There is a small "Region" article in the PN&S on the $40K to repair the swimming pool. Mr. Rapp has managed once again to turn a non event into a "newsworthy" item as is described by the PN&S.
He stated there was no money in the budget to replace it; so we made a temporary repair. The Truth as is so sadly the case stopped at "no money in the budget to replace it". What is the normal case when something is not important enough to get attention as this seemed to be was that IF and I repeat IF the City had wanted to do the repair, it had three (3) options.
1. Contingency Funds. These are to be supposedly for unexpected issues such as the pool pipe. In Vienna, it is as is usually the case in any Government Entity nothing more than a "Cookie Jar" (read Slush Fund), for whatever the various Departments want that is better not put into the public eye.
2. Unencumbered Funds which are little more than the carry over from the prior year and can be used to balance the current budget if needed. In Vienna these hundreds of thousands if not millions are usually put at the end of the Current Fiscal Year into the Capital Reserve on 1 July of the next Fiscal Year. Simply put, the money left on 30 June 2015 that were into the unencumbered fund for 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016. On 1 July 2016, those monies went into the Capital Reserve Fund.
3. City can do an emergency withdrawal from the Capital Reserve Fund which is normally used for the purchasing of supplies/ materials or whatever and expected to have a long term life expectancy. i.e., new vehicles, trucks, water tanks to supply water to P'burg in an emergency. To show how "flexible" Mr. Rapp is, in the March/ April 2014 period when there was a huge snow storm, he went to the Capital Reserve Fund for $100,000. in round numbers. One of the items was money for the upcoming flower pots and plantings for the Vienna Tree and Beautification Commission and was about $20,000. in itself. Can anyone explain the "emergency" on that to me? I never could figure it out?
Point: more of the never ending disinformation, misdirection, deceit, deception and when the chance shows itself to even lie? It was a matter of disinterest for the pool user's more than a money shortage.
What also makes the article interesting was that there was no reporter at the meeting on the 27th. He turned out to be covering that fire in Belpre. So whatever is in the paper or will be in the next couple of days (expect a picture for sure), will be what the City submitted to change the direction as much as possible on my 25 October posting " Who is caring for the Children?" posting. In that I asked for Mr. Rapp and his crew to explain what they think they are doing? NOTE: as of this posting on the 29th not a word. More on this sorry affair Monday.
As with some of the Letter Writers and their unlimited Letter Printing Privileges, I don't often agree with Mr. Chambers. But WOW, did he lay into Mr. Azinger the Younger in his letter of the 25th. He was very methodical in laying out Mr. A's the Younger background when running for office in Ohio. He then went on to show the Nepotism (anyone starting to smell something?), when Mr. A. the Elder retired from the House Delegate position so his boy could take it over. They even managed to get away with fooling people into thinking it was Mr. A. the Elder running again when in Truth the Younger. I am not going to get into Mr. A. the Younger's record in the House. It won't be hard to find and it will be very short and uneventful much like Mr. Azinger the Elder had in his sad last two years.
As I was meandering up one of our streets Saturday, the folks repeatedly pointed out to me how badly the street needed work on it. Now I went up this street from River Road until I bumped my nose on a fence that stopped me from going any farther East. The WHOLE street is a mess. For the first time that I can remember I found a hole deep enough to hide half of a properly inflated Football. That is so sad. And I was still able to hear from Mr. Skogstad at the Council Meeting how much vision Mr. Rapp had. Yes, he does; for monuments to his Fiscal inability to use City Funds in the BEST interest of the Community.
And this brought back to me how 9th Ave., got paved from 19th St. to 16th St? How the VUB got its streets and parking areas paved when so many other locations are so in need? The "bubba" club is alive and well folks.
Again today (Saturday), spent some time with the good folks and received more input on the sorry water issues with Street filling up and taking hours if not days to drain. One home owner even told me some times when the street flooded, he was concerned about even driving down it.
Another advised that even when he is out running from his home and on Grand Central than around Rosemar, he was having to watch so closely as there were no sidewalks to run on. To be honest with you folks, Grand Central is a State Highway and Rosemar being so far from the rest of our City will be far down any list to put in a sidewalk. As much as I would like to do all that is needed immediately, it will be a process of Fiscal Responsibility to do as quickly as the City can. It will be a long term project.
Still, I am absolutely determined to begin the necessary steps to get that Public Safety sidwalk built for the people of the City. We, our children and grandchildren should be as safe as we can be if and when we choose to be out in the City on foot. 'nuff said'.
I am asking for your Vote. "Change is in the Air".
(Paid for by the Candidate- Lawrence J. Wilson for Mayor of Vienna).