Council questions safety as payouts rise to $24,000
By Paul Nelson Published 10:26 pm, Tuesday, March 25, 2014
The city employee operating the recyclable truck took a nasty tumble from the moving vehicle last year. He wasn't seriously hurt, but the truck caused nearly $6,000 in damages when it slammed into a retaining wall and destroyed the landscaping on the property, city officials said.
Since then, other crashes involving city-owned vehicles have prompted calls from City Council members for the mayor to address the problem before it ends up costing taxpayers even more money or someone dies.
"It's just by a miracle that there hasn't been a real tragedy," said Councilman Vince Riggi during Monday's council meeting.
On Tuesday, Riggi said he wants "to see what accountability there is for each department where there is an accident that seems avoidable.
"We want to know what is the standard operating procedure after these accidents," added Riggi, the claims committee chair.
Council members Carl Erikson and Marion Porterfield said they have similar worries.
The members also want to determine city protocol for alcohol and drug-testing of employees involved in accidents.
"I think the policy should be every time," said Erikson, "The city needs to do everything within its power to ensure that the problem is resolved."
He, along with Riggi and Porterfield, acknowledged that while accidents invariably happen, the ones leading to the claims often involve collisions with stationary vehicles and objects. They said the goal is to ensure the safety of city employees and residents.
"The residents are the insurance company for anything under $50,000," Riggi said of the Schenectady's high insurance deductible. He said insurance companies consider the Electric City to be high risk because of multiple accidents over the past few years.
Riggi said the crashes stand out in the city waste collection department, which includes garbage and recyclables, noting that the "same names keep coming up over and over again."
Riggi said he wants to review the union contract for the waste collection department to learn more about a system that he argued "leads to hurrying and being careless" for employees whose shift is over once they complete their routes.
Last year, the city approved a total of 17 property damage claims, nine of them involving workers from the city waste department, Riggi said.
A similar trend appears to be developing this year. The council has already authorized $24,000 in total payouts for seven property-damage claims, four of them from the city waste collection department, Riggi said.
On Monday alone, the council approved four property-damage claims totaling $10,000, two of them involving waste-collection workers.
Their department falls under the purview of General Services Commissioner Carl Olsen. He did not return calls Tuesday seeking comment.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Last year, the city approved a total of 17 property damage claims, nine of them involving workers from the city waste department, Riggi said.
A similar trend appears to be developing this year. The council has already authorized $24,000 in total payouts for seven property-damage claims, four of them from the city waste collection department, Riggi said.
On Monday alone, the council approved four property-damage claims totaling $10,000, two of them involving waste-collection workers.
People need to be aware that the mayor and his dem team are doing such a "wonderful job" in the city, that even far more lawsuits are from tax certiorari's because the dems REFUSE to do a citywide reassessment; and a citywide reassessment is an absolute necessity because property values in the city are falling big time because, obviously EVIDENCE that the mayor and his dem team are NOT doing a wonderful job, but rather are running the city completely.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
it's no wonder there are so many accidents!!! City vehicles or not..........most of those roads should be CLOSED!!! They are accidents waiting to happen!!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
"The City of Schenectady Waste Collection Department will be introducing a new recycling initiative called "Recyclution." The intent of this new program is to increase public awareness on the importance of recycling. Increased recycling will have a positive effect on our environment, reduce the solid waste sent to landfill, and provide financial gains for our community. One ton of recycling removed from the waste stream is a disposal cost savings of $68.42. If recycling were to increase by 1,000 tons per year, it would be a disposal cost avoidance of $68,420..."
To Gary R. McCarthy, Mayor:
"If the recycling program was discontinued we would not need as many company trucks on the road and would reduce our insurance claim exposure tremendously. How many tons of recycleables need to be picked up to pay for your $24,000 in claims? Answer 350 TONS!"
COST AVOIDANCE - WHAT A JOKE!
Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid - John Wayne
TIP TO NEW VISITORS TO THIS FORUM - To improve your blogging pleasure it is recommended to ignore (Through editing your prefere) the posts of the following bloggers - DemocraticVoiceofReason, Scotsgod08 and Smoking Bananas. They continually go off topic, do not provide facts and make irrational remarks. If you do not believe me, this can be proven by their reputation scores or by a sampling of their posts.
Well, the damn recycling guy needs to slow the hell down! He drives around here like a bat out of hell and leaving trash in his wake, every week.
SLOW DOWN
Yup........been behind that vehicle!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I think I'll complain. Not that it will change anything. I'll bet there's only one guy who does the recycling route, maybe that is why he goes so fast, has to get the job done on time.
City employees are careless about the vehicles they drive because it doesn't belong to them. They don't care if they get in to an accident because the City taxpayers money goes to foot the bill. There needs to be a new policy for these City employees "if you crash it, your cash is it" that's right take a pay cut when you crash a city owned car or truck or get fired. City Employees don't hold themselves accountable for their actions because they have a FAILED leader in Mayor McThug to look up to. City employees sitting on their hands in City Hall are so disrespectful to the public. Anytime I go to City Hall to conduct business they are hostile AND RUDE just like Mayor McTHUG!
The current city mayor and the previous dem mayor, and the dem council of the past 10 years have been careless with the taxpayers' money. In fact, they are careless about the pockets of all taxpayers in the county. They are the ones that that are exempting their rich cronies downtown from having to pay taxes and that extends to school taxes AND the county taxes that we town residents pay!
The current city mayor and the previous dem mayor, and all of the dem council people in these past 10 years have been TOTALLY CAREELESS with money and the results of their carelessness have included:
MASSIVE REDUCTION to the city's tax base MASSIVE INCREASES to the tax BILLS of financially struggling homeowners Creation of new fess to impose upon the financially struggling homeowners Multiple increases in fee amounts imposed upon the financially struggling homeowners Reduction in home values Reduction in home sales Reduction in home sale prices Reduction in essential city services to the taxpayers Reduction of attention to Central Park, once called the jewel of the city, (remember when tens upon tens of thousands of people (residents and non-city/non county residents came to various events in the park) Increases in people fleeing the city Increases in vacant properties Increases in abandoned properties Increases in blight throughout the neighborhoods -- where the taxpayers live Exempting the beneficiaries of taxpayer handouts from living in the city- whether ultra rich property owners downtown or city department heads who propose bloated budgets that cause taxes to go up.
Anyone care to provide one teeny weeny shred of evidence to contradict these FACTS, these TRUTHS about the past ten years of dem leadership in the city? Not holding our breath for anyone to provide such evidence
Anyone care to contradict the above and show an accounting of how the homeowners are financially better off as a result of the past ten years of dem leadership? Not holding our breath for anyone to provide any information
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
In our "hood" twice this winter the regular trash men threw the recyclables in with the regular trash. Throughout the "hood". The containers were clearly labeled. Possibly due to the frigid temps. or truck breakdown. Regardless, they have a thankless job in the winter and don't begrudge them a quicker route shortcut.
All recyclables were thrown in with regular trash if the weather was extreme, I think that's how it was. Don't know about now. You would think with all of McCarthy's complaining of too little recycling, that practice would have been discontinued.
All recyclables were thrown in with regular trash if the weather was extreme, I think that's how it was. Don't know about now. You would think with all of McCarthy's complaining of too little recycling, that practice would have been discontinued.
its still the same....
and dont forget when elected mcthug rode a trash recycling truck one morning for the photo op..."he da recycling expert"...
In our "hood" twice this winter the regular trash men threw the recyclables in with the regular trash. Throughout the "hood". The containers were clearly labeled. Possibly due to the frigid temps. or truck breakdown. Regardless, they have a thankless job in the winter and don't begrudge them a quicker route shortcut.
So the city can choose if it wants to "collect" the recycleables that took hours to separate but the residents have no choice? Sounds about right!
Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid - John Wayne
TIP TO NEW VISITORS TO THIS FORUM - To improve your blogging pleasure it is recommended to ignore (Through editing your prefere) the posts of the following bloggers - DemocraticVoiceofReason, Scotsgod08 and Smoking Bananas. They continually go off topic, do not provide facts and make irrational remarks. If you do not believe me, this can be proven by their reputation scores or by a sampling of their posts.
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