Man of his Word

[Hulk]

http://www.masoncountypress.com/2013/01/22/sheriff-asks-county-to-f...

Its nice to see the Sheriff being man of his word.  He has only been in office for a few weeks and he is tackling our counties problems that have been overlooked for years.  Along with wanting to fix the problems, he is getting involved with Scottville trying to solve their police issues right away, I think the County should have been patrolling Scottville at the beginning of their mess.

[XLFD]

I think you're overstating the post about them doing MCSO duct work as a "county problem", Hulk, but nothing has been tackled just yet for either ducts or Scottville coverage.  The one thing he has changed is the Sheriff's FOIA policy, which he has made a lot more restrictive, I would even dare say it was illegal, and definitely against the State FOIA statutes.  And all that without the OK of the County Board...

Also, it is not good form to delete your discussion to change it, and in so doing delete the respondent's replies.  If those replies are against the terms of service, contact any administrator or me.  if they simply differ from your own or make you uneasy, live with it.

[AQUAMAN]

Hulk, we don't have multiple Counties in our County's business, do you understand "spelling" issues? Either way, the Cole issues of past and now, present, of determining FOIA issues and little ole Scottville's wants for LE enforcement, already come under the MCSO's department, as dictated by it's very existence in Mason County sir! Quit giving extra credit for duties already assumed and expected by LAW! It's a farce and spin-doctor method of complimenting and praising for duties already on the menu of responsibilities that we ALL should expect, and Already PAY FOR!

[XLFD]

True, whatever Scottville does decide to do with their police situation, will affect the way the sheriff's office handles the Scottville area, but either way they will be involved in certain aspects of policing Scottville, even as they help police Ludington City even with its sizable native police force.  It's just a matter of degree. 

[Hulk]

Thanks Aquaman, I glad to see you want to pin point silly spelling areas.  I don't believe that is what this site is about.  

My point is that this will save the city residents a lot of money and if Scottville doesn't want their own Police Department, the County is the way to go.  

[Willy]

Cleaning ducts for $18.000 is way to much so I would think that there must be other repairs involved which were not made known. Duct cleaning is mostly labor intensive. For $18,000 the county could install a separate heating system for the evidence room and isolate it from the rest of the building and still have money left over. As far as air circulation goes, all public buildings require that ventilation systems change the air inside the building several times an hour in order to keep the air supply fresh. Just like any area where people congregate there is going to be a potential for viruses to migrate from one individual to another.

[masonco]

Hulk...The heating system duct work should not cost that much. And as stated if the same stale air that entered the building 14 years ago is still there, then there should be no oxygen left. So I don't buy that line.

For years means dating back to Hartrum and other previous sheriffs during the past 15 years.

It is not even the end of January and Cole is spending huge bucks already. What will happen come September and the money is all spent...then there comes some major unplanned expenses? Would they raise his debt ceiling?

[Hulk]

So how do you know what the costs given to Cole are to high?  He got two quotes and both quotes were nearly the same.  I believe come September there will still be plenty of money left, things need to be done and he can't just sit on the problems because he is afraid of what a small percentage of people will think.  You sit on this type of problem to long and big problems could occur.

[XLFD]

Research, my lad.  I first note that if two independently made quotes come in at about the same price, that is probably what the going rate is going to be, as you infer.  But is $18,000 to clean air ducts worth it? 

There's no scientific evidence that regular duct cleaning improves air quality, according to a 1997 brochure published by the Environmental Protection Agency. Laureen Burton, senior scientist in the EPA Indoor Environments Division, says that while the document is more than a decade old, the science hasn't changed and the agency stands by its recommendations.

"Checking and changing filters, keeping systems maintained, having regular inspections, and ensuring moisture doesn't get in are more important," she says.

I do not usually defer to EPA research, but since this goes against their normal grain, I attach some significance to it.  During the campaign, Cole was complaining about burnt out light bulbs, mold, mildew and this problem.  The main problem is likely that the union doesn't feel that it's within a member's dignity to change a light bulb, clean bathroom fixtures, or change a furnace filter. 

And there may not even be a problem, I don't know, but can we at least get some air quality testing to see whether $18,000 of the taxpayer's money is needed to be spent?  A do-it-yourself kit for multiple testings can be gotten for $50, or spend $200 for a monitor instead of declaring an emergency and spending 100 times that on a needless procedure every time a deputy coughs or feels stuffed up.  And maybe some standard operating procedures for regularly changing/cleaning filters would help too?

[Chuck Finley]

Wow! Nothing is right for you is it?! I dare to say if you worked there and didn't have the ability to have open windows you would be screaming bloody murder by now.

[XLFD]

None of the sort, but something like air quality and mold spores are quantifiable and documentable.  Instead of saying an anecdote like "when one person gets sick, everyone gets sick" (such is the nature of communicable diseases).  Eighteen thou for questionable-resulted cleaning, when there is no problem, or there is a problem that can be fixed by minor expenses and labor for maintenance, is an extravagance that needs to be more than just hearsay.  What happens if it still feels moldy and stuffy after the cleaning? 

But the deputies are free to chip in a weeks salary each if they really want to get this cleaning done and I will send some praise their way.  Meanwhile, I'm going to check up on those quotes... 

[Hulk]

So you are suggesting the Deputies should chip in their pay to have things cleaned?  That is ridiculous.  When the County had work done on the Courthouse, did the Courthouse employees have to chip in some of their pay to have things done?  When you were at LFD, did you have to chip in your pay to have things fixed around there?  Or when you got new equipment did you chip in your pay for it?

[XLFD]

If the commission denies it, yes, they should chip in and get it done, if they feel strongly about it.  New construction and repairs, like what happened at the courthouse, are a different matter than cleaning ducts when the need for it has not been proven, but I think it would have been great to see exactly what they had planned to do at the Courthouse and whether they got a good deal on it from the contractors.

As for working on our part-paid local fire department, a year's salary there was worth about two weeks of pay at the rate at which the senior officers of the LPD get.   And this for being available at a moments notice, 24/7. 

But it always seemed whenever we needed something to get done or fixed around the department, it almost always came from volunteered time, professional services, and money.  Even when our guy was mayor of the City.