- Wasn't posting meeting notices and agendas online part of the Sunshine Law suit brought against the Purzner regime?
- Does MT Schneider think that the recall of Purzner automatically vacated that decision?
I have another issue with the website. I noticed for the first time today that there is a link to the American Legion's website. Why? Didn't we go through this before with Ann's link to her personal website? What are the policies to be included on the web page? A few questions:
- Why not link to other community organizations?
- What about the Overland Lions?
- Churches (not just All Souls)?
- The Rotary?
- The Optomists?
- The Pessimists?
- What about linking to this blog?
- Overland Chat?
- Sailor's blog/site?
- My Contrarian blog?
- Knode's site?
- Other council member sites?
Obviously all of these links on the front page would make the page too busy and not serve the public. A separate page for "community web links" would be of better service. However, when we start to cherry pick just the organizations that MT Schneider belongs or favors, we still have the inherent unfairness that was brought up when Queen Ann posted links to her website.
It all just begs the question: Did MT Schneider not learn ANYTHING during the short-lived Purzner administration?
15 comments:
Because MS is a member of the American Legion that's why.
You are correct in that that judge's opinion did state something about posting notices on the web.
Judge Thea Sherry's opinion in the Dody, et al vs Purzner stated that city officials should give residents proper notice of the date and time of each meeting "through postings, memoranda and website postings".
Well no, he didn't learn anything about dealing in-good-faith. I fact I don't think he was even paying attention. It became quite clear to me that the COGG/Schneider/ORT Coalition of the Shilling were not interested in professionally administering the City when they all conspired to violate the individual campaign contribution limit when funding Schneider's campaign.
I mean why should I put any faith in a group of people so willing to tell the Missouri Supreme Court to go copulate with itself over campaign contribution limit.
If the Supreme Court is meaningless, I don't see much help coming from sunshine laws.
Anyone catch this from last week?
"That motion followed the Supreme Court's advice to reinstate the limits retroactively. Candidates will have to refund money in excess of the contribution limits, unless they can prove they relied on the now-stricken law that allowed unlimited contributions, and that returning the money would pose a hardship.
I can't wait to hear Diamond Mike Schneider claim he is too poor to pay the money back.
Aren't they paying the IT guy over $60,000 to do, among other things, the web site? The whole thing is a trainwreck.
Churches and schools are listed under the "Community Information" link, although when you click on schools, it goes to the Ritenour web site, thus ignoring any private schools in the city.
And why is a government site listing churches? I'm surprised Bob "ACLU" Herman allows that.
There are missing graphics and dead links all over the site. Go to the Community Center main page and nothing is there.
And how about those annoying popup windows on the main page?
All of the graphics on the site as well as the general layout are very amateurish and look like something from a decade or more ago.
Click on the Municipal Court main page. More info here than the Community Center page, but what's up with all the red x's indicating more graphics that have been removed or are simply missing.
There is also a link to the Overland Business Association under Community Information which brings us back to the question of what's the criteria to be listed on the city site?
I could go on and on, but the whole site needs to be revamped.
I just checked the city's website and the agenda is now posted.
Bonus: They took down the AintheP pop-up only to replace it with another.
In our IT Guy's defense (though his department is called MIS I believe) he is only one man.
He is charged with maintaining, repairing and upgrading all the computers in all the departments, including the community center, as well as maintaining sound systems and other City Hall electronics. That is a full time job in itself at best (and often requires far more than 40 hours a week).
There are also the website responsibilities. The MIS department used to have two people assigned to it, but one recently retired. The city did budget for a second MIS person but as far as I know they haven't started the hiring process to fill that position.
While I agree that the website could be done much better, the truth is there are simply not enough hours in the day for one person to do it all. Frankly, I'm surprised as much gets done on the website as it does.
Sailor,
I agree that it is too much for one person. However, the agenda things fell under the court order and should have been a priority.
In addition, I find it surprising that there is time to create these obnoxious pop-ups and a link to the American Legion, but not the meeting agenda and update council meeting info.
If the MIS/IT guy has that much on his plate, then perhaps it's not his fault, but the web site is still a disgrace. If they need to hire someone else, do it. The position is in the budget, isn't it?
The City has numerous peronnel holes to fill. We have no City Administator, no Director of Public Works, no assistant MIS/IT guy, no Chief Building Inspector and presumably still have an opening for a Code Enforcement Officer (at least it's still on the web site). I know Schneider hasn't been in office long, but I can't believe there aren't qualified people out there looking for jobs in the positions where we have vacancies. They should have set up a job fair booth at Autumn in the Park and collected applications.
I see that "Appointments" is listed on tonight's agenda. I suppose they will fill the Ward Four vacancy at the meeting. Maybe once that's off Schneider's mind, he can get down to business and bring city staffing up to par.
It seems to me that the hiring is in direct relation to COGG members (or their kids) who need jobs.
Suzyjax I agree that the agenda is important, and I believe you're correct that it is supposed to posted on the site per the sunshine law case order (unless, when City Attorney Herman got the OK to hold workshops and the like at City Hall, the website posting item was rescinded as well).
However, I'm not so sure this is the fault of our guy in MIS either. I could be that he is not receiving the agenda to post on the website until the last minute.
Having met the man, seen what he has to do from day to day and knowing how seriously he takes his responsibilities I'm for giving him the benefit of the doubt on that one.
Sailor.
I am by no means blaming any one person. If anything, the problems that are reflective in the website are part of a complete lack of follow-through and organization that is systemic at City Hall.
But, if you say he is a nice guy I guess we should just overlook these things. (Arrrgh!)
"But he is such a nice guy (woman)" is exemplary of the attitude ofwhy we have not made any progress in Overland for decades!
I'm not trying to change the subject but I believe the parents and grandparents who read the blogs should take a look at this on the Overland Examiner.
Actually Suzy I don't believe I said he was a "nice guy". I believe I said:
"Having met the man, seen what he has to do from day to day and knowing how seriously he takes his responsibilities I'm for giving him the benefit of the doubt on that one."
In other words, he is a professional who takes his job seriously and works his tail off for us. Unfortunately, he can only do what he is authorized to do, and he can only post what he is given to post.
I agree there are problems at City Hall. However, the employees are limited as to what they can do about it. Solving the problems at City Hall will take real leadership and a few hard decisions. This can only happen at the top. Those from the middle to the bottom of the totem pole can't do things they are not authorized to do, they can only do the best they can with what they are given to work with.
I think he is a nice guy and not afraid to admit it. I will hold this opinion until I get a chance to meet him. Regardless of his time management issues, that web site blows.
In his support for Lester Dills, Schneider has signaled to us all that he will not be making personnel decisions based on merit, qualifications or work experience.
Schneider is pure patronage and wouldn't know a professional administrator if he came-up and put an illegal campaign contribution in his pocket.
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