Response to Previous Posting's Comments
Every blog on Blogspot.com has an option concerning comments. By checking one box the author can censor any comment he/she does not like. If I had wanted to skew the information by having only one viewpoint, I could have followed that route. I did not as most of you have already found out.
In the previous posting, based on some of the comments, I should have emphasized the fact that the information was primarily a summary of previous posting going back to October. The information is still there. I spent time and money requesting information from the City under the authority of a state law and stand by the one-sided but accurate information.
When interviewing managers City Councils always present the positive side of their communities and minimize the negative. Before the internet, manager candidates had to rely on comments from other managers working near the city of interest. That always helped but the information gathered was lacking in detail.
In my previous posting I used much stronger terms than usual in summarizing the current situation from the information I have gathered. The frustration comes from having shared the information over the last nine months with members of the Council many of which are not too fond of my stance on most issues. Their ears were closed.
Hopefully my posting will at least get the candidates’ attention. I also hope it will enable them during their interviews this weekend to be more informed in responding to questions from residents. Placing all the information in one posting has certainly had an impact from your responses. Let’s try some questions for the candidates.
It has been stated publicly by a critic that the condition of the streets will require millions to correct per the Auditor. Please prioritize streets along with other municipal functions?
It has been alleged by a critic that you will not be able to rely on your senior staff. How will you evaluate them and how long will it take you make a decision on the staff’s future?
Do you believe that the Council would be interfering with your authority should it establish specific policies governing personnel regulations, purchasing guidelines, etc?
Our local critic has also stated that the budget adopted by the Council is so generalized that you can ignore it. How detailed should the Council’s approval be?
He and some friends have also filed and initiated ordinance that will stop the Council from demolishing city hall and the recreation building without a vote of the residents. How will you deal with the situation?
How are you going to deal with our critic and the others who regularly harass the City Council and Staff?
In the previous posting, based on some of the comments, I should have emphasized the fact that the information was primarily a summary of previous posting going back to October. The information is still there. I spent time and money requesting information from the City under the authority of a state law and stand by the one-sided but accurate information.
When interviewing managers City Councils always present the positive side of their communities and minimize the negative. Before the internet, manager candidates had to rely on comments from other managers working near the city of interest. That always helped but the information gathered was lacking in detail.
In my previous posting I used much stronger terms than usual in summarizing the current situation from the information I have gathered. The frustration comes from having shared the information over the last nine months with members of the Council many of which are not too fond of my stance on most issues. Their ears were closed.
Hopefully my posting will at least get the candidates’ attention. I also hope it will enable them during their interviews this weekend to be more informed in responding to questions from residents. Placing all the information in one posting has certainly had an impact from your responses. Let’s try some questions for the candidates.
It has been stated publicly by a critic that the condition of the streets will require millions to correct per the Auditor. Please prioritize streets along with other municipal functions?
It has been alleged by a critic that you will not be able to rely on your senior staff. How will you evaluate them and how long will it take you make a decision on the staff’s future?
Do you believe that the Council would be interfering with your authority should it establish specific policies governing personnel regulations, purchasing guidelines, etc?
Our local critic has also stated that the budget adopted by the Council is so generalized that you can ignore it. How detailed should the Council’s approval be?
He and some friends have also filed and initiated ordinance that will stop the Council from demolishing city hall and the recreation building without a vote of the residents. How will you deal with the situation?
How are you going to deal with our critic and the others who regularly harass the City Council and Staff?
posted by Gene Wieneke at
9:16 PM
10 Comments:
Interesting approach. It's curious to know that you do hear your own critics. There's always two sides to a story. You see yourself as a crusader (don quixote is your address right?), where others see you as a critic. You see things as smoking guns, while others would say, "big deal." You state facts, but present them in the same way as a journalist would claim they are unbiased - when all can see the slant. It's all from where the perspective lies.
I cannot see how it is YOUR duty or responsibility to tell these folks about the negatives. It isn't. They honestly don't need that level of "balance." Your only goal in doing so is to drive them away - or at least test their thickness of skin. In a job interview, whether at McDonald's or for a City Manager the hiring entity will always highlight the good to bring someone in. A candidate worth anything will assess the information with a grain of salt, do their own research and inquire.
You've become the nagging wife. Even if you are right, have legit proof and want what's best for Northglenn's future, your message will fall on deaf ears because you choose to pound it over and over. The catch is that you have an expectation that eventually they will listen and respect your words. How many marriages are saved by the wife nagging relentlessly? Less and less every day. The council's ears are closed to you because the relationship is over. They cannot please you, and shouldn't specifically try to appease one very vocal individual and his friends - some of whom are disgruntled ex-employees.
CM candidates: Northglenn is a great place with great, passionate citizens, loyal employees, and open potential. There are problems, just like every single City in America. There's deep history - again, no surprise. But you have a chance not only to make a difference, but to truly have an opportunity to mend bridges and pave the way for the future.
By
Anonymous, at 11:26 PM
So you've turned up the heat to get the CM candidates attention and give them the other side of the story that they won't get from Council. I think what you are doing is preparing them for what they can expect if they don't agree with your narrow viewpoints. They are on notice that the all knowing city critic is going to meet with the new manager and if he isn't anymore fond of your stance on the issues like five of the present Council members, then he will be the next to bullied and personally attacked in your blog or Sentinel articles or wherever you spit your hatred.
It's too bad you can't just stick to what your stated original goal was, to be a watchdog for the residents and provide information through your research to keep them informed. That could be useful. You haven't stuck to that goal. You have been a sore loser ever since the election and your personal vendetta has turned any information you present into a haze of twisted facts and personal opinion to support your agenda.
By
Anonymous, at 6:28 AM
You two are so right. I should not have aired the dirty laundry in public. I have always been upset with those who gain due to illigemate means and those who accept it.
I am not the or a Don Quixote. I sent an email to the address several months ago and it no longer exists.
Finally, when ALL of our council members start to evaluate items coming before them and place the interests of the residents before those of the staff, I'll be disappearing from the scene.
By
Gene Wieneke, at 8:24 AM
Anonymous 1 nailed it right on. It is all a matter of perspective. We all can tell when the people writing on these blogs are either for or against the council or staff people.
The main thing is WAKE UP NORTHGLENN! Things are not right and they have not been right for some time! Are you going to wait for it all to come crashing down and you will be asked to foot the bill for the major street repairs that have not been done? What else has not been done? Are you going to wait for the tax increases and the ballot question that we all know is coming - do we want to extend the half cent sales tax that is due to expire in a few years? Do we really want to extend that tax again? What are we getting for the money? All I have heard are the "ice cream shoppe" dreams and have witnessed how our city is spending money on paying high dollar salaries to employees with big titles but no experience behind them. WAKE UP NORTHGLENN!!! You WILL deserve what you get when that time comes if you continue to sit idle now! I only hope I am not around when that happens. I have lived here too long and cared about this community too much. It breaks my heart to see that we have come to this level of irrational and irresponsible behaviors.
Oh and on the nagging wife metaphor that is just silly. Sounds like someone has chauvenistic tendencies and maybe even some domestic issues.
GM
By
Anonymous, at 8:49 AM
I noticed you edited your original version of this posting - taking out the more "descriptive" words. Good choice.
By
Anonymous, at 8:05 AM
Note on the previous posting: "losers"
Wow, nice technical term. Which management book did you grab that out of? The one for idiots?
I noticed you dug up some history on the City Manager candidates. Maybe you'd be willing to do the same for yourself? You seem to be a self proclaimed expert on City matters and apparently City Council's. It amazes me how one head think's it is smarter than nine but, I'll try to give you the benefit of the doubt.
Back to the questions.
What City's have you worked at? How long did you work at them? What positions did you hold and how long? Why did you leave? If you were in some sort of lead capacity how did that/those City's flourish under your regime? What significant accomplishments did you achieve while there?
I think a resume of YOUR qualifications is appropriate to benchmark the strong comments you make whether staff, council, or citizens are right or wrong in your eyes.
By
Anonymous, at 8:30 AM
To the 8:05 comment, the details were only in the first draft. I'm saving them for the new manager; only.
By
Gene Wieneke, at 4:12 PM
Gene,
Word on the street is that the city's primary developer for the 120th Ave Development is pulling out. Also, along that route is that a significant representative of the developer said that "no developer in the nation will come to Northglenn because of Gene Wieneke".
Congratulations, "loser"
You've managed to criticize the lemon of an issue that is at 120th and then chase off the very people that were working to make it profitable. Class act Gene, class act. Whats next? Whats your miracle solution all mighty one?
Oh wait, I'm sure your saving that for the new City Manager to give whoever that is the appropriate strategy in private. I hope they will be smart enough to ignore you and focus on priorities and facts.
God, you are a freaking genius. How do you drive the bus everyday realizing you are smart enough to single handedly control and bring down a City. It must be tough, driving, thinking, driving, thinking, can't wait to blog, must blog, can't wait to blog, must blog. So who set up your blog site? Going from the velcro shoes you wear sometimes (shoe laces too complicated?) I'd judge you weren't the first one on the block to realize what a blog is.
What is your new song going to be for the ruins you leave behind?
"Winy Glenn"
Today not long ago,
I complain to and fro,
Now I've got the City to go,
In the way that will make it my Glenn.
With a City this size,
People haven't realized,
That I have learned to monopolize,
And get everyone to hate our Glenn.
Chorus:
Now if you don't see it my way,
to achieve what my ego needs this day, speak no more, because if its facts I don't seem to care, its not aligned with my way of casting doom and despair.
With a mouth so large,
Ahead I charge,
Ne'er I care anyone's charge,
Forever I will shove our,
Forever I will shove our,
Forever I will shove our Glenn into chaos.
By
Anonymous, at 12:06 AM
Wholly crap. The reason developers won't have anything to do with Northglenn is because it is a train wreck! Just because someone is calling attention to the obvious doesn't mean they are the cause.
While Northglenn is wallowing in the muck, everyone else around them is building, developing, and, hey - increasing tax revenues!
Good luck to the new CM - he will certainly need it. It's time NG gets back to some core values - ethics, integrity, honesty, and doing what is right for the City of Northglenn.
By
Anonymous, at 7:20 PM
What a classic case of “let’s shoot the messenger rather than read the message”. If the developer is thinking of pulling out it is because the project doesn’t make sense. It isn’t because of Gene Wieneke. Gene is just delivering the bad news. Nobody has bothered to evaluate the financial returns to expect from the project. The City has just rushed out and bought land at the expense of City services and staff layoffs. The Mayor has probably promised the developer that she can raise $20 to $30 million dollars with five votes on council but the facts are that the citizens of Northglenn won’t allow her to do that. The citizens of Northglenn want to see an economic development project that makes sense and provides a reasonable return for their investment. The 120th and Grant project won’t ever do that because there just isn’t enough land and the cost of the land is too high. The project has been poorly conceived and extremely mismanaged by our council since the beginning. Is it any wonder the developer wants out now? I think the citizens of Northglenn want out too.
By
Unknown, at 11:24 AM
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