This blog is maintained for the sole purpose of allowing the people of Peru and those interested in the cities of the Illinois Valley to express their views.
“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
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
A Snippet of Interest From the Public Property Mtg of Feb. 13, 2012
I don't understand why bidding high means you don't want the job? Typically companies bid to their strength. I am not sure, but I think TEST is strongest in running a water treatment operation, and not as strong in analytical testing.
They collect samples and provide trained labor, monitor and keep a treatment plant going. In many cities , water treatment operators are not as experienced or professional, so TEST gets the maintenance contracts.
Groundwater analysis is a trickier protocol, especially if they had to come up with a sample grid and test outside of their normal protocol. Some labs have ro send out for certain tests they can't do internally, which raises their costs.
I guess I just don't know what you are getting at with this one isolated bid for analytical work?
This is completely off topic, but what's this I am hearing about Doug B.? There is limited info being reported by our local news agencies... SHOCKING! Being that he is Harl's buddy I find this extremely interesting. Remember the saying... "You are who your friends are."
Peru needs to start thinking about next summer’s city sponsored fun events. When are we going to start planning the fireworks? What bands are we going to get? It’s going to be election time again and we need to have some big events at the parks. Since we shut down the bike path idea, that means we have about $200,000 to spend on events next summer. Let’s do something good like a weeklong “Taste of Peru.” The city’s best restaurants can set up tents and sell food and drinks. The city can provide the tents and water, bands, and, other stuff and the restaurants can sell food and drinks. We could put a beer garden and a children’s petting zoo in Centennial Park all summer long. The parents can drop their kids off on one end of the park and let them watch the chickens, goats, sheep, and cows and wait for them in the beer garden tent. Since the shopper bus is not being used to bring old people grocery shopping anymore, we can use it to bring people on bar runs during the summer. Maybe team up with LaSalle since the better bars are in LaSalle. I almost forgot, the World Pickle Ball Association is looking for a place to have their Midwest Sectional Tournament.
Lois, TEST desperately wanted to keep that landfill sampling job. Don't think for a second they didn't want to keep that free money rolling in. That bid in 2012 exposed TEST for what they are, a spoiled child who has been handed everything instead of earning it. I recall a report on this blog at the time that revealed that TEST had actually been doing nothing more than collecting those samples and shipping them all the way to Texas and Ohio to be analyzed by other laboratories because the TEST lab is limited in there ability to analyze a wide range of contaminants. Couldn't the city have just collected the samples and sent them out of state themselves? They were paying TEST 45,000 a year to sub the work to other labs. Pretty good scam.
Does anybody care about clean consistent water? A local company in Peru. A company that employs local people, pays local taxes and reinvests in our community. Hiring more city employees is not the way to go.
9:58. Yes, it's nice that TEST is a Peru company. However, without bidding, we have no idea if TEST is providing their services at a fair price. Do you comparison shop? I do, and it's the same concept. I watch my money when I make a purchase by making comparisons, and I expect the aldermen to do the same with my tax money.
10:02 10:56 here. No, I am not. And I don't think my employment status is relevant anyway.
I still don't understand what the evil implication are , that's all. Every lab has strengths and weakness. I wanted to hear why people thought TEST intentionally passed on the bid only because they were highest, that's all.
If you did not want the job, I would think you would just put in a no bid. Many labs sub out work. It is not exposing them for anything other than the fact they can't do it as cheaply as others, which is why I support making them go through a full bid process for the city contract.
To 9:58, Nobody is suggesting the city undertake the operations that TEST currently provides. That would take considerable time, training and hiring. The comparisons that Waldorf so poorly described on Monday evening were fudged numbers of what it would cost the city to hire about six people and all salary and benefits etc. compared to the price that we currently pay TEST. It was not apples to apples. It was infalted numbers to distract the public from the only valid question her. Do we test the open market to see if we can save money by allowing other companies to compete for the services that TEST currently provides? Of course the answer is yes. Don't be distracted by the pile of waste that Waldorf spewed last Monday. Think of it this way. What topic did Waldorf avoid completely in his poorly rehearsed commercial for TEST, Inc? He said absolutely nothing on the topic of competitive bidding. Nothing!
sounds like the council n harl likes spending our tax money for their buddys ! i know a few buddys of bleck that got their jobs that way . god only knows whats next for peru ????
How come Debo employs the same guy to works with him in his private business as so does he employ the same guy to work for the township? Did things get better or stay the same?
Where has the idea that if TEST is not awarded the contract that more city employees would have to be hired? The issue is that at a sum of $20K and above the city should be advertising for bids to be submitted. TEST as every other firm which wants to submit bids should have that freedom. Because TEST has not had to bid against the bids of others does not make it right. In fact it is wrong. Ridiculous how the city attorney all of a sudden comes up with SUPER MAJORITY which he has never presented to the council before Monday night with all the discussion that has occurred in the last year over the laws of open bidding. Does he or someone that he represents have money invested with TEST? It has come time for Peru to get a second opinion on legal matters such as Super Majority and Home Rule and its legality in a town of 10,300 in population.
When it comes to testing the landfill, why doesn't TEST report that the test holes (a whole bunch) do NOT meet standards? Just curious -- this is what I was told. Should the EPA be notified?
You will see what kind of quality individuals we elect around here. I got a dollar that says that if he tries, he will be re-elected by a landslide the next time he is up.
Let's not forget that 5 years ago our current mayor was taking office for the first time and one of his supposed reasons for running was the very fact that Test had just received a 5 year contract without a bidding process. He had campaigned that this upset him greatly and that it was wrong, wrong, wrong! Funny how things change with time isn't it?
Wow, just read the IDFPR about Biederstedt. His license to appraise has been "placed in refuse to renwe status." That's a definite crime and NT news worthy which must be why it hasn't been covered.
Anon 10:03 If it is not up to the Mayor why did he use this as a issue to campaign on and than not do anything about it?
If it is up to the council why hasn't the Mayor addressed the council expressing his own reasoning on awarding or NOT awarding TEST a long term no bid contract? The Mayor is in a leadership role.
The Mayors position is not a simple Sit Scottie, Speak Scottie, Fetch Scottie, Good boy Scottie heres' a biscuit!
re 11:42 it's working out great for his daddy - saw his worker out patching a road with about 40 bags of driveway patch instead of going to a batch plant and buying a small load of blacktop. wonder what that is costing the township!
TEST contract is well over $20k it is to the tune of $44k A MONTH - and yes lots of TEST's samples are sent out to another lab in Chicago - if they can't handle the work load get out of the business!!!!
1:46 No I do not work for TEST.I asked a simple question. I still don't understand why bidding high on one bid means that they did not want the bid. That is what Lois implied, saying we all must draw our own conclusions as to why Test did not want this bid.
I support this contract going out for bid. I just don't see how these two things are connected. It is like people are getting mad at a business for bidding high.
They get punished by losing the business. You can't punish a lab for subbing out work that they are nit geared to do. Some of people are just vindictive idiots against everything.
29 comments:
I guess we will all draw our own conclusions as to why TEST did not want this job.
I don't understand why bidding high means you don't want the job? Typically companies bid to their strength. I am not sure, but I think TEST is strongest in running a water treatment operation, and not as strong in analytical testing.
They collect samples and provide trained labor, monitor and keep a treatment plant going. In many cities , water treatment operators are not as experienced or professional, so TEST gets the maintenance contracts.
Groundwater analysis is a trickier protocol, especially if they had to come up with a sample grid and test outside of their normal protocol. Some labs have ro send out for certain tests they can't do internally, which raises their costs.
I guess I just don't know what you are getting at with this one isolated bid for analytical work?
This is completely off topic, but what's this I am hearing about Doug B.? There is limited info being reported by our local news agencies... SHOCKING! Being that he is Harl's buddy I find this extremely interesting. Remember the saying... "You are who your friends are."
Peru needs to start thinking about next summer’s city sponsored fun events. When are we going to start planning the fireworks? What bands are we going to get? It’s going to be election time again and we need to have some big events at the parks. Since we shut down the bike path idea, that means we have about $200,000 to spend on events next summer. Let’s do something good like a weeklong “Taste of Peru.” The city’s best restaurants can set up tents and sell food and drinks. The city can provide the tents and water, bands, and, other stuff and the restaurants can sell food and drinks. We could put a beer garden and a children’s petting zoo in Centennial Park all summer long. The parents can drop their kids off on one end of the park and let them watch the chickens, goats, sheep, and cows and wait for them in the beer garden tent. Since the shopper bus is not being used to bring old people grocery shopping anymore, we can use it to bring people on bar runs during the summer. Maybe team up with LaSalle since the better bars are in LaSalle. I almost forgot, the World Pickle Ball Association is looking for a place to have their Midwest Sectional Tournament.
Did they not want it or did they bid too high?
Lois, TEST desperately wanted to keep that landfill sampling job. Don't think for a second they didn't want to keep that free money rolling in. That bid in 2012 exposed TEST for what they are, a spoiled child who has been handed everything instead of earning it.
I recall a report on this blog at the time that revealed that TEST had actually been doing nothing more than collecting those samples and shipping them all the way to Texas and Ohio to be analyzed by other laboratories because the TEST lab is limited in there ability to analyze a wide range of contaminants. Couldn't the city have just collected the samples and sent them out of state themselves? They were paying TEST 45,000 a year to sub the work to other labs. Pretty good scam.
Does anybody care about clean consistent water? A local company in Peru. A company that employs local people, pays local taxes and reinvests in our community. Hiring more city employees is not the way to go.
10:56 are you looking for another job?
9:58. Yes, it's nice that TEST is a Peru company. However, without bidding, we have no idea if TEST is providing their services at a fair price. Do you comparison shop? I do, and it's the same concept. I watch my money when I make a purchase by making comparisons, and I expect the aldermen to do the same with my tax money.
10:02
10:56 here. No, I am not. And I don't think my employment status is relevant anyway.
I still don't understand what the evil implication are , that's all. Every lab has strengths and weakness. I wanted to hear why people thought TEST intentionally passed on the bid only because they were highest, that's all.
If you did not want the job, I would think you would just put in a no bid. Many labs sub out work. It is not exposing them for anything other than the fact they can't do it as cheaply as others, which is why I support making them go through a full bid process for the city contract.
To 9:58, Nobody is suggesting the city undertake the operations that TEST currently provides. That would take considerable time, training and hiring. The comparisons that Waldorf so poorly described on Monday evening were fudged numbers of what it would cost the city to hire about six people and all salary and benefits etc. compared to the price that we currently pay TEST. It was not apples to apples. It was infalted numbers to distract the public from the only valid question her.
Do we test the open market to see if we can save money by allowing other companies to compete for the services that TEST currently provides?
Of course the answer is yes.
Don't be distracted by the pile of waste that Waldorf spewed last Monday.
Think of it this way. What topic did Waldorf avoid completely in his poorly rehearsed commercial for TEST, Inc? He said absolutely nothing on the topic of competitive bidding. Nothing!
sounds like the council n harl likes spending our tax money for their buddys ! i know a few buddys of bleck that got their jobs that way . god only knows whats next for peru ????
How come Debo employs the same guy to works with him in his private business as so does he employ the same guy to work for the township?
Did things get better or stay the same?
Where has the idea that if TEST is not awarded the contract that more city employees would have to be hired?
The issue is that at a sum of $20K and above the city should be advertising for bids to be submitted.
TEST as every other firm which wants to submit bids should have that freedom. Because TEST has not had to bid against the bids of others does not make it right. In fact it is wrong.
Ridiculous how the city attorney all of a sudden comes up with SUPER MAJORITY which he has never presented to the council before Monday night with all the discussion that has occurred in the last year over the laws of open bidding. Does he or someone that he represents have money invested with TEST?
It has come time for Peru to get a second opinion on legal matters such as Super Majority and Home Rule and its legality in a town of 10,300 in population.
When it comes to testing the landfill, why doesn't TEST report that the test holes (a whole bunch) do NOT meet standards? Just curious -- this is what I was told. Should the EPA be notified?
11:23 PM, August 21, 2013 -
Look here:
http://www.idfpr.com/Forms/DISCPLN/2013_06dis.pdf
Scroll down to "Appraiser"
You will see what kind of quality individuals we elect around here. I got a dollar that says that if he tries, he will be re-elected by a landslide the next time he is up.
Let's not forget that 5 years ago our current mayor was taking office for the first time and one of his supposed reasons for running was the very fact that Test had just received a 5 year contract without a bidding process. He had campaigned that this upset him greatly and that it was wrong, wrong, wrong! Funny how things change with time isn't it?
636-it isn't up to the mayor, it is up to the council
The appraiser committed fraud and should be prosecuted.
How can the appraiser commit fraud and not be charged with a crime? How can this information not be in the News Tribune?
Wow, just read the IDFPR about Biederstedt. His license to appraise has been "placed in refuse to renwe status." That's a definite crime and NT news worthy which must be why it hasn't been covered.
Anon 10:03 If it is not up to the Mayor why did he use this as a issue to campaign on and than not do anything about it?
If it is up to the council why hasn't the Mayor addressed the council expressing his own reasoning on awarding or NOT awarding TEST a long term no bid contract? The Mayor is in a leadership role.
The Mayors position is not a simple Sit Scottie, Speak Scottie, Fetch Scottie, Good boy Scottie heres' a biscuit!
Remember the mayor closed the pool even though all 8 aldermen voted to keep it open.
re 11:42
it's working out great for his daddy - saw his worker out patching a road with about 40 bags of driveway patch instead of going to a batch plant and buying a small load of blacktop. wonder what that is costing the township!
government should privatize many of its services like road patch and water testing. why have all those employee costs?
325 his daddy thought him one thing. Don't break the law. Jr you know what I mean!
TEST contract is well over $20k it is to the tune of $44k A MONTH - and yes lots of TEST's samples are sent out to another lab in Chicago - if they can't handle the work load get out of the business!!!!
Anon 10:56
You must work for TEST
1:46 No I do not work for TEST.I asked a simple question. I still don't understand why bidding high on one bid means that they did not want the bid. That is what Lois implied, saying we all must draw our own conclusions as to why Test did not want this bid.
I support this contract going out for bid. I just don't see how these two things are connected. It is like people are getting mad at a business for bidding high.
They get punished by losing the business. You can't punish a lab for subbing out work that they are nit geared to do. Some of people are just vindictive idiots against everything.
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