I just got off the horn with a South DaCola foot soldier, and I had a revealing conversation with her.
FIRST, the City Survey. She told me she received the survey, (images soon) but what I found surprising and wasteful was that the survey company sent a postcard to her a week ago alerting her she would be receiving the survey, then she received the survey today. What’s the point? The postcard and survey couldn’t fit into the same envelope? That, and the results are sent to New Jersey, not Colorado (the supposed location of the company that does the survey).
While we are at it, let’s talk about this survey. Remember, it only goes to aproximately 3,000 people, but the city found it necessary to do a commercial alerting the public about the survey. So you would assume this commercial would be on public radio and on CityLink 16 TV. Nope. Cable television. In fact I have seen the commercial twice on MSNBC during primetime political shows. Last week at the informational meeting, councilor Staggers brought up the conflict of interest council chair Costello has by being in the commercial, since he is running for mayor (essentially a taxpayer funded mayoral endorsement). But kiddies, it gets better. While half of the councilors think it is ‘much to do about nothing’, Beninga’s comment, and Knudson said, she ‘just shakes her head’. The other half oppose the commercial. (Anderson, Jamison, Brown and Staggers did not defend the commercial). I remained on the fence about the commercial until I saw it last night. It features Costello and Munson in separate frame shots talking about the survey (in slick suits and silk ties) The commercial ends with Costello saying this (verbatim) “And thank you for allowing us to lead this great city.” If that isn’t a freebee mayoral commercial, I don’t know what is. While I think it is okay for the mayor to be talking about the city survey, I can’t understand why the whole council was not included in the commericial? Trust me, this was no freaking accident. That, and Pat Costello plays stupid when asked about it. I may disagree with Pat on several issues, but their is one thing I know about him, he isn’t stupid. He knew exactly what he was doing.
SECOND, Junk Cleanup. As the Gargoyle Leader reported a few weeks ago (image above) some residents in the city had to have their garbage cleaned up. While I agree the city was in the right to cleanup this rat hole, I am in disagreement with them about who has to pay for the mess; you and me. See, the way code enforcement is setup, the city has no legal right to take someone to court over owing them money for cleanup, and vice versa, the defendant can’t defend themselves in court, which of course leaves us holding the f’ing bag. But this is where the story gets more interesting. The same foot soldier who told me about the survey, also told me that she lives near the pack-rats, and said the yard is in the exact same shape it was before the city cleaned it up a year ago (pictures coming soon). So while the city brags about the job they did, they really have accomplished nothing, except forcing the taxpayers to continue to clean up this shit. It is time the city’s code enforcement laws have changed. If someone wants to be a junk collector, fine, tell a judge about your used mattress storage in your backyard or face the consequences.
is your foot soldier the same one that had to spit three times?
Huh?
during that one lunch date?
Still confused. No. This person you know, but not who you think, just email me fucking already.
I had the same experience with the city survey. I recieved the survey yesterday and haven’t looked at it yet, have to get in gear and look at it and fill it out. I just took a few minutes to peek at the survey and most of the answer choices for each question don’t meet my expectations. I wish I could write a letter of explanation to go with it, but their computer probably wouldn’t read it. lol.
Have to disagree with you about the junk cleanup L3wis. If the person doesn’t pay the, it was reported that it will simply be added to their tax assessments. If they don’t pay their taxes, their homes can and will be seized and auctioned.
Whether you agree or disagree with the process is one thing, but it seems clear to me that the taxpayers won’t be left holding the bag for cleaning up someone else’s mess… unless you are talking about the mess left in the wake of the Munson administration.
That is not how it works. It has been over a year and still no moolah. The only thing the city can do is sue in small claims and have a lein on the house so if they ever sell it then the city gets the money. Like I said before, the way code enforcement is written is flawed.
I’ll agree it is flawed, but I’ve been told it is easy for them to add it to the tax assessments as well. It might not happen immediatley, but unless I’m being told wrong – the city can do it if they so desire.
Isn’t that why that family was concerned that they would lose their house?
In any case clearly the city needs to find a new method of fining people. This entire process needs to be junked (pun intended).
Even an internal audit has said that, but what has been done? A pretty flow-chart was constructed.
City code 2-66 reads ‘Judicial Review’ when prior to 2007 it read ‘either party can appeal to circuit court’. Basically, only the legal process can be questioned. Junk master cannot appeal into court and neither can the city for fines/cost. The criminal here is the city. They charged onto private property without a court order and seized personal property. The property owner should have sued for trespassing and theft. With ‘Home Rule’ they can fine up to $600 but have no way to collect if they cannot take someone into court. Soon, there will be a declaratory judgement (martial law) and the city will be totally disfunctional until they amend codes providing for democratic constitutional due process.