John Shay's Fuzzy Math: Beach Maintenance Edition - The Ludington Torch2024-03-28T10:46:40Zhttp://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/forum/topics/john-shay-s-fuzzy-math-beach-maintenance-edition?commentId=4689834%3AComment%3A344098&feed=yes&xn_auth=noHolman, Johnson, Castonia, Ra…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2017-04-26:4689834:Comment:3443812017-04-26T17:35:46.697ZAQUAMANhttp://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/AQUAMAN
<p>Holman, Johnson, Castonia, Rathsack, and Winzcheski are all against social media. Probably the rest too. They don't like thousands of people knowing what they are doing behind closed doors, and making opinions about it. Hell, if they can talk behind the taxpayers backs, why can't the taxpayers? And still like Holman said about the Stearns Park parking fees, "we're not done with this yet". Like I said, write emails, attend mtgs., call them, and still, their fixed agenda is going to rule in…</p>
<p>Holman, Johnson, Castonia, Rathsack, and Winzcheski are all against social media. Probably the rest too. They don't like thousands of people knowing what they are doing behind closed doors, and making opinions about it. Hell, if they can talk behind the taxpayers backs, why can't the taxpayers? And still like Holman said about the Stearns Park parking fees, "we're not done with this yet". Like I said, write emails, attend mtgs., call them, and still, their fixed agenda is going to rule in the end, pitiful and unethical in all respects. If we could start a recall on just one person there, and make it work, it might wake the rest up to start behaving better.</p> Yeah it must be nice to sit u…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2017-04-26:4689834:Comment:3445042017-04-26T01:29:08.836Zjfc123http://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/jfc123
<p>Yeah it must be nice to sit up there all high and mighty and say, "we need x amount of dollars to have the marina dredged!" And ALL jump on board! But let some private business owners be damned 9 years ago and they sit mum! None of us can afford to do what the city should have done long ago! Its not our stuff that was spewed onto our area!</p>
<p>Les thinks its bad now, well many are piling on to social media here and facebook! DDA freaking seriously? Are they gonna build a wall? Why does…</p>
<p>Yeah it must be nice to sit up there all high and mighty and say, "we need x amount of dollars to have the marina dredged!" And ALL jump on board! But let some private business owners be damned 9 years ago and they sit mum! None of us can afford to do what the city should have done long ago! Its not our stuff that was spewed onto our area!</p>
<p>Les thinks its bad now, well many are piling on to social media here and facebook! DDA freaking seriously? Are they gonna build a wall? Why does the whole city not matter? As I said before it should be a LDA, including the 4th ward! If we only had representation on the council!</p>
<p>Les needs to resign immediately, a shame how he attacked that up and coming woman! Never heard him say that to a male? Comments.......</p> Several on this forum run bus…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2017-04-25:4689834:Comment:3445022017-04-25T19:21:57.772ZXLFDhttp://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/TheLudingtonCitizen
<p>Several on this forum run businesses that deal with some of the same issues that the city faces with its beach and its marina, however, they accomplish their necessary tasks with a lot less dollars and with a city acting as a competitive force to them, even with all the benefits they receive as a public facility, such as not having to pay property taxes, gas taxes, and receiving aid from State agencies. </p>
<p>Shay's model is to pay off the rest of the city with high salaries coupled with…</p>
<p>Several on this forum run businesses that deal with some of the same issues that the city faces with its beach and its marina, however, they accomplish their necessary tasks with a lot less dollars and with a city acting as a competitive force to them, even with all the benefits they receive as a public facility, such as not having to pay property taxes, gas taxes, and receiving aid from State agencies. </p>
<p>Shay's model is to pay off the rest of the city with high salaries coupled with fringe benefits over 70% of those salaries. That buys a lot of loyalty, and that's why we get more and more city officials coming to meetings to preserve their payoffs, as happened last night with two members of the "parks" department coming to advocate for parking kiosks..</p> Very good analysis X. And lik…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2017-04-25:4689834:Comment:3441532017-04-25T19:11:36.159ZAQUAMANhttp://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/AQUAMAN
<p>Very good analysis X. And like you stated, who are the 2 employees for Parks that get over $100K per year and what is it they do that deserves that kind of pay? What kind of equipment rentals costs $75K per year? Water utilities at $31K per year? Heat $1K? Where's the heat? In bathrooms, no, they are not heated nor a/c. Then contractual services at $41K/yr.? A lot of explaining to do with these figures imho, because most are way over-priced and/or non-existent, and have no basis for Stearns…</p>
<p>Very good analysis X. And like you stated, who are the 2 employees for Parks that get over $100K per year and what is it they do that deserves that kind of pay? What kind of equipment rentals costs $75K per year? Water utilities at $31K per year? Heat $1K? Where's the heat? In bathrooms, no, they are not heated nor a/c. Then contractual services at $41K/yr.? A lot of explaining to do with these figures imho, because most are way over-priced and/or non-existent, and have no basis for Stearns Park expenses at all!</p> City hallers can throw out n…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2017-04-25:4689834:Comment:3443752017-04-25T19:08:42.411ZXLFDhttp://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/TheLudingtonCitizen
<p> City hallers can throw out numbers like this to justify taking more of your money to keep up with the rising costs, but ask them to justify their costs, then they point to the budget.</p>
<p>As noted, the beach patrol could attend to all seasonal maintenance at Stearns Beach for under $36,000, adding a seasonal worker. The City DPW could itemize the cost of doing the various jobs they do at Stearns by tracking hourly labor, contracted services, and applicable equipment costs. If we take…</p>
<p> City hallers can throw out numbers like this to justify taking more of your money to keep up with the rising costs, but ask them to justify their costs, then they point to the budget.</p>
<p>As noted, the beach patrol could attend to all seasonal maintenance at Stearns Beach for under $36,000, adding a seasonal worker. The City DPW could itemize the cost of doing the various jobs they do at Stearns by tracking hourly labor, contracted services, and applicable equipment costs. If we take their yearly duties under inspection, as noted in their annual report starting on p. 73 of the <a href="https://ludingtoncitymi.documents-on-demand.com/Document/c2ceb72c-cb26-e711-80be-001fbc00ed85/City%20Council%20Agenda%20Packet%20April%2024,%202017.pdf" target="_blank">April 24 packet</a>. You would have them doing nothing at Stearns during winter (other than the negative action of dumping excess snow in the Boat Launch parking lot).</p>
<p>I assume that labor is done by one DPW crew leader for operating heavy equipment ($30/hour) with a crew of two grunt seasonal staff ($10/hour) with lesser tasks done by the grunts, and the cost per hour of heavy equipment (payloader. excavator) to be $100, tractors and smaller at $60. I also assume special event fees will be paid by the one holding the special event. I am not assuming a 71% fringe benefit to wage ratio or that they would take their time.</p>
<p>Spring: </p>
<p>Check whether boat ramps need dredging: $50</p>
<p>Removal of sand fence: $500</p>
<p>Initial Cleaning leveling beach: up to $2600</p>
<p>Open Loomis Street ramps: $1200</p>
<p>Stripe Loomis lot: $500</p>
<p>Put out picnic tables at Stearns: $80</p>
<p>Install seasonal boardwalks: $120</p>
<p>Summer:</p>
<p>Beach cleaning (assumes 2 hours of leveling with tractor, twice a week for 14 weeks): $4000</p>
<p>Fall: </p>
<p>Sand fence installation: $1000</p>
<p>Close beach fish cleaning station: $40</p>
<p>Pull docks at Loomis: $1200</p>
<p>Take batteries out of rock piles at Loomis, remove kiosk: $160</p>
<p></p>
<p>Add this $12,000 to the near $36,000 for the expanded beach safety budget and the total is $48,000 to keep Stearns Park running each year, perhaps even better since there are two patrollers every shift in my amended plan. </p>
<p>Add another $450,000 to get Shay's figure and you can see why our budgetary needs is fat-trimming. I invite any city official to tell me why we need a half million to run this park. </p> And to what credence is there…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2017-04-25:4689834:Comment:3443722017-04-25T18:21:59.624ZBradhttp://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/Brad
<p>And to what credence is there to employees speaking up for something that could help pay their wages and (above average) benefits..?</p>
<p>And to what credence is there to employees speaking up for something that could help pay their wages and (above average) benefits..?</p> I saw some evidence that the…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2017-04-25:4689834:Comment:3440982017-04-25T18:14:41.546ZXLFDhttp://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/TheLudingtonCitizen
<p>I saw some evidence that the city manager, the DPW supervisor Joe Stickney, and Sexton Kirk Caithamer had read the concerns of this article last night at the council meeting. In my recap, I will address some of those official comments.</p>
<p>I saw some evidence that the city manager, the DPW supervisor Joe Stickney, and Sexton Kirk Caithamer had read the concerns of this article last night at the council meeting. In my recap, I will address some of those official comments.</p> Don't forget about the counci…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2017-04-24:4689834:Comment:3444372017-04-24T20:49:14.691ZBradhttp://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/Brad
<p>Don't forget about the council meeting tonight at 6:30 in city hall.</p>
<p>Don't forget about the council meeting tonight at 6:30 in city hall.</p> If it takes 500,000 a year to…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2017-04-24:4689834:Comment:3444342017-04-24T20:26:18.726ZJohn Doe Jrhttp://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/JohnnotdeadStreeter
<p>If it takes 500,000 a year to maintain Stearns Beach then the beach should be closed and handed back to the Stearns family. Shay is a crook and he should be thrown in prison head first!</p>
<p>If it takes 500,000 a year to maintain Stearns Beach then the beach should be closed and handed back to the Stearns family. Shay is a crook and he should be thrown in prison head first!</p> ....And your'e only looking a…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2017-04-24:4689834:Comment:3441502017-04-24T17:06:57.694ZBradhttp://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/Brad
<p>....And your'e only looking at 1 area of the budget. Imagine savings (overspending..) if all areas of budget were looked at in this manner...</p>
<p>Thanks X!</p>
<p>....And your'e only looking at 1 area of the budget. Imagine savings (overspending..) if all areas of budget were looked at in this manner...</p>
<p>Thanks X!</p>