What's The Real Deal With That New Sanitation Contract???
We, as citizens, demand a full investigation by our City Council into the matter and issues surrounding the privatization of the Sanitation department and the specific information regarding the sanitation contract
i.e. the leasing of our equipment, the Insurance issues, the location of our equipment (23 – 24 minutes out Dixie Highway, in Louisville, from New Albany), and more importantly – the $$ we have saved (or made), on this “privatized” deal!
Wrecks have occurred, our trucks have been cannibalized, and our New Albany public seal is missing from one truck. Is this particular truck being used in Bullitt County? Some say so, and that would answer the Seal question.
Taxpayers would like some answers, please. Not from the Mayor, not from other ill-informed sources, but the Council. Please, we need to take back what is ours, before it is too late.
That means a Resolution will have to be drafted and approved in order to get those answers; we’ll see who steps up to do the right thing. This is going to require a full OUTSIDE investigation.
The Indiana Law that is applicable would be the following: IAC CHAPT. 3, IC 15-.5.5 SECTION 2. There are others law that will play into this contract, namely government accounting laws. They are on the IN.GOV website for your perusal.
[2006] 80 IAC 3 Disposal of Property (PDF) ... 80 IAC 3-2-2 Disposal of property by means of public sale or auction Authority:IC 15-1.5-2-8 Affected: IC 15-1.5-2 Sec. 2. (a) The ... 3. Indiana Administrative Code (PDF) ... 80 IAC 3-2-2 Disposal of property by means of public sale or auction Authority:IC 15-1.5-2-8 Affected: IC 15-1.5-2 Sec. 2. (a) The ...
posted by East Ender at
10:19 PM
19 Comments:
You may not want to miss the council meeting tommorrow night! I think you might be suprised in regards to this issue, I think some heads are gonna roll, Scandal in New Albany!
By
New blood for New Albany, at 2:16 PM, February 14, 2007
The whole "situation" is rotten, from A to Z. Me & mine can't make it to Council's meeting tomorrow eve, but we have talked with Mr. Price about us wishing the Council to investigate this situation further.
Everyone should be aware though, there will be TWO sign-in sheets. Please make sure you sign in on the "NON-AGENDA" piece of paper; because this issue is not on the Agenda.
Good references with that article, Eastender. Thanks for the information.
By
A Democrat in Floyd County, at 10:07 PM, February 14, 2007
I feel that the new sanitation company has done one hell of a job cleaning up New Albany. The streets look cleaner and the city as a whole is cleaner. I think that there are more important things to worry about right now besides the new sanitation company.
By
Anonymous, at 1:30 PM, February 15, 2007
It is amazing how people do not know a thing about contracts, arrangements, etc. You people do not have a clue about how the new Sanitation Department has saved the city tons of money. Know the facts before you go pressing your nowe into something you have no clue about. And for those that believe that the Sanitation Department does not have any city employees, they hired all of them on when they took over. Those who are not there either quite, or got fired due to their laziness.
By
Anonymous, at 2:30 PM, February 15, 2007
There's that reading comprehension thing rearing its ugly head again.
If you would read the posting a little closer (did you bother to read the Indiana Codes links we provided?)you would realize that our concerns lie primarily with the laws applicable to the disposal, sale or lease of PUBLIC OWNED PROPERTY, ie: Trucks, facilities, etc.
Those trucks belong to the city of New Albany. Namely, the rate-payers of the city of New Albany.
Why then are they sitting in a distant Louisville lot where at least one has been cannibalized for parts, another has had the city's name removed (why?) and one of the "NEW", very expensive RED trucks is sitting there wrecked?!
As for your comment, contracts are one thing, but "arrangements" are something the city has no right to do behind closed doors, or under the table.
By
East Ender, at 3:39 PM, February 15, 2007
Did anyone call downtown and ask why the trucks were on a lot in Louisville? could they be in a repair lot?
By
G Coyle, at 6:03 PM, February 15, 2007
Don't forget those truck numbers citizens have obtained that belong to OUR TRUCKS.
By
A Democrat in Floyd County, at 11:44 PM, February 15, 2007
According to "official" statements, the new sanitation company is "LEASING" our trucks.
Remember, this sanitation company was created for the sole purpose of taking over New Albany's garbage service.
They didn't have trucks or operational facilities. Thus, they simply are using ours (both).
We want to know if this transaction of "Public Property" was conducted according to State laws and codes that are very specific regarding disposal of public property.
We also want to know who the partners are in this new company. So far, they have outright refused to disclose this information.
Sorry for the long-winded response, but the disposition of these trucks is highly questionable at this time. They still belong to the city of New Albany, but are under the control and care of the new 'Privatized' sanitation company.
By
East Ender, at 1:22 AM, February 16, 2007
Putting on my MBA hat, I would suggest that the leasing arrangement you are discussing is perhaps standard operating procedure when a gov't. service like garbage is "privatized". I'd be more interested to know if the lease rate is a market rate or is the Sanitation company using the equipment at some special deal rate? Who pays for upkeep and depreciation? I also think it's curious some effort is being made to obscure the ownership of the Sanitation company. But, really, these things can be found out. The contract should be a public record - no?
By
G Coyle, at 6:30 AM, February 16, 2007
g. coyle,
You're asking the same questions we are asking, and you're right that such information shouldn't be difficult to ascertain.
Howerver, it most certainly has been difficult.
They formed the new company as an LLC, meaning that ownership names do not have to be disclosed. Why would they be hiding this information if there are no improprieties there?
The use of the sanitation department facilities is not even addressed in the contract (at least not the contract released to the public).
Leasing the trucks to the new company is something we've only heard Garner assert. We have not seen any written record concerning the details of this arrangement to lease our equipment. That's why we want it investigated.
There are other..."issues"($$$)... I suppose we should call them, that need some explaining as well that will not be found in the written contract, but could certainly be discovered within the course of an investigation.
By
East Ender, at 5:41 PM, February 16, 2007
Some Council members have called me, of all people, to see if the truck "numbers" that are on our Inventory Sheets were gotten. I assured them they were.
The Resolution was asked for at Council last night, and they seemed to agree the need was there to see what the "leasing" agreements are; has this venture saved us any monies; who's paying the insurance for the red one wrecked out on McDonald Lane, etc.
It'll come out in the wash...this one's been percolating for quite a time on the back burner. I do believe it has come to a boil, or at least a simmer!
By
A Democrat in Floyd County, at 7:29 PM, February 16, 2007
Laura,
I agree, why would there be all of the secrecy unless they had something to hide.
How do we find out whot the owners are?
By
shirley, at 8:48 PM, February 16, 2007
Shirley,
I believe the only way we will ever find out who the real owners are is through an investigation.
By
East Ender, at 5:38 PM, February 17, 2007
Why not just ask for the lease through a Public Record Request? This would make more sense than hinting at some sort of problem or conspiracy or malfeasance that may or may not exist...
By
Anonymous, at 9:03 PM, February 18, 2007
And one couldn't come at a better time. There is still more stuff coming out.
They still haven't separated the drainage from the sewers. In last January's sewer board minutes, the Controller was trying to set up a bank account in order to get Sanitation out of Sewers, but how do you set up a bank account for something 2 million in the red?
Now we are looking into drainage and stormwater...man, even a committee had to be set up to find the monies collected since 1998. I feel they were collected in 98 and 99, because Gibbons and Schmidt sat on the drainage committee and I know they did projects -- it's going to be 2000 when LeMar was in -- I can't even imagine this nightmare.
And why isn't drainage out of the sewers yet? Wait until they find out one past Mayor put in 98 $100.00 for all new development of houses and duplexes; but .05 per square foot for commercial and industrial. Supposedly a certain developer raised ten kinds of hey and they lowered the amount down to .05. That's just ridiculously low. Gosh, am I tired of paying for the impact fees for development -- from sewers on down... blah!
By
A Democrat in Floyd County, at 2:56 AM, February 19, 2007
The best answer to that question is that there is no lease to ask for in public records.
The only "lease" we've heard about is from Mayor Garner saying they made a deal to use our trucks. The contract that privatized sanitation has no mention of a leasing arrangement, and there are no records of a lease agreement or leasing payments.
By
East Ender, at 10:56 PM, February 20, 2007
So, what is the answer? How do we find out who owns the "big red trucks?" If it is New Albany, let's get them back over here. What are they doing in Louisville?
The out-sourcing of the Sanitation Department has not worked any better than any other outsourcing venture.
Big businesses know it and now so does New Albany.
Where in the world would you even begin to get things straightened out in New Albany? Police protection, Sanitation Department, Building Commission Department, etc.
Since you brought up the subject, what do you think is the answer?
By
Anonymous, at 12:42 PM, March 15, 2007
We have GOOD news!
A resolution is being prepared to be brought before the Council on March 22nd (date is new) that calls for a full investigation into all issues pertaining to the privatization of the sanitation contract.
There are many, many questions and apparent 'gaps' in the contract and the actual operations with the Brand New, new sanitation company.
(who are they???)
Just FYI, did you realize that a New Albany Police Officer has a starting salary of about $22K, but that salary gets more than a 80% increase in the second year, going to about $42K after one year of service?
Seems that we might want to consider something more cost effective for new hires there. Nothing against the Police Officers, but to get this town back on track everyone is having to tighten belts up a little.
BUT FOR GOD'S SAKE, PARK THOSE CARS!!!
By
East Ender, at 6:38 PM, March 15, 2007
Everyone should take some time to read both Steve Price's blog and the Fiscally Conservative Democrat blog for a couple of very enlightening articles.
By
East Ender, at 6:48 PM, March 15, 2007
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