Woman put out appliances during clean-up week.
The city requires that residents purchase stickers for those appliances.
The appliances were stolen from junk pile.
Citizen wants refund.
Council wants her to use stickers next year or sell the stickers.
Councilperson Frohardt points out that there is a letter in the councilperson’s packet with the same problem.
All of the tickets are numbered and committed to the appliances.
When the program was put into place, the thinking was that residents were paying to get rid of the appliance and if it is the city or thieves, the appliance disappeared from the curbs.
If we were to reverse our policy, how much of an administration headache would that cause?
The council once considered not having spring clean-up. It depends on how much money we have.
City loses in the neighborhood of 2 to 3000K providing this service.
It’s an issue this year because steel is worth a lot of money.
This will be on the agenda in the future.
Copyright (c)2007-2010 Curtis Bloes All Rights Reserved
It's this simple. If the person shows up with an unused sticker, give them their money back. If they don't have a sticker, no money back.
ReplyDeleteIf the city loses money on the program, raise the rates, don't charge people for a service you didn't provide.
...sorry Brian, they already have the money wrapped up in a special rubber band in a specific corner of the front desk from which it can't be retrieved!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part is where they were almost brave enough to put it on the agenda so that the public could come discuss it before decided to discuss it in closed committee instead.
By the time it shows up on the agenda, it will not matter what the public wants, it will only matter what the committee wants… as usual.
Criminals.
jerks
ReplyDeleteCurt need insert some Banjo music in the background....
ReplyDeleteI, too, purchased stickers to put on appliances to have hauled away. One disappeared before I put a sticker on it; other two were removed with stickers on them less than one hour before city pick up. Although it would be nice to have the money returned, I was willing to pay the price to have them disposed of; they are now safely away from my home. Whether someone salvages them or the city puts them into the landfill, there is little difference to me. It was worth the price to get rid of them. It certainly is the case that the city gets some windfall profits from the "unused" stickers. Perhaps the money can be used to repair a couple potholes on our street?
ReplyDeletePeople paid money so the City would remove an appliance from their property (instead of paying a special pickup rate which would likely be higher, or hauling it to the landfill themselves, which would also be higher and more trouble).
ReplyDeleteSaid appliance was removed before the city hauled it away. Some with the sticker applied, some before the sticker had been applied.
So... You paid money to make something go away. It went away, but not in the manner you had planned.
How is this the city's problem?
shameful,
ReplyDeleteGovernment should and cannot be in the business of making a profit. It recieves taxes and then makes profit by not providing a service?! I thought Iowans were supposed to be fair. It certainly is not by the measure of this city govt.
Stopping such cleanups will only make areas of Sac more of an eyesore.
more bad press by Sac city govt.
Shameful!
Here is a thought, allow appliances to be picked up year-round with the approapriate sticker attached. Less overtime and 1 day work for the city. maybe city cleanup could be a year-round focus.
ReplyDeleteThat is an idea to think about, having it year around but maybe charge a little more. Have you ever watched our city employees during pick-up week? Every year I watch them pick up and they work very very hard. I really feel sorry for them. Maybe if they did have it year around it wouldn't be so hard on them, and our city would be cleaner. I wouldn't mind paying a higher rate if the city is loosing money. I surely couldn't haul it and pay the landfill for what they charge now.
ReplyDeleteHere is another thought lets just completely do away with spring clean-up week. It cost the city money that could go elsewhere. No matter what the city council decides it's wrong anyway. Lets go back to dumping appliances and garbage in road ditches or just let it sit in our yards like they do down south. Suck it up you paid $25.00 to have your appliances removed, there gone so get over it. It would have cost you that much to take it to landfill anyway. You should find the person's who took them and thank them for their services. They saved the City money.
ReplyDeleteSo, let's say I am awarded the job to mow the city cemeteries. Shortly after I get the job, a herd of cows gets loose, comes through, grazes all the grass down to an acceptable level, and I don't have to do anything. Do you think the city still pays me my stipend?
ReplyDeleteNo? Well, why not? They paid for it to get done, and it got done, right? Who cares how it got done, right?
I know this example seems far-fetched, but let's just pretend it happened. Maybe someone could come up with a better analogy.