Blog Oct. 17
Friday, Oct. 17 - I attended the almost three-hour Sewage Treatment Plant
Meeting at the downtown BU Center meeting along with 60 to 65 other people.
Interestingly my opponent in Legislative District 12 did not attend eventhough this
sewage plant treatment issue greatly affects every municipality in our District (JC,
Dickinson & Binghamton)
The Sewage Treatment Board attempted to dazzle us with data.
We got a lot on what things were like in '65. We got a lot of information on flow
rates & varying plant capacity. We were told there were 86 permit violations in 2
years prior to '93, then the violations dropped to "2 or 3 per month". Now we are
suppose to feel good about "only" 8 violations in the last 2 years.
We got very little in terms of the future or how to improve things.
There seem to be a litany of problems through the entire process at every level of
operation.
Ed Crumb said, "there has been a number of injuries" at the plant which have raised
health costs. Injuries at a plant clearly imply poor management & training.
One such example of poor management has been costing us $37,000/month since
August & if the project is not done very soon before winter, which it probably will
not, it will then sit idle all through the winter until spring costing us over $300,000.
This cost is due entirely to delays in planning. It was entirely avoidable. That is
$300,000 we are paying because people just did not do their job in a timely fashion.
I don't know about you but if I cost the company(ies) I worked for $300,000
because I don't get something done on time, I'm out of a job.
I first heard about this on Sept. 22 in Binghamton City Chambers where I sat alone
in the seats. Mr. Crumb told City Council the request for bids had gone out in
August. Councilwoman Rennia was shocked because she pointed out City Council
had approved the bid back in January '08. Ms. Rennia had left the meeting yesterday
before I asked Mr. Crumb who was to blame for this delay.
He spread the blame on all parties involved & said the Sewage Board wished things
had been done more quickly.
Don't we all.
I went campaigning door-to-door 2 hours after that meeting yesterday, by sheer
coincidence the 3rd door I knocked on was Board Chair Ken Kinsman. His wife
answered the door and I introduced myself. I mentioned the County takeover of
the sewage treatment is among my priorities. The woman then asked if I would like
to speak to the Chairman of the Board!
What are the odds of hitting that particular door of so many in the District right after
the meeting? I said sure, I'd like to speak to Mr. Kinsman. . As I mentioned to them,
as I tell many people whose door I knock on, I don't use any lists right now, I knock
on every door and offer the same information. I don't pander to different
constituents. Mr. Kinsman and I continued a discussion. We do not agree on
everything that needs to happen at the plant but there are some points we do
agree upon, such as the need to re-visited the outdated inter-municipal agreements.
I have come away from all this with the impression neither Binghamton nor Johnson
City have the necessary time and resources on City Council or Village Board to
properly handle the complexities of an ever-expanding plant.
What I did impress upon Mr. Kinsman is that I wanted his vote in about two weeks
and my presence at his earlier meeting and later at his door illustrates I will do a
better job as his Legislator representing him at a county level. I am engaged and
pro-active.
Meeting at the downtown BU Center meeting along with 60 to 65 other people.
Interestingly my opponent in Legislative District 12 did not attend eventhough this
sewage plant treatment issue greatly affects every municipality in our District (JC,
Dickinson & Binghamton)
The Sewage Treatment Board attempted to dazzle us with data.
We got a lot on what things were like in '65. We got a lot of information on flow
rates & varying plant capacity. We were told there were 86 permit violations in 2
years prior to '93, then the violations dropped to "2 or 3 per month". Now we are
suppose to feel good about "only" 8 violations in the last 2 years.
We got very little in terms of the future or how to improve things.
There seem to be a litany of problems through the entire process at every level of
operation.
Ed Crumb said, "there has been a number of injuries" at the plant which have raised
health costs. Injuries at a plant clearly imply poor management & training.
One such example of poor management has been costing us $37,000/month since
August & if the project is not done very soon before winter, which it probably will
not, it will then sit idle all through the winter until spring costing us over $300,000.
This cost is due entirely to delays in planning. It was entirely avoidable. That is
$300,000 we are paying because people just did not do their job in a timely fashion.
I don't know about you but if I cost the company(ies) I worked for $300,000
because I don't get something done on time, I'm out of a job.
I first heard about this on Sept. 22 in Binghamton City Chambers where I sat alone
in the seats. Mr. Crumb told City Council the request for bids had gone out in
August. Councilwoman Rennia was shocked because she pointed out City Council
had approved the bid back in January '08. Ms. Rennia had left the meeting yesterday
before I asked Mr. Crumb who was to blame for this delay.
He spread the blame on all parties involved & said the Sewage Board wished things
had been done more quickly.
Don't we all.
I went campaigning door-to-door 2 hours after that meeting yesterday, by sheer
coincidence the 3rd door I knocked on was Board Chair Ken Kinsman. His wife
answered the door and I introduced myself. I mentioned the County takeover of
the sewage treatment is among my priorities. The woman then asked if I would like
to speak to the Chairman of the Board!
What are the odds of hitting that particular door of so many in the District right after
the meeting? I said sure, I'd like to speak to Mr. Kinsman. . As I mentioned to them,
as I tell many people whose door I knock on, I don't use any lists right now, I knock
on every door and offer the same information. I don't pander to different
constituents. Mr. Kinsman and I continued a discussion. We do not agree on
everything that needs to happen at the plant but there are some points we do
agree upon, such as the need to re-visited the outdated inter-municipal agreements.
I have come away from all this with the impression neither Binghamton nor Johnson
City have the necessary time and resources on City Council or Village Board to
properly handle the complexities of an ever-expanding plant.
What I did impress upon Mr. Kinsman is that I wanted his vote in about two weeks
and my presence at his earlier meeting and later at his door illustrates I will do a
better job as his Legislator representing him at a county level. I am engaged and
pro-active.
Note the Powerpoint presentation with the slide from 1960 of the Vestal Parkway. Do we really care now
that things were different then? Is that really an excuse for not addressing problems 43 years later?
that things were different then? Is that really an excuse for not addressing problems 43 years later?
About 65 people in all showed up for this meeting, that's a lot more than back in September 22 when I
sat alone in the audience seats for first City Council meeting for the Sewage Treatment Board budget
presentation.
sat alone in the audience seats for first City Council meeting for the Sewage Treatment Board budget
presentation.