EVERYBODY SING NOW ‘OLD MAN RIVER’

Commissioner Skip will soon be putting the citizens of Saratoga up Old Man River, his antics are becoming an embarrassment to those who deal with him which are few and far between because you have to go through is Deputy first – Deputy Dawg Donna Buckley.  Those who think Tim Cogan is Skip’s Deputy are sadly mistaken and those who work for DPW know it to be true.

At a previous Council meeting Commissioner Skip announced the City would be removing Elm trees on City property that looked like they were starting to show signs of disease, that’s a good thing, however, when he proclaimed that citizens had to remove these trees from their own property at their own expense (and we all know how expensive that is), Commissioner Madigan asked Skip if the City could also remove the trees for citizens.  Skip answer to that was NO, ‘everyone will have to pay for their own removal’, when pressed by Madigan & Matheisen that it would be cheaper to have 1 company remove the trees, Skip again said NO, ‘everyone will have to pay for their own removal’.

Now here’s the info that shows what Skip thinks of us, the taxpayers of Saratoga Springs.  Recently he HAD A VERY LARGE OAK TREE REMOVED FROM A PRIVATE RESIDENCE FOR FREE, THAT RESIDENCE WAS ON LOUGHBERRY LAKE RD. IN THE TOWN OF WILTON.  Yes, that’s right not City property in Saratoga but a personal residence in the town of Wilton, removed by City workers for free.  Not a smart move Skip.

The next move by Skip that will probably end up costing us money from large fines via the DEC is one that involves the City Compost site.  The yard debris & tree chips the City picks up during the year is laid out in rows then treated and turned into the compost that is sold.  The bottom (what we’ll call ‘scum’) that cannot be sold has to be disposed of according to DEC regulations.  Saratoga has a contract with Wilton to have this ‘scum’ properly disposed of at a site at Harlem’s Hollow in Wilton.  Well, to shove it in the face of the DEC, Skip has been burying this ‘scum’ on a hill at the Compost site.  Not a smart move Skip.

Skip has ordered dredging to take place at Bog Meadow which of course again is not legal.  Bog Meadow is a supplemental water source for Saratoga Springs and an inside source has told me that DEC has never given Commissioner Wonder the permission to do this.  Again, not a smart move Skip.

Skip has been hiring outside engineering firms to do some of the work our 2 City engineers can’t do because their plates are full.  Have you ever noticed that trying to see the City Engineer during some mornings or some afternoons is impossible?  Well sources tell me that our Engineer loves to play golf either in the mornings and comes in at 11 or afternoons when he leaves at 2, depending who he plays with.  When confronted about this information, Skip gave this reasoning ‘he is on flex time’.  What the heck Skip?  Flex time?  When is he making up these hours? I thought that if one had to represent the City at a meeting after hours they had to take that time off the next day, are you sure you are not confusing the time when you were Supervisor and worked for the City and left your job during working hours to attend County meetings?  You should come up with something a little better than flex hours.  Stop hiring outside help and use our well paid department heads.

This is the last one for today.  A young man went into the Commissioner’s office looking for a job and was told that he had to have a driver’s license, which he did not have.  Then the son of the little person on the flower crew who just got a job upgrade because she makes a great informant was given that same job the young man was turned down for because of not having a driver’s license.  The irony of this story is that the son of ‘petunia’ as we like to call her, has no driver’s license and this will be his 3^rd stint working for the City. 

Your decisions Skip are becoming more and more bizarre; some of these decisions could possibly lead to monetary penalties against the City and may add more fuel against you in the looming court proceedings coming up.  The time may be fast approaching for you to turn in your two way radio.  HE JUST KEEPS ON ROLLING ALONG.