I knew it wouldn’t take city hall even 24 hours to try to kill the messenger when it comes to the Terrace Park kerfuffle;

The contractor for the project, which had already purchased some materials and turned down other jobs, said the city would be getting a bill.

“I’m waiting for the final word on that if it is going be terminated,” said Aaron Niewald, project manager for Dakotaland Sod. “I had a contract and a notice of award from the city so I was working on submittals and getting project materials. Some of it I couldn’t stop, so there’s still going to be some cost to the city.”

First off, this isn’t the Historic Board or the residents fault. They were contacted very late in the game, in fact so late, the city had already scheduled the work before the board made it’s first decision last week. Secondly, work could still go ahead. There is a lot of other work to be done before even approaching the small area where the grade has to be made and entrance redesigned to save the pathway. By the time the contractor gets to that part in the project, the re-design could be redone. As mentioned in the meeting, it’s not rocket science, it’s building a grade and resetting a few stones. An experienced landscape designer could have knocked out a redesign last night.

But the bigger question is why is the city and contractor trying to blame the people who saved the pathway? The city employees are the ones that clearly screwed up this project by giving the green light to the contractor to order materials and start a timeline before bringing it to the Historic Board. Protocol wasn’t followed, and if this is normal protocol, something needs to change in the parks department, and a few heads need to roll instead of using the media to point fingers.

“After years of work on this project, the city team is certainly disappointed and surprised by the outcome of yesterday’s meeting. We will need to regroup, and more will be communicated in the weeks to come,” she said.

That’s what is often frustrating with city employees that are in charge of ‘planning’. They claim they have been working on a project for years, but wait until the last minute to get permission from those most important to the project, the taxpayers. This is done quite often. The Midco Aquatic Center is a prime example, and so is the RR relocation project (that probably won’t relocate any rail traffic). It’s irritating when city employees, especially directors think citizens are ‘getting in the way’ of progress. I’m all for progress, but I am all for doing things right and transparently. Sometimes that takes a little longer. Besides, this is a 100 year old park, what was the hurry to begin with?

8 Thoughts on “Should city employees be reprimanded or terminated when they cost taxpayers money?

  1. It’s not the sod company’s fault that the city leaders didn’t cross every X and Y off their list before hiring him. They should reimburse him for his costs, but demand that he try to utilize or sell off as much of the unused inventory as possible to minimize the city’s costs.

  2. Anthony D Renli on June 16, 2016 at 6:27 pm said:

    My only problem with reprimanding and/or terminating employees is the employee who would end up being reprimanded/terminated will NOT be the one who actually made the decision. Someone who was stuck in the middle of the process who received a plausibly deniable go ahead from a superior would be the sacrificial lamb, and the person who bears ultimate responsibility would have enough cover to hide from the chopping block.

  3. My Mistake Mike on June 16, 2016 at 7:37 pm said:

    Sod guy is a douche. I can’t believe he still gets these city contracts.

    That said, this probably would not have happened if MMM didn’t load the Park Board with his WHS Booster Club and Tennis cronies.

    The Historic Preservation Board made the right call!

  4. I think you know how it would work, directors and top managers would no longer sign off on anything if they were going to possibly be punished for it. Signatures would be pushed to the lowest level possible.

    Civil service protection would protect them because even though they signed for it, they would say their boss told them to do it, so no discipline would stick.

    No true accountability is going to be possible because the mayor is going to protect his directors.

  5. l3wis on June 16, 2016 at 10:41 pm said:

    You all are saying what I already knew. That is why the mayor’s communication person was quick to blame others.

  6. The D@ily Spin on June 17, 2016 at 6:49 am said:

    Historically, via circuit court cases, the city doesn’t pay contractors who dissent or are not insiders. Cases can only be tried constitutionally because the city ordinance does not allow appeals into court. This guys problem is he accepted work from them. Still, he might get paid if he pays off the right people. Never bid or work for the city. They’re neither free market nor democracy.

  7. The D@ily Spin on June 17, 2016 at 6:57 am said:

    Work for a Mexican drug cartel before ever working for the city. Ask private contractors around town. The word is out but it’s not reported in the media. The public should know if they use a contractor be sure he’s not a city vendor. He’s twice the price and work is inferior.

  8. The D@ily Spin on June 18, 2016 at 6:56 am said:

    They don’t have time to reprimand employees. They’re to busy harrassing citizens. Besides, most at the city are related. Blood relatives do no wrong. Others are Huether appointments you don’t mess with. He’ll make you an average citizen denied or tricked from elections and due process. Worse yet, you get no control of the thermostat at Carnegie Hall.

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