Out for a drive just after lunch today and happened upon a wonderful sight.
Workmen preparing for paving! Yes! It’s Summer!, And where are they preparing to pave you ask?
It’s not 3rd and McBride, nor is it 11th Ave, or anywhere in the East End!
Its Barrow Place! ( a culdisac off of Sloan Ave ) Totally stripped of pavement,
and ready for a new coat.
Anytime I have driven through there I thought the road surface was pretty sound.
Is this just a practice for Adventure Paving?
With City Hall crying poverty, wouldn’t it be more cost effective to practice where its better needed.
The other City Amusement that I happened upon was the city worker diligently weed eating on 11th Ave.
while he was making fairly good progress with his task, the worker behind him with the gas powered
leaf blower seemed quite bored. Is the blower needed? Nice job for about $20 bucks an hour!
Whats wrong with a push broom? Or 1 man doing the job.
The city seems to be spending money like they have it.
While you mention it, I’ve noticed the painting of the crosswalks in some areas. Not along 2nd or 3rd but 1st ave near the Commercial. Very few pedestrians or traffic. Where’s the logic in that?
There’s some patching going on on 11th Ave. East. I did call and complain about the potholes. I don’t know if it made a difference, but in addition to complaining here, letting Public Works know what our priorities are is a good thing.
I know that major patching jobs were just completed on 6th Avenue East and 5th Avenue East…and I passed a bunch of patching going on all along 11th Ave East just this morning.
Hopefully McBride is their next project, because that road is looking pretty rough lately and it is by far the busiest street in town and should be priority #1 IMO.
What I find funny is the end of Hays Cove Ave near Frederick St, has been completely stripped ready for repaving…when this section of road was completely redone and paved last year after the new sidewalk (the most unleveled one I have ever seen in my life BTW) was put in.
[quote=“woodnfood”]
The other City Amusement that I happened upon was the city worker diligently weed eating on 11th Ave.
while he was making fairly good progress with his task, the worker behind him with the gas powered
leaf blower seemed quite bored. Is the blower needed? Nice job for about $20 bucks an hour!
Whats wrong with a push broom? Or 1 man doing the job.
The city seems to be spending money like they have it.[/quote]
Totally agree with this bullshit…it needs to stop. This is a job that certainly can be completed by 1 person, not two.
McBride and 2nd Ave West to Park Ave and Park Avenue are park of Highway 16 and I’m sure that the highway is the responsibility of the Province/O’Briens. I think.
The highway turning into McBride is provincial jurisdiction, same with 2nd Ave W and Park Ave all the way to the ferry terminal.
Why doesn’t the city contract out more work to save money??? Then they could keep less staff and have competitive bids to lower the total project costs.
Even for lawn mowing! Why do they need 4 guys to weed eat, pre-mow, mow and then rider mow over Mariners park? Can’t 1 or 2 guys do the job just fine? Or give the job to a local company and save us some taxpayer dollars.
The reason they need that many guys is because in the negotiated contract between the local CUPE union and the city, there is legislation that NOT A SINGLE city worker can be let go from contracting out ANY city service. They’re negotiating right now I believe because I think the current deal expires at the end of the year
[quote=“dagojols”]The highway turning into McBride is provincial jurisdiction, same with 2nd Ave W and Park Ave all the way to the ferry terminal.
Why doesn’t the city contract out more work to save money??? Then they could keep less staff and have competitive bids to lower the total project costs.
Even for lawn mowing! Why do they need 4 guys to weed eat, pre-mow, mow and then rider mow over Mariners park? Can’t 1 or 2 guys do the job just fine? Or give the job to a local company and save us some taxpayer dollars.[/quote]
I oppose the idea of contracting out jobs that currently belong to public works staff. The municipality has control at this point and I know of other communities, Terrace for example, that have contracted out work such as grass cutting, to see a reduction in work quality. Just look at highways maintenance privatization.
[quote=“dagojols”]The highway turning into McBride is provincial jurisdiction, same with 2nd Ave W and Park Ave all the way to the ferry terminal.
Why doesn’t the city contract out more work to save money??? Then they could keep less staff and have competitive bids to lower the total project costs.
Even for lawn mowing! Why do they need 4 guys to weed eat, pre-mow, mow and then rider mow over Mariners park? Can’t 1 or 2 guys do the job just fine? Or give the job to a local company and save us some taxpayer dollars.[/quote]
I oppose the idea of contracting out jobs that currently belong to public works staff. The municipality has control at this point and I know of other communities, Terrace for example, that have contracted out work such as grass cutting, to see a reduction in work quality. Just look at highways maintenance privatization.
That was just an example. I was told that there were regrets in selling the equipment in Terrace and hiring it back on a contract basis. The quality of grass cutting here could certainly be better.
Is this a joke? There a millions of dollars of proof that contracting out in certain areas saves governments huge amounts of money.
Example: you really think contracting out to a small local landscaping company wouldn’t save money compared to the half dozen city worker crew it takes to mow lawns and plant flowers and weed? It’s a joke…we shouldn’t be paying huge union-driven wages for non-essential services.