By:  Diane Benjamin

Remember this story:  http://blnnews.com/2015/04/29/austere-budget-short-staffed-really/ ?

The opening and closing of a lane at Ireland Grove and Towanda Barnes continues, but I want you to remember the other part of the story.  Two City employees were sent out to mow, one guy did while the other guy sat in the truck for almost 2 hours.

Today I was back working on some landscaping at the same spot.  This time I arrived minutes before the City mowing crew.  Time:  10:35.

Not sure what they were doing, maybe taking a break, but the mower was unloaded at 10:55.  Guess what happened next?

The driver dropped the trailer and left!  I have no idea where he went, but at least he didn’t just sit there and wait for the mower guy to return!

Around 12:40 the mower returned, less than 5 minutes later the City truck was back.  The mower guy had this incredible invention called a cell phone.

Am I claiming somebody at the City decided paying a guy to sit for hours wasn’t very smart?  Am I claiming things changed because of my post?

Naw!

But at least it looks a whole lot better!

Unfortunately, there is always some bad news.  Lack of transparency continues at City Hall.

Earlier this week I sent the City a FOIA request for the 4th Quarter Coliseum Financial Statement.  The year ended April 30th, and this is June.  Today I received an extension request because:

Your Request for records cannot be complied with by the City within the time limits required without unduly burdening or interfering with the operations of the City.

That’s pretty funny since the City doesn’t compile the report, CIAM does.  Maybe writing fiction takes longer than I thought.

For new readers, the CIAM financial statement isn’t close to what the auditors find, but we won’t know how bad until October.  I’ve written lots of stories on the Coliseum, but read this one if you missed it:  http://blnnews.com/2015/03/05/media-participates-in-coliseum-fraud/