Rhino’s Ramblings - This And That At The City
By Robert Thomas - Opinion/Commentary
This past week saw Council deal with several big issues in an atmosphere that seemed at times they didn’t know what they were doing and the final outcomes were pre-planned.
Here are tidbits from Council as well as other things going on around town with the City of Moose Jaw.
New Bus Funds With Loss Of Parking Meters
Council was able to safely move $50,000 from a reserve account set aside for a coin machine.
Something they are not going to need with the extinction of the coin operated parking meter.
It all sounds logical until you see the bus vote was first in the meeting and the decision to eliminate meters wasn’t until later.
What would have Council and Administration done if the decision had been made later in the meeting to retain parking meters?
Or was the conclusion forgone?
The Pilot Program That Made Sense
During the discussion about moving to a $200,000 parking App Mayor James Murdock made a suggestion to start a pilot project where money from the 179 remaining coin operated parking meters be collected daily between 3:30 pm and 5 pm until the end of summer.
The idea was if the meters were empty there would be less of an incentive for the thieves and vandals to target them.
It makes a lot of sense to me.
It’s something Director of Operations Bevan Harlton said that there would be no pushback from Administration about.
Unfortunately there seemed to be no support from Council for the pilot project.
When asked later when the App would be set up and then by inference the coin operated parking meters no longer necessary Harlton replied August.
The meters should be out of service a few weeks shy of the end of the pilot project suggested by the Mayor.
That is unless the vandals and thieves are enticed to wreck them as money will remain in them overnight until they are eliminated one way or another.
The Great Flooring Boondoggle
Council had to approve additional funding for the deck flooring replacement at the Temple Gardens Centre to a tune of almost $307,000.
The funding is necessary as the temporary flooring to cover ice surfaces purchased in 2011 has seen its better days despite a 20 year life span.
It all seems simple that is until Council - through their own questioning - started asking why the new decking was needed.
The thing the questioning raised wasn’t about $6,000 as Councillor Patrick Boyle stated but rather that Council had approved a $300,000 expenditure at budget time with what seems to be by appearance sake no idea what for.
Council was simply told the large expenditure was necessary and went with that - no questions asked it seems.
And that’s the problem.
Why weren’t those questions asked and answered months ago?
How many other budget items - whether big or large - did Council simply rubber stamp without any questions simply because they were asked?
The expenditure for the decking in this train of thought isn’t the concern it’s the seeming complete lack of asking questions and getting the answers at budget time is.
How many other items were simply rubber stamped without Council’s due diligence at budget time is the concern.
In this writer’s opinion it sort of turns the claims about Council sharpening their pencils at budget time into a myth.
Trash Talking
Were you having problems getting your trash picked up this past week?
We’re hearing you are not alone.
According to our sources all four of the City’s automated garbage trucks are broken down right now.
We are also hearing the City is looking at bringing in a private contractor over the short term to get the trash moving once again.
We’ll hopefully be able to fill you in next week.
Additionally when will this end up in Council for funds and will the right questions be asked?
Dirty Chief Robert?????
We’ve been hearing about the spotting of Moose Jaw Police Service Chief Robert Davis and other officers out walking the beat downtown.
Yes you read that correctly the Chief of Police has been joining other officers to walk the beat downtown.
Officers have been out walking the beat downtown over the last couple of weeks which has plenty of support from the citizenry.
It’s a move that’s drawn applause from onlookers who have seen the Chief and other officers out in what is described as more than a public relation’s stunt.
Word is Chief Davis is wearing his service pistol but has yet to come across any parking meter thieves or vandals just the appreciation of those downtown.
By best accounts no coin operated parking meter thieves and vandals were brazen enough to make the Chief’s day.