by Matt Marquardt –
MASON CITY – A project to paint lines on city streets and parking lots is being brought forward by Mason City’s Engineering Department.
The 2012 Pavement Marking Program would cost the City an estimated $108,758.75, paid with Road Use Tax Funds. The City Council will be asked at tonight’s meeting to set a public hearing on the project. The City will take bids from private companies for the annual project.
Sources tell NorthIowaToday.com that this type of work used to be done by City employees years ago but eventually the work began to be contracted out to private companies. The City will run ads in the Globe Gazette seeking bids for the project.
The project would be completed by June 15, 2012.
It was said that the City stopped using its own employees to do this work in the mid to late 1990’s. The work was done by two employees, primarily, who bought most of their paint at Diamond Vogel in Mason City. “The amount of painting has decreased dramatically since then,” the source said. “The work was done for way, way less than $108 thousand dollars.”
It was said that the stencils were made by city employees, and they mainly carried a 2.5 gallon paint machine around.
Looking at the cost estimates above, most of this was never painted by city crews. The city never had equipment to paint the long lines for pavement edging and lines such as no passing. But they did all the small stuff such as cross walks, R.R. crossings, school crossings, lot stripes, etc. These are the things that wear off quickly and need to be done more than once a year. The equipment to do this is not that expensive. Maybe they still have it?? Lets bring back some good lines again.
I’d like to know the split of material costs and labor.
I was just wondering…we don’t have city employees painting the streets…jobs gone, wages saved…we are looking at dropping city employees from picking up our garbage…jobs gone, wages saved…we have private firms trimming our trees…jobs gone, wages saved! Is there any chance our property taxes will be going down because the city no longer has to provide these services…I thought not!!!
They could have save 10 grand by not plowing the snow that would have melted by noon yesterday, fuel overtime, they came by my house 3 times, sparks flying first time was 5 AM – what a joke and wast of money. They must not have the internet Weather.com
id think the city could hire 2 new employees that would love to work for a 40 or 50,000 year salary. what the hill is wrong with your city fathers, that they cant understand common sense. Im sorry for you people. as for the garbage. you should be proud to pay $9 per month. my town is $18.01 per month for 1 bag a week with a certain weight limit. im single and recycle. I dont have a bag every week. Still $18.01/month. actually if they want to change. citizens should fight for a flat rate per bag. 1 person shouldnt have to pay the same as a house of 6. persuade and reward people for recycling. pay as you go. you waste you pay
another idea for garbage pickup if the city wants to get out of the sanitation buisness. allow homeowners to choose from more than one company to haul their garbage. let the competition keep the prices down.
i have to agree, these no good criminals should be out doing this work, costing the city only paint and about $2 an hour! how come trout didn’t think of this? doensnt he make over $200 thousand dollars a year?
Sanitation is in their cross-hairs folks. If you think a private hauler will give you the same services that you receive now, YOU ARE WRONG!!! Say goodbye to free yard waste pickup. Say goodbye to large item pickup. The sanitation department is funded from the 9.00 fee. If they eliminate it, just what are they saving?? You will pay someone to pick up your garbage. Most places that hire private haulers do in fact pay much more down the road for a lot less service.. Be aware of whats going on!!
I would like to see them bring the stencils back out, give them to the people in our county jail and BG Clark and make them do the work during the day. You could pay them a working wage and let them know what doing a job really means.
When the paint line wears of the street, send them out to do it all over again. (not once a year.)
The paint line on 12th street seems to wear off in a hurry because the people here in town seem to think that is a line you need to drive over.
This would be less expensive, and let them know what is is like to earn a wage, that is a way to get them back into society and cut our expensese as well.
John: You beat me to it. I was going to suggest that the criminals in the county jail get off their butts, outside, and paint. Some of these criminals could stand a little work. Slap on some ankle chains, and you are all set!
Well stated put them to work
The City leaders have done away with over 15 positions that provided services to the citizens in the last 10 or so years. Now they want to get rid of the Sanitation Dept. That’s 10 more jobs off the payroll that they can dole out to private companies! Think you’ll get the same service WITH yard waste pick up from a private hauler for $9.00 a month?? LOL..think again!! Ya better watch this Council folks cuz YOU will be the losers in all this.
When the city did this it always looked good. Now it always looks like shit!!! I would hate to be from out of town not knowing where I am going and have to rely on pavement markings that are long gone. These pavement markings are an embarrassment to the city!! The City needs to get back in the line painting business.
Privatization isn’t always the answer. This is the city getting lazy. Write a big check and forget about it; Rahm don’t want to supervise any more employees. Taxpayers lose again.
Right, LESS service for MORE money! Good example of waste. The city used to do this and they should still do it. Dick Bridgeford, who recently passed away, did a great job on this painting for the city. I’m sure they have still the manpower, just work instead of looking busy.
It seems the quality of the work went down too. These companys come in and do piss poor work and we over pay for it. The lines they painted last year on pierce by the ymca are already gone. The city should be doing this work. This wood keep local people employed.
The city should hire temp workers to do this kind of work. Everyone knows that contractors mark up their job to make a considerable profit.
We have a city manager and department heads that should have the ability to get this done. I do know that the currently there is not the talent and expertise in the proper department heads to undertake this task.
Brent Trout thinks we don’t get it, but we do. He is either lazy or not qualified in his position to manage this kind of endeavor. His job description should demand that he does.
BAD BAD Leadership!!!!
In this time of money problems maybe it would be good to have city employees doing this job. There are other jobs that the city has farmed out over the years also, how about bringing them back???
Id say that if daimond vogel didnt want to give you a deal on your paint then any idiot should know that you can go somewhere else!! Pittsburg paint store will have the same thing to do the job!! Wouldnt hurt your employees do it at all!! Other towns do and they seem to get by!
Goes to show you that contracting out city services does not save the tax-payer money. Every time the council contracts out services it cost the homeowners more money with less service.
that just proves the city does less services, but wants more tax money to waste on stupid shit $58 million on a street. that only the mayor wanted. and a civic center that no one but a few can use. (again the mayor is trying ram down peoples throats)