IS IT TRUE November 21, 2013
IS IT TRUE that the $5 Million comp time liability cat is out of the bag in Evansville and the two groups that have the most members with comp time hours that exceed the limits set forth by the United States Department of Labor are concerned?…those groups would be the Evansville Police Department and the Evansville Fire Department?…the Mole Nation tells us that the EPD union has already held a meeting to discuss this  situation and that the EFD is not too far from doing the same?…this does bring up the question of “why didn’t union leaders alert their membership to the fact that many of them were being credited with comp time that exceeded DOL limits?â€â€¦one would think that union leaders would be knowledgeable of federal labor laws and would communicate any concerns about non-compliance with federal laws to both its members and the HR Department of the City of Evansville?…ultimately the responsibility for compliance lies squarely on the shoulders of the City of Evansville and any punitive actions taken will be taken against the city?
IS IT TRUE another fact of life since Monday is that anyone in authority at the Civic Center who is not aware of the 480 hour and 240 hour federal limits on accrued comp time must have been hibernating like the bears of Yellowstone all week?…it is safe to warn that any comp time hours that have been added to anyone’s accrual this week that exceeds the federal limits were put there willfully in violation of the DOL statute?…the laws do not look favorably on “ignorance†on the part of a municipality but the ignorance card cannot be played for any accrued comp time since Monday, November 18, 2013?…the time to use the “I didn’t know†defense is over?…all violations going forward are intentional and with knowledge of the law?…we reiterate that people have gone to jail for such things and admonish the City of Evansville to get their act together to cease this  practice, craft a solution that is lawful that is fair and acceptable to the affected employees, and implement this as if your freedom depends on the implementation?
IS IT TRUE Mole #19 reminded us yesterday that it is not just a company in Kansas City that was double paid by the city for work done on the Ford Center?…there were two other instances of sloppiness that may or may not have been corrected?…one was of course the payment for construction work done on the new North High School with inappropriate funds, and the other was a double payment to VenuWorks for start up money from the Evansville Redevelopment Commission and the Evansville Redevelopment Authority?…we hope to hear that these issues have been rectified soon?
IS IT TRUE the CCO is curious to learn that a member of the Evansville Parks Board does not believe the parks are in need of better maintenance and that the condition of the parks is just fine?…the only cure for this level of denial may be a trip to a few well maintained parks in other locations or even a visit to the best and worst of Evansville’s parks?…we would remind this board member that DENIAL is a river in Egypt and has no place in the stewardship of local public properties?…as with federal labor laws, “ignorance is neither an option or an excuse?â€
IS IT TRUE that when local public projects accept federal money there are strings attached to it that sometimes make it less expensive to turn down the feds on their conditional support?…the painting of a complex of buildings in California is one such case?…the quotation for this job under the conditions of the Davis-Bacon (prevailing wage) laws mandated when federal matching money is included for this particular job was $234,000?…another quotation from a licensed and bonded professional painting contractor without Davis-Bacon mandates for the very same job is $43,250?…this is part of a much bigger project that has an overall budget in the millions of dollars with federal matching funds available?…as the strings and the conditions that come with the federal money more than double the price it is more cost effective to use the local funds only to complete the project and respectfully refuse the federal match?…today this writer knows the joy of formally advising the federal government that “We do not need or want your matching funds as your rules are oppressive to the point of wasting taxpayer dollars locally and nationally. Thank you but no thank you, we will do this ourselves?â€
The second estimate in your last paragraph is with using illegals at $5/hr. You get what you pay for.
You are incorrect but your comment is not surprising. It is a union shop. Thanks for stereotyping though. Davis Bacon comes with many more strings than just an hourly wage mandate. Many union shops pay more than “prevailing wages”.
Huh….over 5x the estimate by a professional licensed company, makes you wonder doesn’t it? Not only may the labor be inferior but the product being applied my also be…but it really isn’t surprising that the costs with federal strings attached is so much higher, I mean it is free money isn’t it.
JMHO
We are supplying the paint.
That explains a lot of the low cost right there!
JMHO
That was the case with both quotes. It is about 150 gallons so the paint will be about $6,000 in both cases.
I’d assume they are spraying the paint, 150 gal isn’t a big job to warrant a half million dollars, no wonder we are broke.
JMHO
ooops…make that a quarter million… 😉
Somebody has their TEA PARTY hat on this morning and is bagging on them ILLEGAL ALIENS. I knew you were a TEA PARTY person from day one with your prejudices and ignorance. Is that you Mr. Braker?
From his past posts, I would rather think he is a union thug, not a Tea Partyer.
And who is Mr. Braker?
Way to go Joe, I bet it took some restraint on your part not to just tell them to stick it up their ass. Actually knowing you pretty well, I expect you did but just not in writing.
While everyone this morning is talking public sector “time management funding actualities”, and predictable or possible conditional overtime situations. Gees, I wonder if anyone has paid any attention to the fact that the building forecast possibility of some real nasty first of the season surface generated freezing rain could move in behind the weekends immense arctic air push coming in to your forecast location during the next 36-42 hours or so. Maybe put some of your local eyes on that to save predictable costing.
Looks like a likely possibility that might just happen,maybe “adjust” some of your local city/county work schedules accordingly ahead of time to actually manage and “limit” some given overtime costing in your area. (Emergency management,moved forward)
“Imagination is everything,its a preview of life’s coming attractions”. (“Albert Einstein”)
Something else,imagined through actual planet science applied. With rapidly moving weather systems and extreme ambient temperature incursions during and after the thermodynamics of the evolving “predictable conditionals” on the surface and atmospheric ranges are more than likely going to add structural strain to the older sewer and water supply infrastructures. (Lots of rain coming, followed with a darn hard freeze.) Ask the work crews whom end up repairing the stuff. More likely than not,the weather is at its worst, or during thawing when the breakage takes place. No fun to fix,tough conditions there and does probably require plenty of overtime planning. You have to figure,that the E/SW department is at a heck of a crossroads pathway right now anyway.
The increased staffing projected to effectively address your local Federal CSO mandate is enough,really some unique and workable solutions should be planned through cooperative brainstorming with the contract body that must perform the actual services there. (Conditionals management,moving forward.)
I hear that City Councilman and Evansville Firefighter Al Lindsey has about 900 hours of comp time saved. Can’t wait to hear what happens when he ask the City for payment of his long term (earned over many years) comp time hours earnings.
As for parks… There is a jungle jim at Vann Park in need of repair. One of the Tic Tac Toe tumblers my daughter plays with is completely busted, and there is graffiti on the structure. More alarmingly, there is a Riverboat-shaped wooden structure at Sunset Park on Waterworks Rd. with a structural failure. a wooden support is broken directly beneath a spot where kids walk, run, and jump. Unlike graffiti, its actually dangerous. I have reported it the last two times I was there. Not sure if its been taken care of yet. Those are just the two parks I frequent and both have issues.
To the Parks Dept’s credit though, I reported a loose slide at Price Park on Covert once and they had it fixed by the time I went back.
When it is all said and done..The Mayor will tell all the comp time hours that exceed the limits set forth by the United States Department of Labor will not be paid.. And the City can ONLY pay the 240 hour federal limits..all the extra $$$$ will go in the Mayor’s reelection fund..
Is it true that Mole #3 is a liar or somehow really screwed up their facts? The Fraternal Order of Police, the labor organization for the Evansville Police Department, has not met with anyone from the City on this issue. Is it true that the Federal mandate for police officers in regards to compensatory time is 480 hours? Is it true that the FOP and the City of Evansville agreed to a cap of 200 hours years ago, somewhere around 1993? The police department has 285 employees. Could it be that those who have excessive time were employed before 1993? Is it true that the Fire Department and Police Department are the two departments that carry the majority of the compensatory time? I guess since they are the two biggest employee groups in the city!
Larry Nelson
Evansville FOP President
We also already give almost 1/3 of the city budget to the EPD. Nonsense.
I guess you have issues with the concept of Community and the Protection of it’s Citizenry.
Your use of the word–“Gift”– in your comment, is ridiculous, and–borderline Stupid.
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