by Elissa Yount
While out and about in Henderson on Friday morning, there was a lot to notice.
The Peanut Roaster has “buy one and get one free.” There is a second-hand store on William Street that is nicely arranged and run by very pleasant people. Downtown Antiques continues to have bargains and treasures to be discovered, and George’s restaurant has a most attractive décor. All of this should put one in a very pleasant frame of mind except….
While showing a friend that Henderson has an intersection of streets named for Nicholas and Alexander, we saw two huge trucks on Alexander Avenue and we were flagged to a stop. Being curious, I rolled down the window and asked what was going on. A very polite gentleman told me they were hired consultants using cameras on the sewer lines. And this changed my frame of mind.
Henderson has the capability, manpower, and the equipment to “camera” all the sewer lines we need to. We once had a crew that worked on this. Why are we spending grant money to hire consulting firms from outside Henderson to do the work that can be done in-house? Why can’t we pay overtime to our own employees to do this work if it is extra work? Is this just a way to account for and use up the grant money quickly? With all the antiquated, dilapidated, and inferior infrastructure under the ground in this city, why are we not using all the grant money for the most important job of replacing lines?
If our very expensive camera equipment is broken, fix it. If our city employees need training, train them. If they need an overtime shift, set it up. If the only way we can spend the grant money is to pay it to consultants and outside contractors because we do not have a city engineer to oversee work, design work, or prioritize work, then hire a city engineer! The City Code requires that we have one, but Henderson goes right along and ignores this very crucial and important law. There is really no one with expert knowledge watching out for us; thus, we are often at the mercy of expensive consultants.
Grant money is, after all, our taxes coming back to our city. Don’t spend it the easy way, spend it the best way! Too many times in our city, money is spent and only afterwards are questions asked. And sometimes the questions are never asked or answered. And sometimes, when answered, the answers are illogical, impractical, untrustworthy, and ridiculous. I know because I have received some of these answers and I kept all the documentation.
The city should watch very carefully and account accurately for every penny of our money and be ready to defend how they are spending it. With stimulus money about to flow to Henderson, all citizens who want better government should asking questions and requiring answers.