Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Yikes, I almost forgot this gem!

from the minutes:
"Leslie Rohs, Muskegon County Sustainability Coordinator, introduced herself to the Board.
In a response to Commissioner Scolnik, she gave a brief description of her goals decrease waste and increase recycling efforts by working with departments in Muskegon County."

I know she was being nice but Ms. Rohs shocked most everyone in the room with her self introduction.
Us TeaPartiers looked at each other with rolled eyes and the commissioners (who had just emerged from a planning session that suggested financial Armageddon was just around the corner) had bug-eyes as they wondered what she did and how the heck a new "coordinator" job was created during a hiring freeze.

What exactly she does was still fuzzy in the eyes of most in the room.

I'll try to report back on how this happened and what it costs you, the taxpayer.

County planning session and full board meeting notes

First, the easy stuff.
The full board meeting was mostly dull except for my request that there be an accounting of the cost of the expanded MATS system routes last year.
And ridership numbers for those routes.
County Admin. Hammersley promised those would be forthcoming soon.
This is important because the county needs to account cost with expected benefits BEFORE they vote for more spending.
A new concept we hope to remind them to do in the future.
I'll report back.

2011-52 PUBLIC COMMENT (ON AN AGENDA ITEM)
Jim Riley addressed the Board regarding analysis of recent changes in the MATS Bus routes. Administrator Hammersley responded that the Transit Manager is monitoring this and will present quarterly reports to the Board which may be made public in about a month.

There was a bruhaha at the end as some young folks protested the county sheriff's new policy to refuse to deliver sealed envelopes to inmates.
They were fervent.
Sheriff Roesler responded.
One called his response a lie.
Blood pressure rose......
Guy with gun wins again.

Dang, this got too long.

I'll report on the planning session in a new post.

It's "Jag-ur", like Mick Jagger!

Most everyone at yesterday's planning session mispronounced our new GOPer county commissioner Alan Jager's name (me too).

Maybe it's time we started to get it right?

He seems to be a guy who's going to be around our county for a LONG time.

Thank God!

Add this meeting to your calendar!

2011-65 SCHEDULE A WORK SESSION FOR THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONER
FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2011 AT 1:30 P.M.
Moved by Derezinski, seconded by Snider, to schedule a work session for the Board of Commissioner for Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. in the Training Center Building.

The County commission is planning on monthly "work sessions" because things may get real sporty this year.

Lot's of possibilities for taxpayer input if we really care.

We'll be there, right?