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When councilor Staggers asked this question at the Budget Hearings yesterday I just about died laughing, you could have heard a pin drop as you waited for the chief to answer, he basically said NO, but did say they must be capable of doing their jobs. Then Kermit followed it up with a question about cops accepting free meals (more laughter) and finished with the perceived parking lot gatherings of several patrol cars at a time. Barthel classified them as breaks. Let’s see, they sit on their ass in a patrol car their whole shift, so they need to get together in the Mickey D’s parking lot on breaks? It was one of the better lines of questioning I have heard so far in the hearings.
One of the other strange KERMIT moments was when he started questioning Jennifer Holsen, HR Director, about her budget after her presentation. She rudely cuts him off and says something about “If I knew I was going to get these questions I would have brought my stuff, I would prefer to have a special meeting to address these questions.” Um, Jennifer, just because you are a shortimer (she will be retiring soon) doesn’t mean you can skirt your responsibilities. These are called hearings for a reason, it’s so the councilors can ask questions. You should have came prepared. Her statements to Staggers were very rude and also showed she has forgotten who she works for. Good Riddance!
HEARING UPDATE:
Also during the hearing, councilor Staggers reveleaved two questionable expenditures of the city library. One was for $162,000 for contractors to basically peal wallpaper off walls and tear up carpeting. Apparently city maintenance workers “Don’t do that type of work.” It must take a professional to figure out how to pull up carpet.
The second was $25,000 for security of the DT library, apparently our city police that are located three blocks away are not capable of locking the doors and assisting the librarians to their cars so they have to pay a rent-a-cop to do that. As Archie Bunker whould say “GEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ.”