The performance audit is suggestions some serious changes to the organizational structure of city government. The idea of an umbrella community development department makes some sense.
Seems the overall theme of the audit is a lack of planning and deliberate delivery of services, such as vehicle replacement, road and infrastructure repair, etc.
Hopefully the commission won't just shelve this audit. The spat over whether to bring the auditors back to present the information hopefuly won't sour the whole deal.
Mell Kuhn's brash statements about the auditors not telling the city anything it didn't know already is typical bombastic rhetoric on his part. This kind of talk can bring the whole effort down.
He does make a good point, however, about the need to act on the recommendations and not just sit on the thing, a feeling it seems like the whole commission shares.
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I am usually very critical of the traveler, but I will say your writer who has been doing the stories on the audit has done a really nice job of interpreting the audit. I think the audit was not rocket science, but probably a bit beyond Ms. Smith and Mr. Kuhn's usual reading (and likely the other three as well). Like you said, typical Kuhn to say he knew it all already. It will be interesting to see how many new policies come out of this, I fear it won't be many. It is too bad when a government agency is given good information and then ignores almost all of it, as the Winfield school board did earlier this year.
I am so surprised at your comments 12:11pm have you read the audit. I have. There are parts that are simply copies of information turned in months ago by administration.
There is lots of compiling of information that the staff and managers told them, hardly worth 30,000 but as it were.
As for your remarks and the blog lords, about Mr Kuhn, well I will say this he was very careful to say that the IDEA of bringing them back for $8,400 to explain the report is what he was saying is not worth it. They should come and explain the report, or whatever it is they do for the money already paid.
The reason that the survey's weren't mailed out is because the auditors weren't going to pay for it. It would have cost $8,000 to mailed them out.
The administration made the decision to change that once they learned that they would have to pay for it, it was not included.
Now we learn that they want another $8,400 dollars to spend time with the commissioners and staff.
Most city workers will tell you that they never talked to the auditors.
I think there are some things that are of value in the report, but not another $8,400 worth.
Have you read the budget I have, I heard that the city manager told the city commission that he recommended no COLA because the cost of living hadn't really changed much, REALLY maybe not for him, i think city workers should get a COLA and not a merit raise determined on who likes you.
these are tough times, I think we should have a all for one effort. COLA for all the employee or no raises for anyone either way
Isn't it surprizing that the audit report isn't available on the City's web page. Very inexpensive way to make it available. For example with all the IT push by the auditors, was or couldn't the report have been furnished on CD Rom, and easily availible. Was at city hall this afternoon, most offices were "empty" and nobody knows how to provide a "copy" of the report. All they are hearing is that there will be a two day meeting for them.
Slightly off topic to the post but central to the July 19, 2010 2:55 PM comments.
I think that City Hall - or certain ones - have gone too far with the whole control of access to information. The attitude is pure defiance. The most reasonable requests are met with open and smug defiance.
The point is they arguably create an us versus them climate by simply being childish and unprofessional and uncooperative when citizens ask for the benign information. It is just foolishness.
Why be so difficult if someone asks for a copy of this report or even a much simpler request like the rules and policies that apply to citizen customers for the municipal water department.
personally, I just try to get in and get out with the minimal amount of interaction. Now why should a tax paying citizen feel that way about the people whose salaries are paid through a notable portion of my personal income?
I asked the city manager and he said that the full report is not in. They (the city) are holding up putting it on the website until the full report is available. He said the commission still does not have all of the information on 2 parts which they want to deliver in person. The last parts would have been delivered in person this week, but was held off in case the commission wanted their whole crew here for training in August.
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