Smithtown officials squabble over road repairs

[Fix Brooksite Drive]

I have noticed an increase in the amount of leaf pickups. The leaves used to sit at the curb for weeks on end until somebody got around to picking them up.

They are discontinuing the leaf bag distribution though. From now on we have to buy our own bags.

[Former Resident]

They are all crooks , through them all in jail and lets start over. Hire some Illegals to pick up the darn leaves I bet they could keep the town in tip top shape with only 25 of them AT $100.00 dollars a day and lunch. We do not get what we pay for no own in a town job is even close to productive.

[The Pragmatist]

Former Resident wrote:

They are all crooks , through them all in jail and lets start over. Hire some Illegals to pick up the darn leaves I bet they could keep the town in tip top shape with only 25 of them AT $100.00 dollars a day and lunch. We do not get what we pay for no own in a town job is even close to productive.

funny stuff, just hire illegals. have you been living under a rock for the last 10 years? its a double edge sword thats cutting you twice. the perception and concept of a union looks great. in reality try getting hurt and see how fast they make you a member in bad standings for not paying dues. worse yet they cancel your medical insurance. the other side is the county would pay min wage to do the work. Time for a stike LMAO!

[a voice]

Are you one of Vecchio's relatives???
Oh that's right - no internet allowed in jail.

vinnie wrote:

dan take the $ and do the work pretty simple.thank supervisor vecchio for making smithtown americas best run town
\

[Vlad Vosko]

Wehrheim and Vecchio are jokes. When Wehrheim sits in Country Kitchen saying how he and his buddies on the town board are going to 'destroy' Ryan, you have to wonder why all of a sudden the magnanious offer for money to fix the roads....

This town is nothing but a bunch of corrupt thieves who want nothing more than to take care of themselves first. Wehrheim was Vecchio's hand picked person for the town board - there must have been a reason he wanted him so bad... now we see why - he will continue the graft and corruption and keep feeding a share to Vecchio

[Laughing]

Common Sense wrote:

<quoted text>
This seems a common practice that everyone wants overtime to do taks that are not of an emergency nature. To decide you need overtime for leaf and brush pick-up is a waste of resources and just padding an employee's paycheck. The fact that they put $150,000 for overtime into the budget means each employee has about a $1000 of overtime. If the supervisors and those with more senority are just holding after hour meetings to grab the money for themselves then the union should just deal with it as thye are the ones who dictated how overtime rules apply.

Lets all keep in mind that the Highway department had a ton of unspent money left over last year. They had the money last year but couldn't get to all of the roads and therfore had money left over. What I don't understand is how 150 guys are supposed to do the work of 200 or 250 men. That is what Highway used to have. Vecchio keeps depleting the manpower while expecting the same amount of work, or more, to get done. Then when it can't get done he says we will spend overtime money to do the work. Perhaps if we had adequate staffing, all of the work would get done on time. People think about it, Vecchio says the road repairs are NOW an emergency. No kidding, where has he been for the past 5 to 10 years??? Had the roads and sidewalks been properly cared for on a regular maintenance schedule every year, they wouldn't be in the condition they are now. But that would have taken more manpower. This is how he keeps your taxes down, by not providing the level of service you got ten years ago.

[Hugh G Rection]

Vecchio is an old geezer that needs a permanent vacation and Wehrheim is just an idiot.

[Jay]

WHEN IS MY STREET GOING TO BE SWEPT?

During the winter my street seemed to be swept after every storm that sand and salt was spread. I don't expect winter sweeping,it doesn't make much sense to spend the money on sweeping when it will snow again.

But, the roads were never swept after the last sanding and it is now May 16th.

This should be a priority when spring arrives, not during the winter.

I should not have to go and sweep my own curb line, which I did this year.

[NYer]

Leave the curbs for now and get those roads fixed

[Nimby]

This is the same j a c k **** that had all summer to pave the only road leading to a school, and waited until school was back in to get started. So not just the residents had to deal with it, but everyone who took their kid to school by car. Mornings the road must have been too busy to do any work, all the hwy dept folks did was stand around watching the cars go by.

[Brookhaven John]

Hugh G Rection wrote:

Vecchio is an old geezer that needs a permanent vacation and Wehrheim is just an idiot.

And how are we supposed to take anything YOU say seriously with a tag name like that??? Grow up you loser.

Friggin Floridians. I think the heat affects their brains...

[Common Sense]

Laughing wrote:

<quoted text>
Lets all keep in mind that the Highway department had a ton of unspent money left over last year. They had the money last year but couldn't get to all of the roads and therfore had money left over. What I don't understand is how 150 guys are supposed to do the work of 200 or 250 men. That is what Highway used to have. Vecchio keeps depleting the manpower while expecting the same amount of work, or more, to get done. Then when it can't get done he says we will spend overtime money to do the work. Perhaps if we had adequate staffing, all of the work would get done on time. People think about it, Vecchio says the road repairs are NOW an emergency. No kidding, where has he been for the past 5 to 10 years??? Had the roads and sidewalks been properly cared for on a regular maintenance schedule every year, they wouldn't be in the condition they are now. But that would have taken more manpower. This is how he keeps your taxes down, by not providing the level of service you got ten years ago.

Have you ever seen a private paving company pave a road? The majority of workers are not just standing around. The new paving equipment also does not require the same number of employees as older equipment. A 150 workers is a lot of man power if they are working, but like others have said when you hide your trucks so people can't see you not working or you take extended breaks you loose productivity.

Let all the employees work before you ask for more.

[Video]

I see alot of people complaing that these guys only stand around and do nothing. I am sure that a town like Smithtown has plenty of people who can afford a Video Camera. Why don't you just video tape these men not working and take it to your Town Rep. I am sure if enough people do this then you will see some change.