Editorial by Matt Marquardt –
This mayor, council and administrator continue to ignore the real problems in Mason City and make new ones, and people are taking notice.
Case in point, the move to privatize the city’s sanitation department and the revelation that more departments will face the same scrutiny. As NIT has written for months, the morale at City Hall is at all-time lows, and the evidence is piling up as to why. Everyone’s job is on the line; the old ways are no longer good enough. Mayor Bookmeyer has made it clear he knows better than all his predecessors and he has set out to implement his 21st century dogmas; we, his subjects, are lazy and do not work hard enough. We are not “lean” enough. Bookmeyer has determined that only through the pursuit of a bottom line and a profit can the city reach its peak potential. City workers are feeding at the trough and they need to go, one at a time or now, perhaps, a department at a time.
(PHOTO: Council members Travis Hickey and Alex Kuhn listen to City Administrator Brent Trout describe plans to possibly privatize one or more city departments. Kuhn was the lone dissenter and wanted no part of it.)
Bookmeyer sits at the meetings, mostly quiet, but behind the scenes conducts Brent Trout to set about on this mission; he has his council in place, perhaps five out of six sold on the idea. Their mission is to downsize City Hall and hire what amounts to a hodge-podge Haliburton to take over. Those of you in the know remember the U.S military followed this same plan in the second Iraqi war. Duties once performed by military were farmed out to private companies like Haliburton. That’s why it cost the military astronomical sums to wash loads of clothes or deliver fuel from Kuwait to the battlefield; the private sector was in control, and they could charge whatever they wanted. The taxpayers didn’t find out until later that we got screwed.
Now, you and I face this same transformation here in Mason City. After sanitation falls, which department is next? The MCPD? Has the mayor already instructed Brent Trout to call Blackwater for a bid?
I call this “dogma” fewer services for fewer people for fewer dollars. Even as our city pool sat empty this glorious weekend, hot temps and hot tempers flaring, Central Park and the Cultural Crescent were primped and primed for the Mercedes and Infinity drivers; their playground was immaculate. The city’s restless youth took to the streets with reckless abandon; they had our brave law enforcement officers on their heels at times, reaching for gas and smoke canisters, sometimes desperately calling all over the area for backup as brawls erupted all over the Music Man’s favorite park. Mr. Toot might have dropped his trombone and ran had he been there.
Our Mayor and Council were not to be seen nor heard. Where were they? Why have they swept this under the rug? Will this calamity ever be addressed, explained to the public? Is running a city only about dollars and cents, or is it also about serving all the citizens, the youth included? Why is the focus on ignoring the many to please the few?
(PHOTO: Councilman Scott Tornquist told the sanitation workers that they should embrace the request for proposals process as their jobs are on the line.)
This Mayor and Council need to step away from the accounting ledger for two minutes and look around. The police are down several officers; the morale at the fire department is sinking. These are our sworn protectors. The youth of the city, many abandoned by their parents to one extent or another, are never given a second thought by city leaders, but yet, they live here too. They are becoming more bold; they have disdain for law enforcement and some of them are becoming vicious. This city will devolve into pandemonium if City Hall, law enforcement, parents and volunteers do not get their act together and start addressing this forgotten segment of the population. This is a problem with no bottom line, no red ribbon to be cut; it is not confined to a blue zone. It may be impossible for our leaders to grasp this issue, but they must. The creative thinking may not exist at the council table, but something must be done. The foundation of the city is crumbling even as its core gleams in golden light when the sun sets.
Citizens, councilors, mayor, parents, volunteers, take notice and do something.
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VIDEO:
Watch the Mason City Council, Mayor Eric Bookmeyer and City Administrator Brent Trout discuss the privatization of of the sanitation department and the possibility of more to come. 55 minutes.
Peter L:
I stand by my Item 4, as it has been proven over and over again to improve lives within a community. To help people become more productive, and better members of the community. This is why it is so important that organizations such as United Way must focus on such amenities in a community, and restructure to avail the most dollars collected, go to such entities that support mental health, and other basic functions.
As for your demands, I will suggest you have already tried the case in the court of public opinion. So much has been said, that it will work against you in civil court. Sorry old sock, but if you were at one time serious about litigation, the best thing you could have done is to remain silent. Anything said could be used against you in a court of law.
Reggie wins the White Carnation. It is about perception. When we want others to invest their money and time in our community, we have to show we are worth it.
Look at where communities are growing, examine what they have, then plant the seed here.
It you want to do something quickly that will have some impact, get behind the lowering of property taxes on commercial as well as residential. Commercial is now 100 percent of assessed value while residential is close to 50 (I’m not sure of the exact number). This would help to free up capital for business. Residential, those numbers (50 percent) are hitting our senior citizens (hard) and caused many to condsider moving elsewhere…if they haven’t already.
We, here in Florida, for instance, paid $318.00 property taxes this year, down from $380.00 last year…and the law is your taxes cannot be raised more than 3 percent per year.
Matt you say “something must be done” but you don’t give any suggestions.You throw the names haliburton and blackwater out as red meat. You say morale at city hall is at a all time low.Morale,because of the economy,around the country is low.Why don’t you give us 10 specific things that you would do if you were in charge to bring taxes down, involve young people in the community, bring in jobs, keep the jobs we have ,clean up the north end and balance the city budget.You might want to consult with watchdog because he said he knew how to do it.I really would like to hear your ideas.
EJ…I’m jealous of your command of the English language….i.e. “…how Mason is ran.” and youre rather than the correct you’re and of course the simple word, don’t rather thantheone you use dont.
After reading your intelligent response it’s no wonder the city is loaded with “cripples” from the city council on up.
Large item pick up in Mason City is Friday and Monday. I’m sure that’s a back breaker of a day for our sanitation workers. Again, a service that we could lose with a private company. And all of you that are complaining about how many hours these men work……I’d like to see anyone of you take on this task. It’s hard manual labor, back breaking work. We are very fortunate to have these 12 men take care of our trash. So they are salaried, so what? So are the big suits in city hall and they sit behind their cushy desks and complain that their working conditions are so terrible and we need to remodel city hall. I challenge Bookmeyer, Trout, and all the council to get off their butts and go out with the 12 men and pick up trash. Maybe then they will see how hard they work, be appreciative of the services, and put this issue to an end. There you go Alex, you rode along with the police, how about riding along with the sanitation crew? One last comment….. It’s too bad that someone can’t take out the trash at city hall!
EMANRESU and ANONYMOUS…my advise to you two is run, don’t walk, and put Mason City in your rear view mirror, just as we did. In our case we put more than 1,600 miles between us and that one horse town and its all-impotent so-called leaders and department heads.
You two are wise beyond your years and could put that to better use in a differing environment. As an example, we now live in a 160,000 population city and a county of more that 700,000, yet the City Manager makes only $140,000 and the County Manager even less. Your Trout, with benefits, exceeds $140,000. Stangler $100,000, Berrglan(?) $80,000, City Engineer nearly $80,000…and those salaries, to name a few, do not include benefits…i.e. $800.00 for health care (per month) ipers, etc. etc.
And those benefits are not taxed!!!
I think from time to time the city needs to look at what they are doing and see if they are providing a good service at a good cost. I do hope that they can do this fairly and evenly ( apples to apples ). Do I beleive this will be done, no, not with this mayor and administrator. If they want to look at depts and go lean then lets look at ALL DEPTS AND THAT INCLUDES MANAGEMENT. If they want to be lean then lets “lean” on management as well, it needs to start at the top. Has anyone seen what Brent Trout makes, are we really getting what we are paying for? NO, not when he’s hiring others to make his decisions for him for one. Lets look at the city engineer who on numerous jobs has been off with his estimates and calculations and that costs you and I money that didn’t need to be. For what he gets paid thats not lean. What about the O & M manager, from what I’ve been told he doesn’t really make any big decisions any more without being told what to say or do from uptown. Is he really needed, at what he gets paid, if he is making no real decisions? From what I have heard the sanitation super has a pretty good gig for what he is making as well. These are just a few members of management with in the city that need to be looked at as well. Like I said before looking at yourself from time to time is a good thing but you need to look at the whole package starting from the top. P.S. wages and info is all of public record
UNIONS … biggest downfall! Not only government workers, but look at the faltering education system as well. Unions do nothing but destroy and drive jobs out of the country and have ruined our education system !!!!! City employees should pay at least half of their healthcare premiums with a higher deductible.
The garbage dept is definately over staffed if they only have to work a 6 hour day and yet reap all the benefits of a full time worker! I too have seen city employees on location with one person doing the work while 5 or more watch ! WTF ? And then there is the snow removal program…why does a snowplow need to clear the same street 5or6 times after a snowfall? It is just to drive up overtime pay….Bullsh*t !
GET REAL…Nope, don’t even live anywhere close to your “crap” city…but spent more than 15 years there and had more than enough of local government and “some” of its so-called workers to last a lifetime.
You, obviously know nothing about the workings of the city…and are like a majorty of those on the left, gimme, gimme. I did work in newspaper for more than 30 years and know a story when I see it…unlike yourself who, apparently, needs to be spoon fed.
Why not just crawl back in your hole and leave this blog to people with intelligence!!!
Once more, to all you 9-dollar-hollars out there: the city has yet to prove their *actual* cost for providing this service. Once they do that, you can rightfully say that $9 is cheap. But until then, and until we know how each dollar is collected and spent, it’s all theory. And if it does indeed end up being valid, it’s a great deal and it should be left alone. If it’s invalid, a second look at competition is worthwhile.
If it’s not broke, leave it alone… LEAVE IT ALONE!!!