La Salle hires new city engineer « Classics Hits 103.9 WLPO<p>
If you have been wondering as I have about the city engineer status in La Salle, this is your answer.
The next question is, When will Peru get back on track and look to hire a city civil engineer? Or will being caught once keep this on the back burner?
27 comments:
It is amazing how quickly some cities can get things done. I also checked with on the state board of elections web page for Mayor Grove's campaign finance disclsosures. Guess what? He has never filed one. That means his campaign has recieved less than $3,000 in donations and he has spent less than $3,000. Makes you wonder, dosen't it?
Have you noticed that Chamlin is advertising for not one but 2 Engineering positions in the N-T classified ads?
So Harl, Chamlin, and the Public Worst Committee have managed to run Sean Mikos out of town and Chamlin is wasting no time hiring its own people to fill that void to get the old "Gravy Train" back on track. How convenient!
This situation is so predictable it should be embarrasssing. But sadly, our elected officials have no shame when it comes to funneling our tax dollars to politically connected local companies. Local economies are floundering and for some reason Peru loses a City Engineer and Chamlin is about to gain two.
Can anybody tell me why our aldermen and mayor are more interested in the bottom line and profit margin of TEST and Chamlin then they are the financial interests of Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Public? Why the hell do you people keep electing people who continue to spit in your faces?
In the decision to hire a city civil engineer in Peru certain considerations must be confronted.
#1 is who are the principal parties involved - Mayor, public works committee and a private consulting engineering firm.
#2 is what works better for these principal parties - to hire a city civil engineer or to once again proceed as Peru has done for the prior 70 years. A spoon fed method which worked well for all principal parties and traditionally accepted by most.
#3 to possibly hire another young, wiper snapper who has all these bright ideas and questions old, improper and poor business decisions which lead to quite a bit more than everyday political embarrassment.
#4 to leave the problem lie on the back burner until all is forgotten and invest in the sure thing for the principle parties no matter what effect it has upon the city which is to hire a representative of the consulting engineering firm who has a proven history of providing what the principle parties themselves need and everything pretty much resumes and carries on as it has for the last 70 years except for August through December of 2013.
#5 the last and most important consideration of all is how to manage this problem with a upcoming referendum vote which will be a initial step in updating and modernizing a current outdated system. This vote would definitely change some faces in the council chambers.
Why always concerned about La Salle? Peru saving 87k a year right now.
9:33, how about the spending of $84k a year on Harls appointed position recently. Real math please?
9:33 - no we are not. We are probably spending an extra $150K.
Why not charge TEST for the cost of hiring a new city engineer..they are the ones making all the money off the city anyway.....
No matter what the city does some of you will find fault. The real story here is that public works has never been run more effectively and or any better from a financial standpoint. For those of us that pay taxes here in Peru we say thank you to the workers the bosses and the mayor and alderman. Keep doing the right thing and don't worry about the trouble makers.
12:27 If what you say is true then why weren't these changes made years ago and save the tax payers money that you now seem to indicate was wasted in the past??? Why didn't the workers, the bosses, and the mayor and the aldermen do the right thing years ago??? The "trouble makers" (as you call them) don't have the power to do anything except voice their concerns.
Anon 9:33AM Your claim is that Peru is saving $87K/year by not having the position of SPW/City Engineer filled. FALSE
Previously the SPW position alone paid well over $90K/year and Chamlin Engineering was always in the high $100K's by years end. TRUE
With the city's hiring of their own city engineer Chamlins "Big Bite into the Budget" was to take a significant drop. TRUE
From all appearances it is evident that your savings of $87K/yr is costing Peru taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. TRUE
This is a significant amount of money to Silver Spoon feed political representation . TRUE
@12:27 You really can't be this brainwashed!
I am curious if Chamlin's figures are "true" in the annual treasurer's report? The city use to "hold" Chamlin bills until a grant or funding source was approved. Did the treasurer report only for bills paid or services incurred? Also I wonder if Chamlin is ever paid directly from a grant source and not from the City? If NCICG is "monitoring" a grant; are contractors paid from the grant or the City?
I agree that most of the people look for the negatives vs the positive. Live in the past is unhealthy. If you cared about peru you would move forward not backwards but then you would not have much fun.very sad. Vote no and keep moving forward.
Sorry off topic. I see that the spring valley fire department is having its 2nd annual smoker at spring valley boat club March 1st. I use to see signs for Perus fire department having one. Do they have one?
3:09 PM
Do you realize your comment makes no sense. I agree move forward is the way to go but keeping our present form of government is backward. Vote yes to change the structure and by doing so increase the interest in our government and bring new, intelligent people into the system.Keeping it as is is living in the past.
So when someone does not agree with you they don't make sense. Well you do own the blog. You are the genius. You love peru you are smarter than the rest of us. Still voting no and so is everyone else I know.a yes vote empowers those with an agenda. IMO.
6:16 PM
I said you comment made no sense and I explained why. What's the matter are you an alderman or friend of or family member? I was polite and you came back as a smart a>>.
I have no agenda other than to see Peru do much better than it has the last 5 years. I want it to be a community where people want to move to and stay here and it is not that now. I want to have a government that cares about what people think and give them the time of day which it does not now.
No aldermen should hold it against any citizen because they disagree with them and they do now. Civil discourse would be a pleasant change in this city.
@6:16 Your comment is totally uncalled for. It makes no sense. Because of your comment and that you admit to being a present alderman, friend or family member you have swayed my vote in favor of 6 aldermen rather than 8. Most like myself are voting for a council with less weight and more backbone.
There are 2 engineers at chamlin that are nearing retirement. Ad for replacement?
I heard the city has cut number of emplyees by over one million dollars in last few years. If true that is pretty good. Low taxes great roads and good city services. Way to go mayor and all aldermen. Keep up the good work. I will also be voting no.
Moving forward in Peru will be possible only by removing a majority of the current aldermen. This fact is indisputable.
The current Gang of 7 has demonstrated an ability to do only ONE thing. That is, maintain the "Status Quo" of enabling Chamlin, TEST, and other connected business interests in Peru to run the city. All you have to do is open your eyes people. Have you ever heard any current alderman, other than Perez, ever suggest or provide a new initiative to improve this city? Ever? No you have not! Consider Rodney Perez's suggestion last year for the city to establish a comprehensive "PLAN" for our future. The other aldermen and mayor could not even comprehend the idea of proceeding with something that is absolutely "basic" for any city that hopes to improve itself.
These people are not leaders. In fact, by their very behavior they are actually "inhibiting" the progress of Peru. That is why any effort to encourage new people to run for office can only be a good thing. The more competition the better chance to elect people that will work for the interests of the people instead of the interests of the influential companies and individuals that pull the strings and manipulate our current aldermen and mayor.
Bring on that referendum for my YES vote. Yaaaaaaa!
9:03 Great roads?? Where do you live??
Anon 9:03 AM Great taxes - the result of building the retail section of Peru which took place before any of the city representation was in office besides Alderman Dave Potthoff. There has been very little building in Peru for the last number of years.
Great roads - Peru roads are not great although they should be. Present council, although being told by Chamlin Engineering that straight line road work will save over 30% of the costs continues to demand that all road improvement is foolishly jockeyed all over the city.
In the last five years city representation offered city employees early retirements and claimed it was a win win situation not realizing that it is only a win win situation if you do not replace the retiree. Peru replaced the retirees. Now you pay one person retirement and another person on the job. A savings of a million dollars is at best another form of Peru creative accounting.
Has anyone ever seen the costs of summer help in the last number of years itemized? Summer help was in the low 30's when Peru had a pool, it jumped to 38 the 1st year the pool shut down and it was so hot there was no grass to cut. Last year summer help was in the 40's, still no pool and way to hot for grass to grow.
Remember the chain that was the Litmus Test for the Peru swimming pool time to get it back out and drag it over the city council chambers. Do you hear that hollow dragging noise.
Its time to vote for quality not quantity. One representative per ward and 2 at large are enough. My family is voting YES!
Anon 9:03 Along with the great roads and low taxes what did you think of those 14 huge chest thump'en signs made up by YOUR mayor and all councilmen taking full credit for what taxpayers paid for. Have you rode on Peoria Street lately? make sure your seat belt is tight. What was the cost of those signs?
Why is there a "washout" at almost every storm sewer grate north of Shooting Park Road ? Were these grates installed without any overseeing by the city or the engineering firm ? My neighborhood has been 'repaired" twice. All they do is put some blacktop in the hole and wait a year or two to return and do it again. I'm waiting for a major street collapse. Who checks on the contractors ?
Anon 6:29 Good questions. I believe you already know the answers. Why else would taxpayers be so tired of inefficiencies that they want the majority of the city council turned over and a Mayor with business knowledge and leadership skills.
To those who cannot attend council meetings take a hour and watch the city council video and you will see the need of a YES vote March 15.
Truthfully if a monkey ran for aldermen in the 1st or 3rd ward I'd vote for the monkey!
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