tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377411732843394854.post4309764978296408813..comments2024-02-18T06:41:44.121-05:00Comments on Thinking Out Loud In Sturbridge: Excuse Me, I'm A Bit Confused.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377411732843394854.post-55139885483730616402013-04-17T05:43:43.847-04:002013-04-17T05:43:43.847-04:00That was an interesting meeting last night. I can...That was an interesting meeting last night. I can't help but think that Mary B seems to think this was just a witch hunt. I have no reason to doubt that Chief Horn is qualified to do a study of this nature. I feel that she was angry that the study was done at all. I am glad the study was done and the deficiencies were brought to light. A lot of the things are safety related, it is hard to make a defense for many of them. I am also glad that Creamer is knowledgeable in firefighting. I learned a lot listening to the meeting last night. I did not like how Tom was talking to the Chief at times but you could tell he is passionate about it. If it was someone who did not know what he was talking about i would have been angered. I cant wait for the comments bashing Creamer on this one, it should be interesting. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377411732843394854.post-74353035028652990842013-04-13T00:40:43.590-04:002013-04-13T00:40:43.590-04:00The info and links to it are in the above comments...The info and links to it are in the above comments! Some of us have indeed read them, and watched meetings, but judging from the comments of the last anonymous, he or she hasn't bothered to read all the comments about which he or she has complained.Oh, Really?noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377411732843394854.post-31271963180961385912013-04-12T23:46:01.413-04:002013-04-12T23:46:01.413-04:00What I find most interesting is that everyone comp...What I find most interesting is that everyone complains about wasting taxpayer money. Then, when the town becomes proactive by forming the GSSC, which by the way, stands for Government Services Study Committee, and finds there are inadequacies or needs, residents complain that $3,000 was wasted hiring a very qualified consultant who wrote a topnotch report? <br /><br />What have I missed? <br /><br />Shaun Suhoski does not have a background in running a fire department, so why would he be expected to be competent for such a task? That's like sending a milkman to take out someone's kidney. <br /><br />But what I find most annoying in this string of comments is that no one in this string seems to have actually read the report, which is online at the town's website; no one attends or watches meetings so they have accurate information; and worst of all, people complain but don't vote or attend town meetings. <br /><br />If you really want to know the answers to these questions, inform yourself first by availing yourself of the information available, then the conversation can progress and there will be a worthwhile information exchange. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377411732843394854.post-6701573873724384502013-04-12T21:49:52.315-04:002013-04-12T21:49:52.315-04:00The Town Administrator is supposed to manage the d...The Town Administrator is supposed to manage the departments within the town. However, this is Sturbridge. There are some in "volunteer" positions that do not feel that is the case. The power associated with the TA is undermined by others. This type of thing will happen again. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377411732843394854.post-34765764591258877762013-04-12T21:09:38.092-04:002013-04-12T21:09:38.092-04:00I understand questioning when the money was approp...I understand questioning when the money was appropriated for the study. However, i have a feeling that we will see more than 3000 dollars in savings hopefully just with scheduling changes that lead to a reduction in OT that is running rampant in both the FD and PD. <br /><br />There is no doubt in my mind that there are some serious issues with the leadership in the FD. If people are just assuming that the study is flawed and that everything is fine and dandy in the FD i would recommend having someone help pull your head out of the sand.<br /><br />Its about time we have something like the GSSC. It is not a bad thing having some over-site of our government. I wonder how long things were not being run properly at the FD and also how long it would have continued without the GSCC and the study that they brought on? I will take fuzzy foggy finding over no findings at all any day of the week, at least someone is looking...<br /><br />Last thing kudos to the poster who mentioned <br />"So this is telling us the Town of Sturbridge that our Town Administrator is not capable of doing his job and we had to go to Mendon to a Town Administrator & Fire Chief for a report."<br /><br />That's a good point. I dont hold the BOS accountable for the state of the PD as they are basically volunteers to the community. The person who is running the town i think should be held accountable for over seeing all departments, i think that's what he gets paid to do... <br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377411732843394854.post-56177111569243483792013-04-12T18:50:49.180-04:002013-04-12T18:50:49.180-04:00It looks like the committee discussed this in mid ...It looks like the committee discussed this in mid Dec. but didn't contract with the consultant until Jan.28.<br />The below is from: http://www.town.sturbridge.ma.us/Public_Documents/SturbridgeMA_GSSCMin/I03C928E0.0/GSSC_Minutes_12_14_12.pdf<br /><br />TOWN OF STURBRIDGE<br />Government Services Study Committee (GSSC)<br />Minutes of December 14, 2012<br /><br />EVALUATION OF MENDON SITE & PROPOSAL BY CHIEF HORN<br />The following members of the Committee attended the visit.<br /><br />Ms. Gimas<br /><br />Ms. Redetzke<br /><br />Mr. Levine<br /><br />Mr. Arndt<br /><br />Mr. Suhoski, Town Administrator<br />The Committee was very impressed with the<br />camaraderie of<br />the Mendon Safety<br />Complex, and Chief Horn’s expertise regarding how he changed the departments to run<br />more efficiently.<br />The Committee discussed with Chief Horn having him conduct an evaluation of the<br />Sturbridge Fire Department.<br />The Committee<br />agreed that the purpose of this study, and the expected results, will<br />provide the BOS, Chief Senecal and the residents of Sturbridge with a comprehensive<br />review of the current administrative and operational status of the Fire Department.<br />Ms. Gimas stated<br />that Chief Senecal is in agreement that his department needs better<br />organization in order to run more efficiently.<br />The Committee’s next step is to bring this proposal to the BOS and to Chief Senecal.<br />Ms. Gimas stated that the methodology utilized during<br />this evaluation will include a<br />comprehensive physical examination of the department assets including, but not limited<br />to, all apparatus, protective gear, department records, budget processes, and expenditures.<br />Additionally, in-depth interviews will be con<br />ducted with every member of the department<br />(part-time and full-time), Sturbridge town officials, and neighboring town officials, as<br />well as residents of Sturbridge.<br />Ms. Gimas stated that Chief Horn’s fee is $3,000.00<br />Motion:<br />Made by Mr. Levine to accept<br />Chief Horn’s proposal for review of the<br />Fire Department and bring forth to the BOS along with Chief Senecal.<br />2nd<br />:<br />Ms. Redetzke<br />Vote:<br />4<br />-<br />0 <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377411732843394854.post-85388696907105281152013-04-12T18:00:12.835-04:002013-04-12T18:00:12.835-04:00I would like someone to tell me when we voted to s...I would like someone to tell me when we voted to spend $3,000 on this investigative consultant person, and exactly what he was asked to do for $3,000. Oh, yeah, and what recourse we have if information he gave us was incorrect, causing people to believe that we still needed to come up with about $100,000 for the gear, for which we had already acquired the funding.<br />Who spent the $3,000?Fuzzy, Foggy Findingsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377411732843394854.post-13883684267499732372013-04-12T16:14:14.105-04:002013-04-12T16:14:14.105-04:00Did you read this statment in the Telegram Story.
...Did you read this statment in the Telegram Story.<br /><br />"The consultant, Ernest Horn, is now the acting Mendon town administrator and fire chief and has been the police chief there for years."<br /><br />So this is telling us the Town of Sturbridge that our Town Administrator is not capable of doing his job and we had to go to Mendon to a Town Administrator & Fire Chief for a report.<br /><br />Shame on the Selectman for allowing this to happen. No wonder its on TV....<br /><br />Selectman should pay this out of their pockets...<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377411732843394854.post-74538536388826134682013-04-12T15:52:59.536-04:002013-04-12T15:52:59.536-04:00Another Prime Example of Wasteful Spending By our ...Another Prime Example of Wasteful Spending By our dear Town Government. A Consultant Report in lieu of a job that is part of the Town Administrator & his staff. There is no excuse for this expense to authorize this complete joke report that the tax payers pick up the tab on.. <br /><br />This is Prime Example of why we need the 5 Year Budget Freeze, to stop wasteful spending like this. We have a guy making $100,000 plus and this nonsense is done and paid for and now he has to finally step in to address it. What a fiasco.<br /><br />Now just made the our Town of Sturbridge look like a bunch of Fools on the Boston TV Stations and all the newspapers and internet.. <br /><br />We need a Total Budget Freeze here is example to support it. <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377411732843394854.post-47844241231661681612013-04-12T10:38:32.445-04:002013-04-12T10:38:32.445-04:00The town entered into a contract with this guy on ...The town entered into a contract with this guy on January 28,2013. Yes, there are many questions to be asked regarding the investigation itself. The report is on the town website.<br />http://www.town.sturbridge.ma.us/Public_Documents/sturbridgema_reports/Sturbridge%20Fire%20Department%20Study%202013.pdfYes, WHY now?noreply@blogger.com