Travelingman1985

Junction City, KS

Veolia Strikes again!

Paul; My street never got cleared. I called and spoke to the very nice secretary. How can you get mad at someone who cannot answer your questions and is only paid to answer the phone. I did however send several e mails to the city commissioners and the Mayor. Fat chance they will do something. Veola was given a no bid contract by Barnes and guess what if they had to compete for the job they would not have gotten it. No sooner did they get the contract than they came back asking for a raise as they could not do the work for the price we were paying. Hell they don'y do it now. You cannot tell me that this city has a contractor working for it with out a city official being named the COR. (Contracting Officers Representative) This is the person who is supposed to over see the contract and make sure it is done right. Once again we the taxpayers are left holding the wrong end of the stick. Thank you city commissioners and city officials.  (Thursday Dec 17 | post #27)

Junction City, KS

Police Officer Brown Down

Mark; I was not suggesting that Todd be the new police chief. I was actually responding to a couple of slurs here on this blog about Todd and the folks who for him. Someone flat out lied and I needed to set the record straight. Sorry if I confused the issue.  (Tuesday Dec 15 | post #48)

Junction City, KS

I LOVE JUNCTION CITY!

Junction Smiles: I do not agree with your premise that all folks here that are angry do not love our city. I truly believe the contrary is true. If they did not care why spend the effort to raise as much hell as they have? Like "Sorry For JC" many cannot sell their homes for what they paid for them and still afford to move. Some do not have that option and believe me when I tell you if you sell at a loss the balance is still your responsibility and very few banks will loan you money on a new house with an existing loan balance with your old bank. I chose to retire here and there are many good things going on in this town. There are also those who we trusted who made major if not criminal mistakes with our money. That does not make this a bad town but our reputation is such that we are constantly living down the bad. No one hears about the good that goes on in town. I wish for the best each and every day but I am a pessimist. Each and every day we here the Federal Government is going broke, yet they keep spending. The State government can't pay its bills but they keep spending. The city is in debt up to its ears and USD 475, the city and the county keep railing the mill levy. I have only so much money left from my paycheck to live on as it is. So I complain but that does not mean I do not want JC to succeed or that I do not care about the city I chose to be my home.  (Tuesday Dec 15 | post #3)

Junction City, KS

Are you for or against Gay Marriage? Why/or Why not?

I am too old and set in my ways and that probably will anger some folks. "Marriage " means a man and a woman in my mind. That is as it should be. I am not a big church going person but marriage is sanctioned by every church. I believe that gay folks have every right to a legal civil secular ceremony that insures the partner has rights. I am aware that was the issue in the beginning now the issue is to disrupt church services and throw paint and such in churches to try to make folks roll over. All that does is piss people of my generation off. Civil Unions can and should be defined by law in each state and not call them marriage. My two cents worth.  (Tuesday Dec 15 | post #3)

Junction City, KS

Police Officer Brown Down

Whoever you are you are a liar......I happen to know personally several of his construction employees. All are legal and they also do work for themselves on jobs too small for Todd to bis on. Each has the appriate licenses and insurance. You cannot get any of that without proper documentation. So whoever you are you have another ax to grind as you seem to like taking shots at folks with an empty gun. I have used these folks more than once and I will tell you they are skilled craftsman and have pride in their work. If you are going to be angry and go after liars and such go after Barnes and the rest of the cheats in city hall. They are the ones that each and every day cause us to spent tax dollars for services which are not worth what we are paying them. My street is still not plowed this long after the storm. It iced over and the intersection is on the down hill at a stop sign. That is an accident waiting to happen. Where was the city paid Veola folks. You need to pick a fight with someone else as Todd Godfrey has done nothing to earn your lies. He may have busted you and you have an ax to grind then you need to look at what you did to get busted. Just because someone is Spanish or Mexican does not mean they are illegal. There may be that going on but lets be real here. Do you think someone in Law Enforcement and in a business that requires Licenses and Insurance would be neglegent enough to employe illegal folks and risk his entire livelyhood. I would think not!!!!!!! That is my two cents worth and if it makes you angry then so be it.  (Monday Dec 14 | post #46)

Junction City, KS

JC Bed and Breakfast

I think your B&B idea is fine. I am not going to down play the challenges you will be facing. Other than Milford Lake and Ft Riley I am not sure what you could use to mkae your B&B a tourist stop. Abilene has several B&B's the last time I checked. The attractions there are fairly obvious and the old town atmosphere and old town feeling can be felt as the tourist travel around the town. I am having a hard time coming up with an attraction that would bring the tourists to you. Would love to something like this but with the investment you would be making I see a great deal of risk. I am not trying to be negative here just honest.  (Thursday Dec 10 | post #7)

Junction City, KS

Veolia Strikes again!

Lets be very clear here. This site is for those who wish to express their opinion and discuss issues amongst the citizens of this town. The property owners and business owners who pay the bulk of the taxes in this town have every right to express their displeasure or pleasure for that matter. These folks pay the taxes and the city services are provided with that tax money. The last time I checked the city folks "WORK FOR US". In my mind if we pay the salaries we can thank those that do the good things for us and raise hell about that which pisses us off. It is our right. You call these folks names and you come on here and disrespect folks for having an opinion and that is just not right. You have every right to disagree and and have an open and honest discussion about a subject. But cussing someone out is not an argument it just makes folks ignore what you have to contribute. It is 4:30 on the 10th of Dec and I have seen no salt or sand on any of the streets that I have been on. The streets appear to have had a plow run over them and leaving some with packed down snow and ice on the surface. Two full days and nights since we initially received the snow and our streets are still in bad shape. The contrast is actually pretty appararent when you go down sixth street towards Grandview. When you cross over the JC city limits to Grandview city limits the road conditions are like night and day. They are much smaller than us but they seem to have their act together much more than the folks we have hired to take care of us. They just asked for a pay raise in our water bill. That is an addition hidden tax we all pay for the services they are supposed to render. Commissioners..... ....It is your responsibility to insure that the city is not ripped off by a contractor hired by our "No Bid" City Manager. Do what you are supposed to do or get out and let someone else do it. My two cents worth!!!!!!  (Thursday Dec 10 | post #14)

Junction City, KS

Police Officer Brown Down

I do not normally challenge anyone but for I will make an exception. Todd Godfrey works as a police officer and works nights and weekends and off days as a private construction contractor. You see him in his truck and you see his house that "HE" built with his own sweat equity. His company works its butt off for folks and stands behind their work. So to answer your question he gets his money the old fashioned way He Earns IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!  (Thursday Dec 3 | post #34)

Junction City, KS

Building in JC

I was running too long to finish my last post so I am going to do it here. I had a problem with water coming into my garage from the outside wall. A company from Salina was reccommended as folks who can fix this problem and guarrantee their work. Contacted them and the bid to fix and travel was $2000.00. I had them come down and inspect the problem and they guarranteed me that they could fix the problem. They had licenses and pictures of work they had done in other places as well as references. I called a couple of the references and got voice mails. So idecided to get the work done. They dug up the entire side of my garage put on some sealor and then some rubber sheathing coverered it all back and said it was fixed. I paid them and 4 weeks later we got a good rain and I had water in my garage. I called them and their answer was we have done we can do it is coming in from under your concrete. I asked about the guarrantee and they told me they guaranteed their product would do the job. My argument was it is not doing it and they said it working and the concrete is the problem. Many phone calls later the phone was disconnected and I could not find them in Salina. Called the Better Business Bureau and was told there was nothing they could do except accept my complaint. Out of town versus local contractors.... I have lived it you decide.  (Monday Nov 23 | post #20)

Junction City, KS

Building in JC

I needed to express two points concerning this post. 1st I totally disagree with the premise that you cannot get local licensed and insured contractors here in town. I had an extension put on my house last year. The contractor who actually won the "BID" was local. During our prliminary meeting he came with his Licenses and Insurance Documents. He posted that information with the city when we went to get the building permit. Now the part that is even more important to me. We had completed the work in the spring and part of the build was to move the AC unit. Summer came and the AC would not work. Called him and he had someone out the next day to fix the problem with no charge. We had a new bathroom installed and had a pipe freezing issue. He brought his team back and fixed the problem at no cost immediately. He was local I knew how to find him. 2nd and just as important the question was how could we fix the use of out of town contractors always getting the city building bids. I answered that by siting the Small Business Administration Requirements for contract awards. I see no reason why that same set of rules cannot be applied here to JC and be a help to the city and the local economy. We are talking large city sponsored contracts.  (Monday Nov 23 | post #19)

Junction City, KS

Building in JC

I am going to suggest to the city commissioners that we adopt a rule that is currently being used by the federal government. That rule is if a contract is awarded to an out of town firm, by contract I would suggest something over 1 to 2 hundred thousand dollars, that 25% of the contract must be subcontracted to local contractors and 20% percent of the materials be purchased locally. The enforcement of this would fall under the City Inspectors office and reenforced by the city attorney. Before the award the contractor should be required to submit by name his subcontractors and their Insurance and license information. The purchases are a simple audit showing receipts of purchase. Failure to do this would and should put the contract award in jeaprody. The Commision needs to pass an ordnance that governs all small construction projects below the 1-2 Hundred thousand dollar limit. This ordnance should require the City Manager to only solicit bids from local License and Properly insured Contracting firms. It is called small business set aside ordnance. This insure that the work is kept local. You could also caveat the ordnance to be a pay for materials contract where the city would go to Home Lumber or Waters and work a deal with them that says if you want the cities small contractor business lets make a deal. It is called free enterprise while keeping your eye on the local economy.  (Nov 19, 2009 | post #6)

Junction City, KS

Selling city property

I bet the owners of Dave's Electric know exactly what they are getting even if the sellers do not know what they are selling. How ludicrous is this to not be able to tell a commissioner exactly what is being sold by the resident City Manager and then to have insult added to injury not table the approval until all the facts were placed on the record for all to see. Mayor you wonder "Why can't we all just get along" this is another reason why. Damn this is either pure unadulterated arrogance or just plain incompetence. When will you learn it is our money not yours to blow????????????? WHEN???????????  (Nov 19, 2009 | post #5)

Junction City, KS

"Commissioners to Discuss 2010 Bond Issue Thursday"

Tom, I have to disagree with you as KJCK and the DU reported last week that the USD 475 was asking approval from the school board for a mil levy raise in order to fund a 4 million dollar upgrade of the old middle school. They were in the paper today crying about the lack of sufficient funds per student to offset costs because of the "free lunch program". In my mind the free lunch program is paid for from the state and federal funds provided to the school on a per student basis. From all I have read it is actually one of the mandates that is actually funded at the state and federal level. I have an idea.......Maybe we should reduce the amount of overhead/administr ation at the Administration level to compensate for that shortfall. Maybe it is about time to let the schools have the cake for a change and not the non-teaching part of this school system. I have another idea.....Several years ago, before the Alco building was a reality and right after the school bought the old Sprint building there was a pre-paid plan to upgrade the old middle school. Monies were allocated and all was good. Then USD 475 Empire buuilders decided the Alco building needed to be paid for....mil levy went up right after as the poor school system did not have enough money for the students and teachers so cuts would have to be made. So lets fire the "DESIGNER/ARC HITECT" DUST OF THE OLD PLAN AND FIX AND USE IT. I almost forgot the rest of my question????????? WHY DO YOU NEED MORE SCHOOL WHEN YOUR STUDENT ENROLLMENT IS DOWN???????? I guess I am trying to say that it is time to cease with the throwing of money at this school system without any fiscal accountability. Do not tell me that each year an accounting comes out. The only one that can understand this conveluted mess is a certified public accountant. Transparency means clarity. Here is what is taken in per student...Here is what is spent on maintenance, salaries, school supplies, utilities etc. Then show a balance.....That is very simple but those who run the school system have figured out if you can't understand their bookkeeping method you can't challenge their management of our tax dollars. It needs to stop....I have no problem supporting the school here but I do have a problem with supporting The Kingdom of USD 475!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !  (Nov 19, 2009 | post #38)

Junction City, KS

"Commissioners to Discuss 2010 Bond Issue Thursday"

Thanks for the kind words emanon they are appreciated. I have held back from doing too many comments on this subject because the folks who can make the changes don't seem to want to. I am angry so I am going to attempt to answer some of the questions posed here. Why should a person who worked all their life and finally was able to retire be forced to now go back to work due to the mismanagement of our tax dollars? The folks on fixed incomes are the very senior folks who have to make very serious decisions every day about their money. So telling them to go back to work part time to pay their property tax increase is not only callous but outrageous. They chopped a womans head of in France when she said "Let them eat cake when they are hungry". Lets look at this logically: 1. They draw Social Security lets guess $1300 per month for him and maybe $700.00 for her. That is about average from what I can determine. They probably have some savings and that may be their only income. From that they pay Medicare, House Insurance, Property Tax,(After inflated adjustments)Car Insurance, Car Property tax and tags, OH! yes I almost forgot they have to buy FOOD, GAS and things like that. I wonder how much of that fixed income is left over Mr. Scrooge? "Are there no work houses or prisons". THAT IS WHAT IS MEANT BY FIXED INCOME. So each time the mil is raised even a little it affects these folks and there are many in this town. What is not realized is that this has always been a partial retiremnet community. 2. If the city and school debt continue to grow without sufficient revenues to make larger payments against that debt the interest on the debt eats up any and all city operating funds. After a while we no longer will be able able to afford even basic city functions. Reduction is police, fire, and safety folks is a serious issue. The school which is out of control as far as I am concerned will have to cut back on its programs and that usually means laying off teachers as they never lay off administrative folks. 3. I don't like being lied to by Mr. Barnes during the last budget meeting when he was asked to talk about the upcoming bonds coming due and he refused to acknowledge they existed and even went so far as to put the person down who asked about them. 4. I don't like being lied to by the school system. We were told when the city voted on the mil levy for the New Junior High that there would be sufficient monies budgeted for the old Junior High to be refurbished. WHERE IS THE DAMN TAX MONEY?????? Now they want 4 million dollars, based upon some "designer " needing to build a new school from the old one. STOP THE LYING AND THE MANIPULATING!!!!!! ! Here is my question for the school board and our city government::: How do you propose to increase revenues commensurate with the debt? Your answers have been almost always raise the peoples property taxes. Maybe it is time to think outside the box and look at a dedicated sales tax whose revenues can only be used to pay down the debt "KEY WORD HERE IS ONLY". I knew once I got started I was going to Rant and Rave. Folks nothing I say here needs to be taken personally. I have lived here since the mid 70's and I truly see the good that has happened since the bad old days. We the people have been given a bad deal by those who have made bad decisions with our tax money. Well that is my ravings and you welcome to take your shots.  (Nov 18, 2009 | post #29)

Junction City, KS

"Commissioners to Discuss 2010 Bond Issue Thursday"

I guess I am getting too old and my memory is failing me. When the issue of the new high school came up and the money was finally approved there was supposed to be enough money out of this bond or however it was financed to also take care of the old Junior High. That is what was promised when we voted on the new High School. What happened to the money school board?????? Everyone has been telling anyone who will listen that the 2010 general obligations bonds were going to come due in 2010. Barnes and all decided not to discuss this at the last budget meeting as they decided that answering questions would not be in their best interest. Guess what raising the mil levy for the city and the school is not in our best interest. The school needs to find the money they spent and take care of the old school without raising the mil levy. The city need s to pass a separtae 2 cent sales tax dedicated to paying of the debt and quit raising the mil levy on the back of those of us who live here. It is time to stop this nonsense. Now I am angry as the school board and the school system do as they damn well please and do not answer to anyone.  (Nov 13, 2009 | post #2)