MASON CITY – Details are emerging in the wake of an incident that took place weeks ago that a source tells NIT “could have killed” a city employee as he worked at a North End dog park that is under construction.
Very little, if any, news coverage has been given to an incident that took place a number of weeks ago near the intersection of North Connecticut Avenue and 13th Street NE at an area that is being molded into a dog park.
According to a source, a city worker was recently at the southwest corner of the park area attempting to remove an old fence that was installed decades ago, when the area was home to a meat-packing plant. Trees and stumps had overgrown the fence, and the employee was using a front end loader with a chain attached to pull out a stump when the chain either snapped or broke free and then re-coiled. The chain “snapped back” and went through the windshield on the front end loader, striking the employee in the head. The chain then smashed through the rear windshield, the source said.
For that kind of job, the source said that city workers “normally use a backhoe to do this kind of work… the supervisor made the worker go forward with the front end loader.”
The worker was critically injured. His identity is being withheld for this story. The source told NIT that the man suffered a shattered eye socket which had to be reconstructed and bleeding on the brain in three places. The man was in critical care at Mercy Hospital for a number of days.
NIT was told that two city employees immediately came to Mercy Hospital Emergency Room within minutes of the incident and attempted to interview the man before his family “chased them off.” The employees who came to Mercy were Safety Director Barb Wood and a human resources assistant.
NIT was further told that OSHA is in the process of writing citations and one of the citations may state that “no competent individual” was at the work site. A lawsuit is also in the process of being filed. The injured worker has not returned to the job yet, and the source says that the man may never come back.
In addition, NIT was told that “a lot of part-time help” was at the dog park site when the incident took place.
The source said that “you would not believe how much city resources have gone into this park,” describing a “huge, huge amount of city manpower, resources and materials have gone into this” park, which was mainly supposed to be funded by donations. The city recently designated thousands of dollars for fencing to be installed at the park and city employees can be seen at the location working regularly.
There’s been a “mad rush” to get done with the park, the source said.
City Hall never released any information on the incident. NIT will continue to investigate and obtain more detailed information.
Ask any city employee they would be glad to tell you the truth. Just dont ask them their name they were told years ago not to say anything negative about their employer. They dont want the truth out there.
I’ve noticed that most of the blogs on here are about the pros and cons of the dog park and thats fine. I’d like to talk about what this story is really about, SOMEONE WAS ALMOST KILLED. I have talked to several of this mans co-workers and they all say the same thing, it didn’t need to happen. Without naming names the street dept. supervisor who was on the job when this happened was the biggest part of this incident. This man has a LONG history of on the job accidents, be it auto, equipment, and or personal, it equals into the thousands of dollars. He has a “my way or the highway attitude” and this time it just about cost a man his life. The safety director, and it sounds like I need to use that term loosely, is just as inept as the last party mentioned. The last time OSHA was in and fined the City, a little over a year ago, she found out what her responsibilities were really supposed to be and she cracked. She asked to resign and instead of letting her have her wish the City gave her a $6,000 a year raise and a part time assistant,which she already had. Is the City going to give this person an even bigger raise this time around for this fiasco? Now remember these are the things that I have been told to me by several different people and these people have no reason to lie. It should be easy to find out since it is all of public record. Could Matt do an interview with these people to find out what they have to say? Would you want go work for someone who apparently doesn’t have any regard for their employees safety or well being? Whould you send your husband, son, daughter or loved one back to a place that gives the ones responsible for hurting them a raise for NOT doing their job or just turns their heads the other way when they do something wrong? I think this is what the people need to be questioning on this story not wether or not “fifi” is going to get bitten by “fido”. Just saying…
Until someone that actually releases the correct information, hear say is just that and worse the story will continue to grow….
Are you saying that his co workers that were there when it happened are just spreading “gossip and rumors”? There is a reason that the City has not made anything official, that in itself would be admitting liability in this. Why do you think that they have not “released the correct information”? How could they answer for not taking corrective action years ago when the opportunity was giving many times? By the way, I remember reading about those OSHA fines from a year or so ago, they are of public record like was stated in that post. All you have to do is ask and you will find out as well. Do you find that the truth might be hard to swallow?
The Peter Principle is alive and well.
Has anyone ever found out who the worker is? And how he is doing?
The first time someone goes to the dog park and sees a Pit Bull it will be the end of dogs going to the park. I for one will not take my dog to the park if I see any. I have talked to many others that say the same. Has anyone addressed this issue if so please let me know your ideas. Please don’t be smart A** I really would like to no if this has been addressed anywhere.
@Anon-I would like to see a list of rules for people taking their dog to the dog park. Mason City has a leash law. Will that law be rescinded for those in the park? Is there, and if so, how much is the city’s liability of those using the park? I am sure that the city’s ghetto trash will be using it as a home away from home, just as they use the commons at the library. Using computers for hours on end, listening to music and dancing in their chairs like a bunch of jungle natives. Letting their kids run around bothering other people. And will the city have someone at the park to monitor behavior, both the owners and the dogs? I agree there should be a dog park. I just want to be sure that safety and liability have been integrated into planning and execution of it becoming a reality.
Dog Park Rules: http://m.globegazette.com/news/local/mason-city-dog-park-rules-approved/article_b120183c-1a7b-11e3-9fe6-0019bb2963f4.html?mobile_touch=true
@Katie-Thank you for the response. I looked over the rules. The only question I have now is, how are these rules going to be enforced? Is the city or some organization going to have a presence on site to monitor what goes on? Checking the animals vaccinations, making sure the owner cleans up the dogs mess, make sure aggressive dogs are removed, make sure there are no strollers or 8 year old children in the park. A question that needs an answer.
You are not the only person worried about this. Who is going to pay the vet bills and/or the medical bills? The owner of the dog that bites, the one that is bitten, or the City if they both refuse to pay? I think every owner should have proof of liability insurance! If not, then be prepared to pay your own potentially huge veterinary and medical bills if you go there because there will likely be a lot if turnips there.
I really believe the dog park will need cameras in all areas to witness what really goes on there. There should be no “what goes on at the dog park stays at the dog park” mentality. If excrement is not being picked up or rules are being broken, videos could be reviewed and people could be identified, fined, and banned. They could also DNA the dogs & feces like they do in NYC. If there is a dog fight, there could be an instant replay to reduce the amount of he said/she said lying. I doubt cameras will be installed, but the first time there is legal action, there will be an outcry for them. If there are cameras, people MIGHT be on their best behavior there. Maybe some wealthy dog lover will step up to the plate and donate a video system to the park to help ensure its safety and success.
@Katie-Was reading your response of 10/23/13 @8.56pm and started to get a chuckle out of scenarios you were describing when I just realized that some of those dogs could be valued at $500 to $1000+ for a pure bred and more with breeding rights. Also a dog bite could cost $1000’s with trip to the ER, trauma care (dog bites don’t just break skin, they destroy muscle, bone tissue, nerves, tendons etc.) and ancillary treatment which may be required. I think our city council would be wise to take your two posts and do a line item scan to be sure all their bases are covered.
Don’t worry because NIT will be there to get it ALL on video!
Just trying to expose Bookmeyer for the liar he is! Talk about abusing his position!
@50 miles south-Addressing your comment about the oath councilmen take about not saying anything negative against their city. If there is something wrong, it has to be fixed. To do that it has to be recognized and addressed. One cannot stick one’s head in the sand. One has to stand up and say, “This is wrong. This has to be fixed.” This is why we have the whistle blower law. This is why there are suggestion boxes. A prime example is bullying in schools. For years it was known, accepted, and ignored. And look at the damage is has caused.
50 miles wants to bully everyone’s mouths shut so that all our problems go on and on and on and on. So we can make the same mistakes while the same cronies enrich themselves and steal from the poor. The solution is for Matt to hit harder and harder.
And to lift up the rug to see what the city cronies are trying to hide.
Extremely poor taste. If you are a staffer at that facility you are a detriment and coukd possibly suffer state sanctions since this is probably an area of confidentially.
People-Life is not fair. Life is not kind. That kid may as well learn reality at age 7 because he will be experiencing it soon enough.
This is the type of post that should be removed but since it shines a bad light on the Mayor , I doubt that it will.
Is it really necessary to drag a 7-year old child’s problems into this discussion? Shame on you. Children are very sensitive at that age to having their personal issues discussed and you are an ahole for publicly humiliating a kid, even if you were aiming at a parent. What a jerk.
Thank you for defending kids and the injustice of the post.
Imagine that…..another story on NIT which is negative towards the City. Matt, why in the world do you want to represent the City as a councilperson? You rarely have anything positive to say about Mason City on NIT. Why don’t you come clean and share with us what your real motivations are?
This is not negative. This is the truth as it was disclosed by persons very, very close to the situation. In fact, I am finding out more and more already this morning. The truth deserves to be told and the citizens deserve to know what it going on. There will be more and as I have stated over and over, I’m not changing anything I do.
I wonder if the oath taken when becoming a councilman is the same for every town. If Im correct, part of the oath makes reference to the fact that a councilman is not to say anything negative or against the city. Will this be a problem for you, being the owner operator of this site?
Exactly. The laws of the constitution cease to exist once you are elected. Good call, 50. You finally caught him.
@%0 Miles-If that is true they forgot to tell Max.
So, are you saying that you would want elected officials to keep their mouths shut when they know of something “bad” or “negative”? You would rather they turn their heads and say nothing and let whatever is happening keep going on? Wrong is wrong and I think people need to know this story because what happened was wrong. Besides, if the injured person has anything of a decent lawyer the people who made those bad decisions that day are going to cost Mason City some money, and rightfully so. If you don’t know the the truth you will never change anything.
@Mason City Bystander-If you are asking me I think they should bring it to the attention of the taxpayers. Right is right and wrong is wrong. Hiding it does no on any good and you can’t fix it if you don’t know about it.
@LVS- My response was suppossed to directed to anonymous but I totally agree.
@Anonymous-And why don’t you quit boring us with your one sided comments.
I’m constantly bored by yours, but don’t say anything.
@Anonymous-then why don’t you do the world a favor and go pee up a rope.
@lvs-With the earths physical properties and present gravitational structure, to pee up a rope would be virtually impossible without some type of assistance.
Obviously LVS just wants to see you piss on yourself.
Be glad to help.
Sometimes the truth hurts. Mason City isn’t has perfect as “they” would like everyone to think.
The reality of this situation is the City Administrator is not competent.
Brent Trout/City Administrator is so deeply involved in Politics with Bookmeyer there is no management of the city.
That is the reality of what is going on in Mason City’s Government.
We have a mess on our hands and I hope the Doctors, Lawyers, Educators, Business Professionals, etc, come to their senses and stop voting as a block with the Chamber of Commerce.
I can guarantee you, you will be pleasantly surprised!
Here I thought it was a terriost dog – lots of them around so says the NSA –
I think the sign at the “Dog Park” should read
‘Future Home Of’
Many Lawsuits!
Dog park. When was the last time that a dog voted? More stupid stuff from the few rich jerks that put their dogs before the working people of Mason City. Why should the City be running a dog park? Dogs don’t vote they don’t clean up after themselves and they don’t feed themselves. This is something that should be a purely private concern. The more I see and hear of this sheer lack of focus on the real issues in this town I am beginning to see the depth of stupidity that lurks in minds of the unfocused leadership in our community.
Dog park. When was the last time that a dog voted? More stupid stuff from the few rich jerks that put their dogs before the working people of Mason City. Why should the City be running a dog park? Dogs don’t vote they don’t clean up after themselves and they don’t feed themselves. This is something that should be a purely private concern. The more I see and hear of this sheer lack of focus on the real issues in this town I am beginning to see the depth of stupidity that lurks in minds of the unfocused leadership in our community.
I’d rather have city workers working on the dog park than laying around drinking coffee and doing nothing.
The Real Fred must be Fred Flintstone. You my friend are so full of shit. I am real curious what your little republican ass did for a living???
Who was the supervisor in question? And does he have a history of being incompetent and unsafe? Questions that hopefully city officials are asking before he cost us a ton of money.
This will be the second time in under a year that the supervisor involved and Barb Wood will be fined by OSHA. It might be time city hall takes action before someone is killed.
That is abad accident. Hope the individual recovers. Some misinformation in the story though. The City through the Park board is allocating dollars towards the project but they did want to make sure that those volunteers did raise a lot of the money through their own fundraising efforts. I think they have raised over $30,000 . As far as being an Obamacare I’m not so sure. I went to a meeting and thought they had a pretty good plan. Will take my dogs there.
@Hacker-and the first time some idiot takes his untrained pit bull there (and they will) and it get off the leash (and it will) and kills someones dog the (and it will) you will think all together differently about it. I just hope it is not your dog that gets killed.
No details were probably released, because as with any business, employee injuries are a private matter, and in most cases protected by law. Matt do you intend to continue releasing private information once you are privy to it as a council member. People should keep that in mind.
A little slow on the uptake apparently. Maybe you should realize that once the lawsuit and the osha violations come out (and they may already be out there) this whole thing will be as public as it gets. I like how Matt left out the man’s name, but informed the pubic of the potential incompetence and waste taking place. Keep fighting, Matt!
I feel terrible for the employee who was injured. I hope he doesn’t have permanent injuries that take away from his quality of life.
I was criticized for saying the dog needed to be removed from the storage shed by professionals, but this story shows exactly why things need to be done according to rules and regulations. If anything can go wrong, it will, and you’ll end up with a sh*tload of crap to deal with because you didn’t follow the regs.
The dog park is going to be Mason City’s Obamacare. It will cost us thousands and won’t work.
If you do your own research you will also notice that the “Dog Park” board members and volunteers are ALL bookmeyer friends.
Go figure
http://friendsofmasoncitydogpark.org/sample-page/
Your statement is totally wrong. I know someone on the board and she is no friend of bookmeyer. She actually can’t stand him because of the hospital forest park deal.. Get your shit straight before you open your mouth.
Well, I know different She’s lying to you so you need to get YOUR shit straight ‘MoHO
No dumbass she’s not lying. I know it for a fact because besides being my friend she’s also my wife.
Mojo, when did your friend, now that you claim as “your wife,” take your balls? To come back with a statement like that tells me all I need to know about you.
Bookmeyer has no friends. He knows people in town that want something from him as mayor. They “like him” because he makes promises to do favors. What do you think this fraud does all day long? He visits “important people” and sits in their offices and cooks up deals. Or he meets them at the Country Club and they cook it up over drinks. That is how Mason City is run right now. Government for the few, by the few.