MASON CITY – Elected leaders have again directed city staff to put sanitation workers under the gun and put their jobs on the line, sources tell NIT.
According to multiple sources who contacted NorthIowaToday.com, city administrator Brent Trout called and met with labor leaders last week to inform them ahead of time that at least two sanitation workers’ jobs will likely be cut due to an extremely tight city budget. Sources tell NIT that the directive came from the top at City Hall – from Mayor Eric Bookmeyer and at least two city council members. Our source indicated those council members are Janet Solberg and Travis Hickey.
The city council and mayor approved last year a steep take hike of 10% upon property owners, and this year looks more grim, NIT is told. Already, the library is drastically under-funded. Other spending projects have cost the city dearly. One of those projects is the extra bike lanes and “sharrows” that were painted on city streets as part of the Blue Zone initiative. The cost of the pavement painting doubled to about $200,000 last year to satisfy that requirement, and will have to be done each year.
The sanitation department, however, is self-funded. The monthly fees of $10.05 a month cover all that department’s expenses.
Bookmeyer and some council members made a strong move in 2012 to privatize the sanitation department. They directed Brent Trout to research how other cities run their sanitation department, so he did a “Google” search and returned information to his bosses about how San Diego, California runs their sanitation needs. In the end, no quality bids were received, and the move failed. City Council member Scott Tornquist said at a work session in 2012 that the idea of privatizing the city’s sanitation department was no longer “worth messing around with” after a serious public backlash.
NIT will repot more on this matter as developments arise.
Question, is there any way to keep this from happening? Doesn’t the entire council have to vote on this issue? I don’t know how two city employees can be fired, when their department is funded differently than the other departments without the ENTIRE council voting on this. Hickey and Solberg are only two, there’s four others. What if those four disagree with this decision?
Bookmeyer, a man who hasn’t had a job in how long sure is quick to fire others. How do the people of Mason City fire him? He’s a jerk, and an embarrassment to this community.
Suggestion:
Form a “non-governmental” budget review committee of interested private citizens.
Get a formal copy of all the city department’s budgets.
Solicit 6 local business owners for help and advice on establishing priorities and necessary costs to run the city.
Present your own budget to the city council and the people of Mason City. (Pray they will listen)
This is short notice I know but someone with intelligence has to step forward.
I would volunteer but I live out…
of state.
Poor Leadership!
As I said, it doesn’t matter what the majority of the people want, they had already decided what they were going to do. The mayor and Hickey are out to get the workers and won’t stop until they do.
Perhaps if they weren’t flooring it for 20 feet then standing on the brakes for the next 20 we wouldn’t wear out trucks so fast.. Oh wait, I forgot they couldn’t get to their second job by noon if the drove halfway normal..
I don’t care what side you are on, attend the council meetings or call your council members to express your views. Is 95 cents a month extra worth keeping the service you currently have? How does the cost of service rate compared to State wide? All this information is easily available to the City administrator and council and if they have not talked given these figures it is because Mason City is getting a good deal. Even if rates are raised a few cents. I am ok paying more for the convinence
As much as I hate to admit it, Hickey just might have come up ith a good idea for a change. He wants to let sanitation workers work on a fill in basis in other areas where there is work. I have often wondered why they don’t mount plows of the sanitation trucks and let them plow while running their routes. They do it in other areas. I am willing to bet the union will not go along with this idea. However, it would give the workers a chance to pick up some extra money.
I think you all off target. You can’t have it both ways. Bitch and moan about high taxes,the council explores ways to cut costs and you bitch and moan about that. FUBAR, I see you are on one of your rambling babbles again. Put your money where your mouth is and YOU run for council if you disagree with the current regime so much. Then people could call you a piece of shit and axe YOU.
I’m thinking the proposals will be slid into the new budget to be approved this month. Since you could hold the budget hearings in a phone booth, many will miss out on what is really in the sanitation budget. For your own good, attend one of the hearings and find out. YES, they are boring and they drone on and on…BUT, that’s where they put budget cuts like these.
I agree, this is all stupid stuff. I also want to talk about the “sharrows.” They were painted in a very bad way and confuse many drivers. If you look at Pierce Ave heading north from big blue to Walgreens for example, it looks like the bike lane should be in the center lane, and that is where they ride, the inside curb lane is blocked with a solid white line. Cars are now driving inside that white line now thinking it is a lane when it is actually a parking lane in front of houses. Messed up.
@John-Those “sharrows” are nothing but a waste of taxpayer’s money. By spring they will be gone and those idiots will want to spend more money repainting them. Then they will say they have to cut services because they don’t have enough money. You just watch and see.
It is time the Council stand up and tell Bookmeyer to back off. It is the council that is elected to set policy not micro-manage and surely not a part-time mayor. The mayor is nothing more then a figure head who may be capable of cutting a ribbon or two. It is obvious the mayor is using this position to bolster his ego. Hell when was the last time this guy held down a job. Maybe he could go to find a job so he would know what it means to earn a living.
This one is worth taking it to the streets!!! Our leadership it completely out of touch on how a municipality works. Yes, a city is a business, but it is not and was never meant to be a profit center. And, if these yahoos would add up the money spent on crap that nobody cares about– we would have a budget surplus. I just don’t get Hickey. He grew up blue collar with his dad working for the city and he still does not get it. To him it is payback for his dad getting the boot….NOt fair
Totally out of line…I am ashamed of public officals in CITY HALL…Let’s take care of other needs other than Streetscape and downtown people.There are regular people and places here in Mason who need help….!!!Just saying…My opinon..Save the sanitation mens’ jobs!!!!
This proposal is B.S. The sanitation department is self funding. It has nothing to do with the city budget. It is nothing more than another vendetta by our mayor and his cronies.
Just think of the workers who actually have to pick up “they’re” garbage.
My fricken God what is wrong with this picture. First the city gets these dumb ass statues and then has to pay for the law suit for Mr. Foster and all the other bull shit going on and now again want to axe to guys that really work for their money. We need to axe all of the council members and get rid of Trout and bookie(drunk meyer piece of shit mayor) So sad for our city.
Ombudsman website……https://www.legis.iowa.gov/Ombudsman/ Their pone is 888-426-6283 or 515-281-3592. Email address is Ombudsman@legis.iowa.gov. lets all get on board and start filing the complaints about our mayor, and council. The people of Mason City need to stand up, and not let Bookmeyer and his council get away with anymore nonsense.
Don’t Mason City have to much garbage already?
I for one, will gladly take care of my garbage. I will drop it on Bookmeyers lawn. Or in front of city hall. This is ridiculous he’s starting with this again. I will be making a call to the state ombudsmen office tomorrow, and the next day and the next. I will call there everyday until they come to Mason City and look into Bookmeyers closed door dealings. Something needs to be done about him. Enough is enough.