| Topic: $10 Million for Jahnke Public Works Pet Project, City Council has approved $2 Million | < Next Oldest | Next Newest > |
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| Post Number: 11
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Self-Banished 
Group: Members
Posts: 22484
Joined: Feb. 2006
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Posted on: Sep. 08 2016,8:21 am |
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^^ but it's your patriotic duty to pay taxes 
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 Remember boys and girls,
Don’t be a Dick …
Or a “Wayne” 
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| Post Number: 12
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Glad I Left
Group: Members
Posts: 2301
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: Sep. 08 2016,8:48 am |
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I worked for the parks dept for the summer between my Jr and Sr year in high school. This would have been around 1991.
At that time the shop was looking run down and was crowded with vehicles. I can only imagine it has gotten worse since then.
I'm not sure if they have outgrown that space or what but if they haven't then I don't see why the couldn't renovate the current place for much cheaper.
Regarding the comments from was1 with breaks..
When I worked for the parks dept. the late Noel Pechechek (sp) was my boss and had an incredible work ethic. I honestly think he continued to enforce my work ethic that I learned from my parents. He was very conscious of what the public saw and made sure when we were on break it was never longer than 15 minutes and we were back to work.
I can't speak for the streets dept or others as we didn't mix with them very often, but for the parks crew it was all about the work.
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After we screw up health care reform, let's take on the initiative of unscrewing the education system (gov't education)
Tacitus: (c. 56 AD-c. 117) "The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates."
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| Post Number: 13
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alcitizens
Albert Lea
Group: Members
Posts: 3664
Joined: Jul. 2009
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Posted on: Sep. 08 2016,2:35 pm |
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The City reminds me of when I started as a maintenance supervisor at an apartment complex in Atlanta.. The maintenance man working there replaced every faucet that had a drip with a new one that cost $60 when he could have just replaced the brass seat, o-ring, washer and apply high temp grease to the valve for about $2.. He was amazed at how easy it was and was also a major labor saver..
Renovation.. 
expat- Summertime in Florida is miserable.. 
common sense- I would have considered the current city garage a luxury resort back in the days when most of my breaks were in hot little shops or they were freezing in the winter..
I never had a recliner.. 
I'm really having a hell of a time figuring out how they could possibly spend an additional $8.6 million on a glorified maintenance facility.. I keep picturing hot tubs, massages, beds with silk sheets and private garages for employee cars..
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| Post Number: 14
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Self-Banished
Group: Members
Posts: 22484
Joined: Feb. 2006
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Posted on: Sep. 08 2016,5:37 pm |
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Maybe it's going to be like North St Paul's municipal garage, I delivered their lockers a few years ago
Each city vehicle had its own stall with work area, in floor heat (I can't begrudge them that because it's very efficient.)The whole yard was fenced with a 8-10ft wall and all of the enclosed yard has heated concrete. Top it all off with a giant windmill for electricity.
Looked awful pricey.
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Remember boys and girls,
Don’t be a Dick …
Or a “Wayne”
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| Post Number: 15
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| Post Number: 16
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Expatriate
Group: Members
Posts: 16604
Joined: Oct. 2004
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Posted on: Sep. 09 2016,6:34 am |
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I'm sure we have some issues with the old building that need to be addressed and we need some expansion and improvement.
Looking at the flyer that came with the water bill maintenance seems to lacking, not only on the building on Commercial Street but throughout the city.
When KIMT broadcasts the eye in the sky view of Fountain Lake there's a view of our rusty neglected water tower only a few feet from City Hall. Things that are highly visual like Water Towers reflect overall efficiency of a successful well managed city!
Maybe we've condemned that tower and just haven't knocked it down yet, sure looks like it.
I had to go to Mankato on business yesterday, as I past the small communities along my trip I made a point of observing their water towers.
Heartland: great job nice shiny paint
New Richland: great job nice tower
Waseca: hard to see from hwy 14
Janesville: great job nice tower
Eagle Lake: nice tower well maintained
As for the cushy chairs, I'm sure these are all old chairs coming from offices at city hall. Do our city utility employees deserve a decent locker-room/shower? yes. Do they deserve a decent clean break area with a kitchenette? yes.
What they're talking about with this meeting room it's most likeley a place to assemble the troops for ongoing training! The city probably belongs to some organization like MMUA these classes cover a wide variety of safety issues etc.
We have a small mobile workforce at the Commercial Street building, we have other meeting rooms in the city that can be utilized for these meetings.
We have to stay in compliance with OSHA but older buildings can be updated. We can build one heck of a commercial style shop building on the lot north of the existing building to give the guys room to work.
Management doesn't need a fancy office complex, they're not doing their job anyway!!
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History is no more than the lies agreed upon by the victors.
~NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
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| Post Number: 17
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| Post Number: 18
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was1
Group: Members
Posts: 1880
Joined: Apr. 2015
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Posted on: Sep. 09 2016,9:54 am |
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Glad I Left - I'm sure there are a number of good, hard working, people there. But, I'm certain, we all know that there are ones who do exactly what I described, as I heard it and saw it. There was many a foosball tourney that took place in these "15 minute breaks".
There definitely is great need for maintenance and improvements to the facility. The concern comes from who it is that is deciding what the improvements should be. Drive around town and look at the streets. Talk to others in areas that have flooding and sewage backups. Look in the catch basins around down and you can see they are deteriorated and nearly collapsing. How many water breaks and leaks is the city having each year? How many lead services and leaded pipe are still in the water system?
There are endless needs for maintaining and improving the infrastructure in town. Yes, the workers need adequate space to work out of, but lets make sure that the money is being spent wisely and that the other infrastructure needs are also being addressed.
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| Post Number: 19
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| Post Number: 20
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Expatriate
Group: Members
Posts: 16604
Joined: Oct. 2004
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Posted on: Sep. 09 2016,1:49 pm |
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(Self-Banished @ Sep. 09 2016,12:46 pm)
QUOTE
(Expatriate @ Sep. 09 2016,7:42 am)
QUOTE St Paul's making money... It North St Paul and doubtful.
You're right I'm thinking of the Plant off Kellogg that heats and cools downtown St. Paul and the Capital. They actually have a contract to sell power to Xcel. St. Paul's got a gold mine..
N. St Paul is in the power business too, they partnered with 11 other municipalities their rates are reasonably good, I'm sure their commercial rates are reasonable, 525 commercial customers, with only 5,685 residential customers. I'll guarantee they're making money..
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History is no more than the lies agreed upon by the victors.
~NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
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