“We’re so sorry – We made a mistake – I sincerely apologize.” Comments like these were heard from every council member on Monday. These apologizes are too little and too late for those impacted by the Council’s policy on water service. While “I’m sorry” is nice, the stress and emotional upheaval, the financial burden and aggravation, the confusion and frustration that many taxpayers endured will long be remembered. Correcting the flawed policy is appropriate, but the policy should never have seen the light of day in the first place. Henderson deserves better management than this.
The Council is paid to set policy, the attorney is paid to prepare the ordinances, and the manager and assistant manager are paid to direct all city departments to implement council policy. But, it took the people in Henderson, who are paying for city management to the tune of $669,190 yearly, to show them how things should be done. There were obvious flaws in the new water policy that a little reading would have made apparent. Did the city even bench mark other cities in North Carolina?
Mike Rainey even said he wished the crowd Monday night had been there when the policy was being made. If you check, you will find the new direction of this City Council no longer has a Public Utility Committee.
Our sympathy goes out to the poor clerks who had to implement this policy. My guess is that if they had been asked, they could have told those making the $669,190 that it was going to be a fiasco. The Daily Dispatch called the policy “misguided and foolish during an election year.” It was misguided and foolish for any year and we deserve better.
The comments made by Elissa Yount during the public hearing can be read here.
But this has got to better than elected officials who never listen or admit they can be wrong. I am glad they heard the public and made changes.
Mrs. Yount,
Thanks for speaking out against this fiasco even though you weren’t directly affected by it. It shows that you have more ‘know how’ than the entire current council. So was Mike Rainey’s claim that he ‘wished all these folks would have been here when we made the policy’ an excuse that the current council can’t do what is right w/o the public being there to prod them along? It’s not rocket science Mr. Rainey! Simply do unto others as you would have them do unto you will lead you in the RIGHT DIRECTION instead of the former NEW DIRECTION that has the city headed down a 1-Way Road!! Thank goodness Mrs. Yount isn’t afraid to speak her mind and if you could have seen the council members and the city manager squirming in their seats when she was citing the $$$ that each branch of city governement made! Words don’t do it justice b/c it was priceless!!! All I can say is come on ELECTION TIME b/c we need some new faces round’ the ‘shoe’, preferably some faces that have common sense brains behind them!!! Way to go Mrs. Yount!!!
Wouldn’t it be great yo have a group of City Council members and County Commissioners that worked together. Let’s spread the love around! :o)
From my past interaction with the City Council–they don’t really want input from the Taxpayers–.
The water dept. should have made a master list to check on those who are never late–then a courtesy call perhaps.
Those who consitently pay on time will continue to pay on time. Those who always are late will continue to be late–that’s been the Henderson way.
Deception,
Yes I heard the call for the city manager to speak up, which he did after some comments about a microphones. It is not uncommon for speakers and county commissioners to not be heard, so I didn’t put much into that situation. Thank you for adding the additional details regarding the business man’s complaint about the city threatening to cut off his water. What you added is what I also heard.
Ms. Yount after I got home is when I thought I should have asked either for a copy of your remarks or encouraged you to post your remarks to HiH. Thank you for joining in this discussion. Anyone who relied on the paper for their coverage of the meeting is unaware of your comments even though you were the third presenter.
For those not attending the meeting, the local paper’s photographer slash reported exited the meeting long before all the discussion was completed and a vote was taken. Makes me wonder how the paper could report the end results, since they were most obviously absent.
What gets me is that we all let this issue ride for 6 months. Some can say this is trial and error and that is fine but the paid leadership needs to explain their actions. I am looking at you, Ray. How out of touch did he come off on the news let alone during the actual meeting? I had no idea there was no longer a public utility committee. It was my thought all along that this issue went through the funnel of common sense before being charged.
Mr. Mojo Risin assumes that there is a funnel of common sense at City Hall upper management and council.
My sympathies to the clerks who had to take the brunt of frustration from the irate customers. Hazardous duty pay for them please Mr. Griffin.
Prudence I agree with you. Those clerks had to feel the brunt of this error. I hate it for them because they certainly do not make enough to put up with the conditions created our officials put the albeit temporarly.
As a taxpayer and as a citizen I must assume that our leaders, whether they be paid or elected, act with a level of common sense that coincides with their professional mindset for the best for all of us.
With that being said, I have faith in those that are in place. It is a belief of mine that elected offcials should have a short shelf life leaving the seat warm and not so hot for those who soon follow them. Fresh minds to cycle through our halls of government are much better than stale ones.
The city didn’t make a mistake, the just wimped out. If the water bill wasn;t paid the water was suppose to be cut off, New policy should be 15 days from due date on the bill if not paid water should be cut off until bill paid and $150.00 deposit paid, and stick by this. If this is not agreeable let them move to the county and dig awell.
Rules are rules. If the city changed the policy we must govern ourselves accordingly. Because the policy is not set up to our personal liking, it does not mean that they are wrong to disconnect those who did not pay the bill. When I first learned of the changes, I re-arranged my family’s fianances so that we could meet the required deadline. Some things change even when we do not want them to. We just have to roll with the punches.
Now I understand why my favorite clerk was so unhappy when I paid my bill. Though the clerks didn’t make the rules, they must face the consequences of anger and rudeness. Customer service is not one bit easy.
As predicted, the City Council is hearing from water customers that they want
those who’ve fallen on hard times”get a break. I can only imagine some of the hard luck stories the hear everyday at city hall.
News flash–things are tough all over. Realize there are bills due every month and plan for it. Everyone is cutting back these days–and it isn’t pleasant–but that’s the way it is–BUDGET!