Things to consider for Thursday night...

What was written in the resolution approved by City Council for hiring the OEO?
What procedure was outlined, and who was designated as having the authority to appoint this position?
Is Mayor Garner going to circumvent the City Council by allowing Chief Harl to "assign" J. Messer to Ordinance enforcement in order to get his pick into the job? Why would such measures be taken to ensure a particular appointment?
If this is the plan, that means CM J. Messer will have the following positions:
Police officer, moonlight security, Redevelopment Commission, City Council member & Ordinance Enforcement.
This is too many hats for one person to wear. It is time to bring in a fresh body, and one with NO political aspirations. This would eliminate the tendency to be worried about re-elections, and thus favoritism for certain people in return for votes. This is not to accuse, but merely to point out a possible problem.
Also, considering the impropriety of the sanitation bid proposals, where might the public view the RFP's, bids, and contracts awarded to work on the Scribner Place project? Can we ask for an independent review of these processes?
Unfortunately, the Mayor has created an atmosphere of mistrust and incompetence. It is a shame that we cannot have faith that our Mayor is acting in the best interest of the City and its citizens. Too many mis-steps have already been made.
The proposal that has been put forth for the sanitation workers is that 7-10 persons will be retained as city employees for the strict purpose of cleaning alleyways and specific locations. What fund will these employees be paid out of? Will the taxpayers be asked to pay an additional fee for this new service?
This administration keeps insisting that money is tight, and there is no way for the sewer department to support the sanitation department. Just three months ago, after State mandated budget cuts, the Mayor insisted that a $500K “loan” from the sewer fund was a reasonable solution, and it wouldn’t hurt the sewage department’s ability to meet its financial obligations. What has changed?
Once the budget was patched up, Mayor Garner announced that all city services would remain intact. Yet, it was back in April that the RFP’s went out for bids to privatize sanitation. Why wasn’t this plan announced earlier?
If we are unable to support basic city services, then we have no business pouring available EDIT funds into unnecessary pet projects of recreational facilities.
Bringing the YMCA into New Albany, yes. But, an additional $20 million swimming complex has to fall lower on the list of priorities than sanitation services.
Furthermore, the big red trucks will be paid off in the fall of next year, and the cans will be paid off the following year. So, can we seriously look at current numbers and say that sanitation is never again going to be able to operate with self-sufficiently?
Something really stinks here, and it's not the garbage.