WHY IS IT? The Fromberg Public Works Department has consistently removed snow from the South and West Side of 100 West River Street for years. Is the Town billing for this snow removal service? Public Works Department DOES NOT perform the same snow removal service on the North and West Side of 100 West River Street. Senior Citizens struggle to get in and out of the United States Postal Office (123 West River Street) as well as the Fromberg Senior Citizen Center (111 West River Street), both of which are on the North side of 100 West River Street. Is this arbitrary? Is this capricious? Is this Discriminatory?
I will answer complaints and try not to be snide or negative.
1. Snow Removal. I walked on the streets of Fromberg today and BOTH sides of West River Street was plowed except where cars were parked, (4).
At 6:53 pm, I was once more downtown , the streets were plowed EXCEPT where people had not moved their cars. It was clean in front of the PO,
Senior Center and several business’. Many of the downtown business’ make sure the sidewalks in front of the business are cleaned, but there are a
few that just seem to wait for someone else to take care of that little chore for them.
2. Town Agenda. Those agencies that are on the agenda were contacted long before the agenda was formed. They don’t have a problem, so why do
you?
Those who CHOSE to submit letters of intent to fill the empty council chair, did so willingly. They are NOT elected, or nominated, but appointed
members of the current elected council to fill the remainder of the term left open. Vote by ballot is the towns option.
3. The current status of the town website is currently being updated and as soon as that is completed we will be adding the information needed.
4. Employee hiring. The employees now employed by the town were hired by the former council and Mayor. One employee was added last year to
fill a vacancy. He has a lot of experience and I have heard nothing but positive comments. We have a lot of projects on our plate and will be very
busy at times with the new sewer system. It is the PWD’s certification and license on the line if things go awry.
5. Parking. Why are you so darned concerned about parking?? There are four spaces in front of city hall and most of them rarely have a car parked
there. Seems as if you have caught the “obsession with parking ” disease.
6. Monday Council Meeting. The meeting has been postponed. Yes, the roads were very bad, wrecks on 212, one person killed. Wind was blowing
snow, newspapers undelivered and many other difficulties. The town requires the town attorney to be at meetings that have legal opinions coming
up and appointments made.
As for other trivial complaints, time stamps, posting dates, etc., the law requires the agenda be posted publicly 48 hrs in advance. We are not by law required to put it on the website. Unless you have an actual WORKING KNOWLEDGE of city business or any business for that matter, please do not presume to know what is being done or not being done!! Those who post with under a pseudonym, if you want the facts, come and talk to me face to face. I try to have regular hours at city hall twice a week. If I am not there it is because I have meetings or consultations elsewhere.
As always, Thank You for your comments… I always welcome them, critical or not.
Ifn ya ain’t got facts in this hear page n them vidios why it be difrent face ta face. Leestwise ain’t gotta traipse in no snow ta get hear. Ain’t that why peoples do that soceal medea thin. Convaniense ya kno.
Before I get started, I would just like to say that the following:
“I will answer complaints and try not to be snide or negative.”
is a poor preface to your post, as after reading your post, you absolutely came across as both snide and negative.
In keeping with the theme of prefacing posts, I would like to say that my post does not include a complaint regarding anything specific going on in the town, but of your response and how you handled criticism poorly.
1) I find it very off-putting that you take a position of superiority in your response. While you are the leader of the town, you are not the superior to its citizens. I think that sometimes those in a position of power lose sight of the fact that they have been chosen by the citizens of the town, county, state, or country that you are leading. That does not make them better than its citizens. It also does not afford them the right to speak down to its citizens, even if its citizens are ill-informed or incorrect.
2) A town is not a business, nor are you its boss. You are, in fact, an employee of the town. Your campaign was your interview process, and your election was your hiring. Sadly, too many elected officials nowadays feel like once they are elected, they no longer need to answer to the citizens. This brings along with it an air of superiority and the idea that they know better. I am not saying that you feel this way, but your post has hints of this attitude throughout.
3) Your post comes across as very close-minded and resistant to change. This is because the arguments that you present are immature. Saying things like
“They don’t have a problem, so why do you?”
or,
“Unless you have an actual WORKING KNOWLEDGE of city business or any business for that matter, please do not presume to know what is being done or not being done!!”
or my personal favorite,
“the law requires the agenda be posted publicly 48 hrs in advance. We are not by law required to put it on the website.”
are cop-outs and weak. Just because things are done a certain way does not mean there isn’t a better way to do it. To try to discredit a point or argument of someone else with arguments like these shows that you aren’t actually willing to try to make things better. Sometimes, a little effort goes a long way. Is it really that difficult to make an attempt to try something new?
4) I think the scariest part of your post is the lack of thought on the implications of your response. It is very obvious from your writing that you feel like these arguments/complaints aren’t valid. However, you don’t know how the person bringing up these complaints feels about these arguments. What if these are things that are extremely important to them? You have basically just told them, “Those things that you think are worth bringing up because they are important to you are not worth my time or my consideration.”
So I leave you with this. How would you feel if you had a complaint and someone responded to you in this way?
Mayor Miller states:
“Unless you have an actual WORKING KNOWLEDGE of city business or any business for that matter, please do not presume to know what is being done or not being done!!”
Said statement is indicative of a style of leadership. Constituents have eyes and ears as well as a constitutional right to put forth valid suggestions. It would be Mayoral to graciously separate wheat from chaff. To actively listen and implement good ideas; not simply disparage them. To reach out from a position of strength, not emotion.
Brian,
You are my new found Superhero beautifully spoken!!!!