A couple of blogs ago, I had posted a pdf. of a letter that Mr. Golan had sent to the Library about viewing contracts/negotiations.
Well, in the spirit of blatant transparency and honesty - the fine folks of the Library sent over the following documents detailing their CBA for 2008 - 2010 which shows they did receive 3% increases in wages in previous years, and the 2011 MOA (no date on this except that it's based on a 12/08/10 negotiation session), that shows they agreed to receive a 0% increase in wages for this year's contract.........
....AND....they sent it within a week of asking! Rarely....and I mean RARELY (if EVER!!!!) do we get documents in a week's time when submitting an FOI request for such things as contracts and negotiations.....if we get anything at all. Usually, it's a denial. I am impressed.
I can't say enough positive things about this - it is 100% what I like to see - nothing-to-hide openness and honesty.
Kudos to you guys, and I wish more municipal departments would follow your lead on being so forthcoming in sharing this type of information. It just doesn't happen...ya know?
On behalf of the taxpayers who don't mind me speaking on behalf of them.....I thank you.
I think it's a great thing, I honestly do.
The first pdf. is the letter that Mr. Golan sent to the Library, the second is the CBA, and the third is the MOA. The documents were sent with names included and not blacked out - but I decided to block out the names, because I can.
My blog, my rules. :P Nyah, nyah.
I just don't think the names are relevant - I don't care about who - I care about what. What are the amounts and the amounts relating to title.....that's all. But, if YOU want to know who got what, you could probably do some detective work to find out, or....just ask the Library for it. I'm sure they'll share the information.
Library Transparency
Irondequoit Public Library - CBA
IPL Staff Contract MOA 2011
14 comments:
Both School Districts have been asked to participate in an open honest inclusion of residents in the decision making process. Both Boards chose secrecy.
Town Board has been requested many times to publish such documents and allow the public to comment.
The Library Board chose to reject censorship as a matter of principle.
Wow - wonderful to see this!
I'm impressed by the FOI being shared at all and in such a timely manner. Plus no pay raises this year!
Kudos to the Library! :)
Bravo! Let's see the rest of the town's unions follow the library's fine example of understanding the town's financial problems and acting responsibly. Aren't the police negotiating right now?
1) No pay raise for 2011.
2) Pay 15% of health insurance.
3) Make agreement public.
It can be done.
I would be very interested to see the police and public work's contracts and salaries. Hopefully in the near future when they're available?
If people want an open government they need to contact officials who, to date, have not responded to 3 requests to publish legal documents.
Police are the second highest paid force in the finger lakes region even though the town is not close to the second wealthiest. Irondequoit has the highest paid chief in the county. Why do officials constantly hide contracts and pay co-workers the most?
its just like golan to once again compare apples to oranges. He is comparing an old library contract, can you not receive an old police or csea contract? You imply that the library board chose to reject censorship, are you saying this admistration supports censorship? Are they witholding public documents?
He also goes on to complain about the pay of the police force and the chief. He neglects to mention that the chief has been on the force for 45 years!!! Should employees stop getting raises after a certain amount of years? How about our population and inner ring suburb proximity.
How about the supervisor for the village of pittsford with 23000 residents and no police force receiving $123k as a salary while our supervisor of a town 50k residents makes $62K.
Or Brighton town board members who make $25k a year while this administrations earns $12k a year.
"its just like golan to once again compare apples to oranges. He is comparing an old library contract, can you not receive an old police or csea contract?"
I think "Golan" was pointing out the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) as being "transparent".
I don't know if the contract for 2011 has been approved yet, but the MOA was in reference to 2011's negotiations - so - I think it's a big deal that they gave that part of the information out....especially since Mr. Buford was advised to not speak about the 0% increase at the end of the March 2nd Library presentation because it dealt with the contract (that hadn't been approved yet, I'm assuming).
"You imply that the library board chose to reject censorship, are you saying this admistration supports censorship? Are they witholding public documents?"
I can't speak for "Golan" - but in my opinion, yes, they do support censorship. All local, state, and federal elected and appointed officials support censorship because none of them let us know about the negotiations until it's all said and done behind closed doors and not in the open before the taxpayers.
I think that negotiations should be public, and with public hearings and public comment and all the same rules that apply to any other action when using taxpayer money.
If my tax money funds something, I want to be a part of the process - and I have a right to know. It's my tax money.
I can comment on the purchase of a backhoe. I can comment on the purchase of police vehicles. I can comment on the sewers, the senior center, a cell tower, an assisted senior living facility.....but I can't comment on negotiations that use my tax dollars to fully fund it because I'm not allowed to be a part of the negotiation process.
I find that extremely unfair, and it is censorship - when someone asks for current negotiation information - they are not allowed to see it. Suppressing information is censorship.
Until the rules are changed to allow the public to be a part of a process that uses their tax money to fund it - they all approve of censorship. Current, former, and probably future administrations at all levels do.
This is exactly like dealing with some of the past Officials in the town. To state the Memorandum of Agreement is an old document is simply nothing more than an attempt to mislead readers.
The document pertains to all Library Union negotiations that were done last year and is the resulting body of terms for the Contract that had not been drafted and voted upon and signed as of the time of release of the MOA.
The Library Board deserves credit for releasing the document before a Contract was finalized.
Re the Town---the negotiations are not finalized. Time will be the judge of whether or not Town Officials comply with the request to allow public comment.
The Department of State was quite pleased to learn of the Library decision to release the MOA. The Library Board could easily have waited until after the Contract was drafted and signed before releasing the MOA. They chose to reject censorship.
Irondequoit surely isn't Pittsford.
I have been supportive of higher pay for board members. I believe the town must have an assistant supervisor.
It is also a fact that I have submitted to the town board and to committees a "sample master plan government section" that very clearly details some basic elements of new governance that must be implemented if the town is ever to move forward. The number one item is 4 board meetings per month. It is impossible to move forward with only one legislative meeting and one workshop. It just can not be done. There should be public input without the damn buzzer. The gong show should end. There should be dialogue with board members. Board members should hold public meeting sessions to discuss issues. There should be email questions during board meetings and call in question and answers as well. There should be public input at the end of meetings in which board members may engage in dialogue. (can you imagine if the town had public input after the assault on town residents in nov 2008 as the kings park move was announced?). The more residents are allowed to participate and the more officials are held accountable the better off the town will become.
There are copies of the "sample plan" at town hall or may someday be made available on this site.
You dont need a master plan to dictate how your government should be run; that is what an election is for. Hold the damn elected officials accountable for promises made and promises broken across all party lines.
Publicly speak of some of your requests if they are popular among the voting public more people will support your scheme. Write letters to the editor, hold public meetings in your home, start a grassroot effort if you truly believe in what you say because a letter to the town board only goes so far no matter who is in office.
Be involved, demonstrate your willingness to be involved and to listen as well as dictate to get a community behind you. Not everyone always agrees but there should be some form of consensus where people who disagree state they can live with a decision instead of stating people are corrupt, secretive, etc when decisions dont go your way.
Its hard to take someone seriously when you offer no real choice. Its either my way or you are wrong; sure sounds like democracy to me.
tgolan said...
Irondequoit surely isn't Pittsford.
You are right, yet you continually compare us to the 3 P's
I have been supportive of higher pay for board members. I believe the town must have an assistant supervisor.
They do, its called the Deputy Supervisor
It is also a fact that I have submitted to the town board and to committees a "sample master plan government section" that very clearly details some basic elements of new governance that must be implemented if the town is ever to move forward.
"Must be implemented"? Says who? YOU?!!!! What the hell is your experience? WHat is your credentials? Why should anyone allow you to dictate how government SHOULD be run?
The number one item is 4 board meetings per month. It is impossible to move forward with only one legislative meeting and one workshop. It just can not be done. There should be public input without the damn buzzer. The gong show should end. There should be dialogue with board members. Board members should hold public meeting sessions to discuss issues. There should be email questions during board meetings and call in question and answers as well. There should be public input at the end of meetings in which board members may engage in dialogue. (can you imagine if the town had public input after the assault on town residents in nov 2008 as the kings park move was announced?). The more residents are allowed to participate and the more officials are held accountable the better off the town will become.
Again, you have the power of the lever in the voting booth. Get all of your friends to support your newest scheme and then present it to your 5 board members. If they dont listen to the world according to tgolan dont vote for them again. Slander them and belittle them everytime you get near a computer. That should do the trick, its worked so well over the last 4 administrations for you hasnt it? No one seems to be up to YOUR standards do they? Such a shame.
There are copies of the "sample plan" at town hall or may someday be made available on this site.
I will take a pass, thank you.
It would seem you did not read the body of work. Elected Officials and several department heads and professional planners with decades of service have, and commented positively.
Irondequoit is the only east side town with only two board meetings per month. It has the greatest amount of work to do and it is not possible to move forward with such a backlog. How could any body spend months and months and hours and hours on a cell tower and still have time to interact with residents on new initiatives for progress? Can't be done. Changing tradition is difficult.
Try reading it and, although you dislike the messenger, I do suspect you will support the message. It is not ordering anyone to do anything that politicians do not proclaim during campaigns.
If you care to see an extremely open local government then watch the Penfield Town Board meetings on line. Schedule is on the website, meetings are broadcast live 7:30 Wednesdays. Open explanations of resolutions are a major element. Extremely open public input. All things politicians discuss as positive. So why not discuss it openly and include broad based concepts in a master plan? Not in Irondequoit---let's leave it to other towns that function more efficiently and more open.
Library is already implementing new strategies and programs.
The elements of the Government section are as follows:
Strategies
A. Encourage, improve and expand the ability of stakeholders
to communicate with and participate in government.
B. Foster governmental procedures and programs that are
business friendly.
C. Strengthen relationships with surrounding municipalities and
government agencies in an effort to pursue common goals.
D. Utilize elected officials, advisory board members, and staff as ambassadors and educators within the community.
E. Capitalize on existing and emerging leadership within the
community (i.e., faith community, business leaders, etc.)
F. Pursue outside funding opportunities to reduce the cost of
governmental services.
The comments under each heading only discuss some possible implementation.
It would be interesting to know who is against the listed strategies as a matter of principle. The form a basis for moving forward. There is no edict that restricts any official, only common goals for everyone. If someone disagrees with the goals then explain to the community why they are not acceptable and, if all agree, they will be removed.
The concept of "Voice of the Community" should be a common goal, not a threat.
Elected Officials and several department heads and professional planners with decades of service have, and commented positively.
who?
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