if not all, of the summer help (young and old alike). TRUE OR FALSE?

Anonymous said...

Forget hiring summer help. The process of hiring is wrong in the first place. It's who you know and whose booty you kiss! Seperate bids for landscaping and mowing. The companies that have illegals working for them will not submit bids if it stipulates that the city will check employees status of citizenship of company that get the job. Think of the money the city would save by hiring services out. With the savings, put money towards sewer projects!!

Anonymous said...

@10:13. The people hired for summer help could possibly get a job with company hired to do the service! Alot of the summer hirees couldn't flip a burger at McDonalds so they get a job with the city. What does that tell you? LAZY WORKERS! As evident from the last couple summers. Remember some of the parks that lacked maintenance! Some picture have been posted on this site.

Anonymous said...

And 10:29 those parks that you mention still lack the proper maintenance one year later. As a matter of fact those pictures posted could still apply to today.

Anonymous said...

Anon 10:13 You would believe that the answer is TRUE but my gut feeling is that there will be a escape clause created to keep relatives, friends and political supporters under the umbrella of the city payroll. Whether this would be considered special assignments, in-kind work projects etc. there will be a reason created. A recent example of how clever Perus 'Slick Willy" government can be was shown in the building of the BB Gun Club.
Remember Peru pays TEST a enormous amount of money per year without a open bid contract but still sends them full time summer help which is paid by the city. Peru city officials have alot of hiding places for those who THEY want employed as summer help.
In conclusion my answer is FALSE!

Anonymous said...

@10:29 LAZY WORKERS and/or POOR MANAGEMENT - I believe it is a lot more of the latter.

Peru Town Forum said...

the private 28th street park is in use by the private pickleball club this evening. Neighbors all appear to have gone away for the evening.

Anyone know why the playground equipment at Nickeloid Park is still in an unfinished condition with yellow tape around the hole in which it sits? No kids on any equipment at either Sunset, McKinley or Nickeloid even though it is a beautiful evening.

Anonymous said...

Our nation is a country of immigrants. I’m getting tired of fat old men complaining that the “illegals” are taking our jobs. These people simply want to work to feed their children and are willing to do honest work for an honest wage. If the fat old men that drive around with inflatable rats would actually work, then immigrants would not be needed in the landscaping, restaurant, and agriculture industries. As it stands right now, these jobs are not good enough for the fat rat-bastards. Our population is aging rapidly - 10,000 people every day are turning 65. Americans do not have large families anymore. The birthrate is not keeping up with the death rate – our population is getting old. Over the next twenty years, we will face a drastic work force shortage. We will need immigration to supplement the native population – otherwise, our economic machine will grind to a halt. And – who says that the immigrants working in local lawn services are illegal anyway? I’m willing to bet that almost every one of them are either native born Americans or in this country legally.

Anonymous said...

Lois what are you talking about, I was at Sunset park last night and there was at least a dozen kids on the equipment??

Peru Town Forum said...

7:00 AM

My answer to you is how may hours of daylight do we have each evening. Can you accept that we would be there at different times of the daylight hours? I saw girls playing baseball, I saw no one on any of the play equipment, you did. I don't patrol parks daily at specific times, I just happened to drive by on a nice evening. Maybe you live in the area, I don't. That being said I'm glad that children were playing, thats what parks are mostly for.

Anonymous said...

While driving thru Peru, pay attention to the man hole cover that is sinking at the intersection 4th and Plum. If you are east bound on 4th st. in the driving lane at that intersection, slow down or move to the right to avoid it. There was a dip sign but has since disappeared. It's becoming a hazard. Looks to be sinking more on the left side of the man hole cover.

Anonymous said...

@6:22 and @9:37 Thank you, you are both so correct. Just wanted to bring up the fact that Perus infrastructure is older than its population. In fact not only the infrastructure but many of its other selling points are older than its population or no longer exist. Our ancestors paid for them and now it is our turn. This is why it is so critical to have a city engineer, one with the correct degree and experience who is independent of all prior engineering decisions of the past. At one time Mr. Casey Chamlain was Perus' City Engineer and Mr.Rummens was years later. Has Peru ever had any other city engineers? Rain is in the forecast for days. Is everyone satisfied with the present activity of the city to prevent further damage?

Anonymous said...

Illegal immigrants don't pay taxes and don't pay into social security! Because they aren't on a payroll! The business owner who hires as such is ripping us U.S. citizens off! Furthermore, a couple years ago it was said that one business owner who owns a landscaping business got into some trouble with employees of his not being citizens! And low and behold the business owner went back to his same own tactics! Recently heard one landscaping business in this area bought a Princeton landscaping business. If landscaping business owners and other business owners would run a legal business and hire the unemployed U.S. Citizens our unemployment in the area wouldn't be so high! My opinion is that the city need not hire a landscaping business, the city workers should get off their cushioned seats and grab a shovel, bend over, Plant a bush and flowers, throw some mulch down! And then maintain it!!!!. Not hard to design simple landscaping!

Anonymous said...

To 10:07, You are very informed and you obviously understand the importance of quality engineering that has the interest of only "one" entity at heart when making recommendations to our elected officials, that is the interest of the city and citizens of Peru. Currently we are lacking an independent engineer and from what I'm hearing our elceted officials intend to keep it that way. Word has it that our
"infrastructurally challenged" public works committee chairman Waldorf has let it slip at the barbershop to a number of customers that "he" intends to appoint a Mike Perry as City Engineer later this year. I was just wondering if that is the same Mike Perry that is currently employed at Chamlin & Associates in Peru, IL.
If so, is that not a conflict of interest? Not to mention another huge embarrassment to the citizens of Peru by a city council that seems to hold the interests of certain companies as more important than the interests of the citizens of Peru.
Hmmmmmm. Who elected these mopes?

Peru Town Forum said...

11:19 Am

I have had similar conversations with friends and family and the conclusion is always the same as yours. Sounds like you are one of the majority who did not vote them in and neither did I or anyone I call a friend.

Anonymous said...

Jeff Whittington , parttime city grass cutting employ , 25,000 a year !!!!!! Bleck's buddy ! X-dot foreman !! Retired !! Theirs your tax money peru at work . No high school or collage kids this year .

Anonymous said...

anyone that spends money in this country pays taxes. The income tax is probably smallest amount for most Americans. Every penny you spend not only has a sales tax on it, but the actual cost of the goods is raised in order to pay for corporate income tax, the business portion of the social security tax, unemployment insurance tax. If you think a business takes all of this out of the profit you should think again - they just add it to the cost of goods and make us pay for it. So yes - even illegal aliens pay a huge amount of tax.
As far as having unemployed people cut grass - good luck. Americans are fat and lazy. The unemployed wont do it as long as they can get money for nothing. Take away the 99 weeks of unemployment payments and maybe they could be hired. Until then they just wont do it.

Anonymous said...

6:22AM AND 12;45PM THANK YOU!!! It is great to read comments from people who really see reality. I have always seen that the biggest mouths, troublemakers, and complainers are the most lazy know-nothings of the human race! I am happy for the people who want to work especially when they show up the loudmouths who are bitching because it isn't a UNION JOB!