Let’s take a deeper look at the press release Tom Owen sent out via Metro Council yesterday. It’s one of the more hard-hitting moments involving Greg Fischer in recent memory.
Let’s just look at a portion of the release:
“I’m worried that our residents can’t follow all these cancellations and changes quickly enough to prevent our garbage from piling up,” Owen says.
To save an estimated $25,000 in overtime expenses, Metro Solid Waste Services eliminated the Monday January 2 collection instead of following the traditional practice of bumping collections one day forward after holidays. As a result, some Urban Services District (old City) residents with Monday collections haven’t had garbage collection since December 26.
Further confusion has been introduced by the permanent changes in collection days that began on Monday, January 9th for over 70,000 households across Metro Louisville and the earlier announcement that there will again be no collections on Martin Luther King Holiday (next Monday, January 16) to save an additional $25,000.
“The whole plan with double-barrel cancellations and route changes was ill-conceived,” he offered. “I understand the need for cost savings but this is just too much. Mayor Fischer should have consulted Council members who represent residents who pay those extra taxes for urban services including garbage, recycling and yard waste collection.”
Owen complains that it is unfair to ask some in the Urban Services District to provide the savings through service reductions.
“What skin do our suburban folks have in the game?” he asks.
Owen says after a review of past and newly introduced collections maps with the Director of Public Works, he is convinced the Highlands neighborhoods in District 8 are being unfairly singled out for reductions because they happen to have a lot of Monday collections in January.
“I will say,” Owen declares, “the Mayor at least got the Council’s attention with his overtime reduction scheme. For next fiscal year, Mayor Fischer and the Council have got to come up with a more equitable plan for achieving real savings.”
Here’s a photo he included, taken at Barrret Avenue near Winter:
Owen is making himself available to the press all week to air his concerns about Fischer’s new trash collection schedule.
What was that, again, about Fischer having a great working relationship with Metro Council? About that…
18 responses so far ↓
1 c herron // Jan 10, 2012 at 12:06 pm
if the city is spending so much on overtime and the reduction in overtime pay means less services, then it seems to me that the mayor just needs to hire more people to collect trash.
2 voted for Hal // Jan 10, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Bonehead move. I only heard about it by reading the CJ. All of my neighbors left their cans along the street for the entire week. Apparently nobody reads the CJ anymore :)
3 jake // Jan 10, 2012 at 12:22 pm
I’d bet at least one nut that Greg had no idea the urban services district existed before taking office.
Probably didn’t even know about it until recently.
4 Phil // Jan 10, 2012 at 1:08 pm
Hiring more people costs more than overtime in many cases. The administrative costs associated with employing people is something that many overlook.
5 John // Jan 10, 2012 at 1:49 pm
I was the only person on my street who read it in the paper. (Not a big deal to me since I’m not very trashy–I only set it out once a month anyway, since most everything gets recycled these days.) But this was a clear bungle by the city. If you’re going to the trouble and expense of sending out postcards telling people about their new garbage/recycling days, why couldn’t you have put something on that same postcard about no Monday pick up for those two weeks as well? Obviously, putting something in the paper isn’t going to cut it in this day and age. (Never mind the fact that these people are paying city taxes for a weekly service that they aren’t getting for two weeks. If it had been me, I would have asked about a property tax credit for services not rendered.)
6 Phil // Jan 10, 2012 at 2:17 pm
The point of cutting overtime is to hopefully reduce the tax burden, this is just taking one for the team. Others, including myself, will have days that our garbage is not picked up due to holidays.
I believe that missing a garbage pick-up is not the end of the world. Heck, I missed mine today because I forgot to put it out.
7 jake // Jan 10, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Focusing on not picking up the trash is missing the point, I believe.
The real point is that this is the latest in a long string of uckfups from Fischer. The handling of it, anyway. It turned into a public relations nightmare that probably costs more than the overtime would have cost.
That said – there’s no reason some of the director level salaries can’t be cut. Really, $90K for LMAS? $80K for a deputy? What’s the Parks head make? The “innovation” guy? We’re paying those shysters out the ass instead of directing money to the services that actually keep us teetering on the edge of the modern era.
I stopped having a positive thought about Greg Fischer the moment he walked into office and refused to examine the way each and every penny is spent by Metro Government.
8 keatssycamore // Jan 10, 2012 at 3:27 pm
“The point of cutting overtime is to hopefully reduce the tax burden”
The single funniest thing I’ve read today. Keep me posted on how that works out for you, Phil.
I think Jake really nailed it above (cause if you think this is the extent of the “taking” of services the Fischer “team” has in mind, you’re nuts):
“We’re paying those shysters out the ass instead of directing money to the services that actually keep us teetering on the edge of the modern era.”
9 jake // Jan 10, 2012 at 3:30 pm
And I don’t even mean fancy services.
Just talking basics like: sewers, trash, emergency. THE most basic services government can offer, really. At least as far as major services go.
10 G'town Reader // Jan 10, 2012 at 3:34 pm
As a Tues. pick-up (until Jan. 9) my trash was collected on schedule the wk. of Jan. 2 – although prior media announcements were QUITE confusing. So – as a newly designated MONDAY pick-up who must do without on Jan. 16, I made it my mission to have my trash out this past Sun. nite for my NEW Mon. collection this week – which would have to last until Jan. 23. I saw the truck Mon. collecting directly behind my house – several hours later than I had been used to on my old Tues. schedule. An hour or so later when I went out to bring my can back into my yard, I found that THEY HAD FAILED TO COLLECT MINE. Got ALL my nearby neighbors, but total FAIL on mine. Called 311, who was mentally challenged – told me to put my can back out because they were still working my route – even tho’ I assured him TWICE that I physically saw the truck earlier, stopped – collecting from the all the OTHER cans behind my property! So – I obediently sat my can back out, only to bring it back in today, still uncollected!!!!!!!!!!!
11 jake // Jan 10, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Bypass 311, bypass the mayor’s office, call the trash folks directly.
They’re good about correcting mistakes (in my experience, which may be exaggerated because of this platform).
12 rplant // Jan 10, 2012 at 6:29 pm
Mine regularly leaves stuff on the ground around the recycling bin – it is crazy.
13 curtis morrison // Jan 10, 2012 at 7:25 pm
Tom Owen is “alarmed” by Mayor Fischer changing the garbage day? But the Mayor raising money for his inauguration party but putting it in his pocket, he has no qualms with that. The Mayor promised if we couldn’t afford 2 bridges, then we’d build the East End one first, but when we found out we couldn’t afford it he instead abandoned all responsibility for building the East End bridge altogether. No peep from Tom on that. The Mayor took $40,000 from Insight lobbyists while he’s negotiating with them, that’s okay. The Mayor giving the same annual $1 million to GLI so they could facilitate the compromising of our politicians, while selling out our community, that’s so very cool, Tom let it go on the consent calendar. Letting Tommy Elliott negotiate deals for the city when he’s not working for the city, that’s okay. Tommy Elliott appointing board and committee members? Confirmed every one.
But heaven forbid he change the trash day. This is what makes him alarmed?? Councilman, please.
14 Melvin // Jan 10, 2012 at 8:43 pm
You are right, compared to all of the items you listed garbage is a trivial problem. Unfortunately we live in a country where regular people just roll their eyes at government crimes like that. Everyone knows it happens but they still are immune to it. In affect no one calls the councilman. Has no visible effect on everyday life. Of course it is worse than a missed garbage day. When people see a direct affect they call the councilman. This issue is more about a direct service problem that is a basic service. No one is saying that trash service is worse than government crime. More people call and voice their concerns or complaints when it effects their everyday life.
Hey, if it makes more people notice what a lousy mayor we have I say take what you can get!
15 totalfailure // Jan 10, 2012 at 8:46 pm
Really Owen. Listen you old fart; MSD, EMS and LMAS is clusterfuck and you focus on garbage!?! What a moron. Its bad enough we have a loser for a Mayor but it is worse to have idiot council critters that are clueless, spineless and out of touch (At least King isn’t the only wuss). Collectively, they are too stupid to realize they can look strong and call out Fischy but they rather put out garbage
16 Steve // Jan 11, 2012 at 9:40 am
I live in an area of Metro Louisville where I must pay to have my garbage picked up each week. So, city garbage pickup is not an issue for me. What is an issue is MSD, EMS, LMAS, a park director who is caught drinking and driving a city vehicle, the Mayor and who he puts on boards, etc.
Mr. Owen and the other metro folks need to focus on that garbage that is taking place in the ville and how to clean it up.
17 EL // Jan 14, 2012 at 10:38 pm
Most holidays fall on Monday, right? So whoever has Monday collection is basically screwed.
18 jake // Jan 14, 2012 at 10:41 pm
I believe this is a flustercuck for Greg for sure.
But.
Part of me wants to jab people in the eye for throwing so much crap away. How is it possible that so many people have so much waste?!
Perfect opportunity for people to learn to stop wasting so much.
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