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City Staffing: Puffing....the Art of Exaggeration?

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Nelson R. Self View Drop Down
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    Posted: Feb 17 2010 at 11:51pm
Last evening's City Council meeting included some interesting commentary from senior City staff that focused upon: 1) the recent layoffs of four Community Revitalization Department staff; and, 2)  the increased workload borne by those remaining staff members.
 
The more that I thought about this rhetoric, I kept thinking about the word "Puffing."  This seven letter English word says much about exaggerating, embellishing, distorting, etc.
 
What do the above comments have to do with the administration of HUD Programs?  How do current staffing levels compare to February 2008?  Let's take a look.
 
A Comparison of HUD Programs Staffing (2/2008 & 2/2010)
 
February 2008                                                                         February 2010
 
Nelson Self, Senior Planner (CD Administrator)                     Doug Adkins, Director
Skip Batten, Housing Rehabilitation Manager                       Kyle Fuchs, HUD Programs Manager
Annette Accurso, Housing Code Inspector                            Tom Huiett, HUD Field Supervisor/Building Inspector
Mary Jane Adams, Nuisance Abatement Inspector               Teresa Jones, Senior Administrative Assistant (Part-Time)
Debbi Fish, Housing Code Assistant                                     Annette Accurso, Neighborhood Improvement Inspector
Judy Demostenes, Secretary III                                           Mary Jane Adams, Neighborhood Improvement Inspector
                                                                                            Roger Mahaffey, Neighborhood Improvement Inspector
                                                                                            Judy Demostenes, Secretary III
 
Note:  Marty Kohler was not included in 2008 staffing as the bulk of his time was spent on City land use and ancillary planning matters.
 
In closing, since Tom Huiett was promoted to be the new HUD Programs Field Supervisor, three Community Revitalization Department staff lost jobs (not four).  This DOES NOT count the extensive use of out-of-state HUD consultants to boot!!  I didn't count Larry Tuttle, Chief Building Official and the Secretary III position held by Sandy Butt.  I presume that their responsibilities are still mostly limited to Building Inspection functions?  And, a now laid-off staff member tells me that there's been an occasional additional part-time clerical person too?
 
On top of this, compare the salary/fringe benefits costs of 2008 versus 2010 HUD Programs personnel.  And, the seasoned 2008 staff wasn't burning up Interstate 75 and 70 like current relatively inexperienced personnel traveling to and from Columbus for HUD training!
 
Advice to senior City staff, "THE TRUTH WILL ALWAYS SET THE CAPTIVES FREE!"
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VietVet View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb 18 2010 at 12:20pm
Why do we need a Director AND a Program Manager, PLUS a Field Supervisor? Too top heavy (as usual) That's three supervisor/management people to oversee 5 people. That is unacceptable! And, exactly what does Teresa Jones do as a "Senior Admin. Assistant.....get the top three coffee and send out some E-Mails and call it a day? This is horsesh--!    Then, to add insult to injury, we have Judy Demonstenes as a "Secretary III". Why a need for Teresa Jones as part time, when you have Judy Demonstenes as full time doing admin. duties? Why the need for two admin. duty people in a department to support the other 6 people? Looks like government waste hiring two people to do the work that one could probably do if kept busy. Cut Adkins, dump his big salary and let Fuchs run the department. This kind of crap does not impress the citizens who are looking at city government waste and are listening to Gilleland cry that she has no money to run the city. Not enough cuts have been made Gilleland, judging by this department hierarchy.
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Nelson R. Self View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nelson R. Self Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb 18 2010 at 1:22pm
Viet Vet -
 
It was noted by a senior City staff member at last Tuesday's meeting of the City Council that consultants were also hired to:  1) prepare the HUD-required "Impediments to Fair Housing Study"; 2) collect and analyze various data on 38 Middletown neighborhoods; and, 3) help prepare the HUD Five-Year Plan.
 
How much HUD funding was spent on these matters and was City Council approval required to engage these consultants?  Also, how much was spent on consultants for the unsuccessful HUD Neighborhood Stabilization Program - Round Two grant application for $19,000,000?  Lastly, it seems that things are not working out so well with the Columbus-based Section 8 Property Inspection consultant to boot!  Didn't we hear a senior City staff member tell City Council that the inspection process was a MESS in December and LESS OF A MESS in January of this year?
 
Miss Vivian expressed some relevant concerns about the Section 8 housing quality standards inspection group!  Maybe we need to re-examine her posting before hiring any more consultants??
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LMAO View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LMAO Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb 18 2010 at 2:40pm

I have been asking myself two  question,Why do they call to inform people that is on Section 8 there coming to inspect and Why they dont do drug test on people on it?I know of 3 people that are on it,havent worked a day in there life(Ages from 21 to 36)have people that live with them that arent suppose to be there,plus charge them to live with them.Seems to me if they just happen to pop up at the door it would solve a problem and get rid of the people that have been on the system to damn long.

While I am ranting they ought to drug test people that are on food stamps too.I got tested for my job,so why shouldnt the people that my taxes pay for have to have one too? Angry
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VietVet View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb 18 2010 at 5:48pm
All excellent observations, LMAO. Are you reading this Ms. Scott-Jones, Josh and AJ?????? Kinda makes you want to ask questions about the inspection service the city hired to oversee the program doesn't it? Also makes you want to ask questions about their internal inspection policies too and if the additional non-Section 8 occupants comments from LMAO are true, what is in place to deal with non-program people living in Section 8 approved houses?????? Ought to make you a tad bit inquisitive, shouldn't it? And how about the people who make a career by living off Section 8 for years and no one questions why they can't work and join the rest of us who are self-supporting??????? Alot of things wrong here, if all true.
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acclaro View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb 18 2010 at 7:16pm
This may be a rhetoriacl question, but are there any actions which a group of concerned citizens can take that have an impact, while tabling those that don't? You aren't going to change Section 8, the city knows it has too much, and will attempt to get a handle on reducing the numbers. We all can speculate about the problems, including its impact on the schools, upon the retailer, upon the city and its reputation, but the city knows there is a problem. Is it possible to focus a group to make change happen in some meaningful manner? Or, is this a sounding board to project hostility that is doing nothing to effect my property value, yours, and the quality of life of citizens. The more visibility given constantly to HUD and section 8, simply illuminates to others, Middletown is not the place to be.  
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Mike_Presta View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb 18 2010 at 7:46pm
There are some legal actions that we can take IF we can obtain the pro bono services of an attorney (or if we can collect the tens of thousands of dollars necessary to pay an attorney) familiar with municipal law to handle suits against city hall, the law director, the council, the manager, and possibly the finance director.
“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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acclaro View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb 18 2010 at 9:36pm
Would it be possible to meet or discuss this in a private forum Mike. I can speculate on some Sunshine violations, and have more than my share of knowledge associated with actions and lack of proper procedural follow through in many areas, but I'm uncertain what your reference to be. There is no need to share it openly, but I can surmise some reference associated with MMF, which the caselaw would give guidance, funding (I like many, are completely lost on the HUD issues and view that as a Washington function as clueless as any that exist). I've read about recalls at 1500 signatures. I've read about pro bono efforts (only the ACLU would have any interest and probably one that wouldn't catch their attention), so I for one, would like to comprehend these actions, as I don't have enough knowledge to know who did what, when, where, how, and why.  Confused   
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wasteful View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote wasteful Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb 18 2010 at 10:26pm

acclaro the section 8 HUD issue is the least of your problems.  It doesn't take a brain surgeon looking at Middletown to discover the issues that would turn any Middle class new resident off from Middletown.  All you have to do is check the schools report cards, drive through the city and see all of the empty buildings, go look for a book store, look for something other than a Walmart to shop at, check readily available Census data if you are a small business looking to come to town and do anything other than a second hand shop.  The town currently screams don't move here from every corner.  Unfortunate but true.

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Mike_Presta View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb 18 2010 at 10:54pm
Would it be possible to meet or discuss this in a private forum Mike.
Certainly!!!  Monday and Friday evenings are bad for me, but just about any other time is fine.  Just let me know.
I can speculate on some Sunshine violations, and have more than my share of knowledge associated with actions and lack of proper procedural follow through in many areas,
Sunshine is certainly one area, and should be a slam-dunk, but there are others.  Some of the others result in penalties that include the automatic removal from office, and that would be an admirable goal (at least in my view.)  Then citizen action could apply pressure for prosecution.
but I'm uncertain what your reference to be. There is no need to share it openly,
I won't share it openly only because I don't want to tip them off.  Generally speaking, there are actions of public officeholders (both elected and appointed) that are specifically either prohibited or mandated by the general laws of the State of Ohio, so there are both violations oc commission and omission.  Some may be criminal, many are not, but all have remedies.
but I can surmise some reference associated with MMF, which the caselaw would give guidance,
Yes, as far as I know this sort of electioneering by public officials is still illegal!!!
funding (I like many, are completely lost on the HUD issues and view that as a Washington function as clueless as any that exist).
I agree.  I have no idea how to proceed on any of these matters, other than to point out the obvious.
I've read about recalls at 1500 signatures.
Both recalls and referendums are fairly straightforward procedural matters.  I really don't think we need an attorney for these.  However, it is more difficult to get 1,500 VALID signatures than many think.  Other keys to success this way are:  1) timing.  2)  picking the right issues.  3)  remembering what comes AFTER a recall (win or lose).
 I've read about pro bono efforts (only the ACLU would have any interest and probably one that wouldn't catch their attention), so I for one, would like to comprehend these actions, as I don't have enough knowledge to know who did what, when, where, how, and why.  Confused 
“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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LMAO View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LMAO Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb 28 2010 at 10:51pm
Originally posted by LMAO LMAO wrote:

I have been asking myself two  question,Why do they call to inform people that is on Section 8 there coming to inspect and Why they dont do drug test on people on it?I know of 3 people that are on it,havent worked a day in there life(Ages from 21 to 36)have people that live with them that arent suppose to be there,plus charge them to live with them.Seems to me if they just happen to pop up at the door it would solve a problem and get rid of the people that have been on the system to damn long.

While I am ranting they ought to drug test people that are on food stamps too.I got tested for my job,so why shouldnt the people that my taxes pay for have to have one too? Angry
I have tryed for a week to have someone listen to my concerns and have had been passed off to one person to another.Its no wonder people theat rip the system off gets away with it cos there isnt a damn person that cares. Here my tax dollars are paying for not only the ones that are ripping the system off but also paying for the people that are allowing it to happen.County and city workers.Council you need to wake up and smell the coffee.
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