An outside view of Johnstown

[RobinQuillonsHair]

The Tribune Review takes a look at Johnstown's future.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/s_669135.html

[bleyeskaren]

Something does have to happen and as the population continues to age, the costs of services will also continue to rise. At some point the City of Johnstown does need to "clean the slate" so to speak and start over. Hopefully with the new changes in city management, these changes will come easily. Problem is the older residents will not want to change. Change is difficult for anyone at any age and it is often met with battle. If Johnstown is truly to revitalize, it must start with management of the budget.  Dramatic measures need to be taken, it's finally time to recognize it is for the improvement of the City.. for everyone's benefit and survival.  Great article Robin, thanks.

[beefman]

This article tells me that the city has been mismanaged for many years. It shows that even when they collected more money that compareable city's they over spent and got father in debt. Chapter 9 is a short term solution. If they don't change the way they do things in 5 years or so they will be right back where they are now.

[pbal]

It would be interesting to learn (and I'm too lazy to research for myself) how the other municipalities in the study compare with Johnstown in regards to total area, miles of streets, volume of infrastructure and proportional population and industry loss over the past 50 years. It wouldn't surprise me if Johnstown found itself near the top of that list, in which case, topping the revenue list might not seem so noteworthy. Fifty years ago, Johnstown and its infrastructure comfortably supported a population of 60,000, with probably as many tax- and fee-paying households then as there are total citizens today, not to mention an outrageously lucrative commercial tax base.

A study is only as relevant as the facts that are chosen to be analyzed and compared. Broadening the scope of this particular study, I believe, to include additional relevant topics, such as those mentioned above, would go much farther in supporting the development of viable, lasting solutions to the difficulties confronting not only Johnstown, but  other distressed communities across the country.

[bleyeskaren]

Pbal you are thinking way too hard today!

[PSUROCKS]

The Tribune Review takes a look at Johnstown's future.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/s_669135.html

That's just proves that's it's a joke when people say the city is understaffed.  It's still way OVERSTAFFED.   Way overstaffed in the wrong areas.  It also shows that NO ONE in the city EVER plans for the future.  I guarantee that if you ran these numbers by council members, none of them even realize it, and most of them couldn't even understand the point of the story.

It's painfully clear that the city just can't do it.  I understand it's been a bad winter, but the city roads are BY FAR the worst in the county.  I have never witnessed such an awful job of snow plowing.  Someone needs to tell the guys that you can take more than one pass down the road.  You don't have to plow it right down the middle and push all the snow into the intersection.  If you watch the PennDot guys and the guys in the West Hills.......well, as always, the city is an embarrassment.   No one is the city cares.  Getting a job in the city is like hitting the lottery.  Free money and you don't have to work.

[escapeman]

Shame on Johnstowns leaders!!! It's time to vote the "regulars" out from office's they've held for years. It seems to me the city was better off with a "strong mayor" form of Gov't.  To resopond to Pbals post I'd say there is no way Johnstown has more road liability than  New Castle. I may be wrong and I await Pbals findings with baited breathe.     

[irvingtwosmokes]

That's just proves that's it's a joke when people say the city is understaffed.  It's still way OVERSTAFFED.   Way overstaffed in the wrong areas.  It also shows that NO ONE in the city EVER plans for the future.  I guarantee that if you ran these numbers by council members, none of them even realize it, and most of them couldn't even understand the point of the story.

It's painfully clear that the city just can't do it.  I understand it's been a bad winter, but the city roads are BY FAR the worst in the county.  I have never witnessed such an awful job of snow plowing.  Someone needs to tell the guys that you can take more than one pass down the road.  You don't have to plow it right down the middle and push all the snow into the intersection.  If you watch the PennDot guys and the guys in the West Hills.......well, as always, the city is an embarrassment.   No one is the city cares.  Getting a job in the city is like hitting the lottery.  Free money and you don't have to work.

This has to be the most overstaffed useless department in the city. I figure there is roughly $120,000+ a yr in salaries in that dept

COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Director Ronald Andrews
Residential Development Officer Kelly Barger
Economic Development Coordinator Jim White
Economic Development Specialist Renée Daly
Administrative Secretary Marlane Zima

[RobinQuillonsHair]

$120,000?

$180,000 minimum. 

[Cobnobuler]

.  I understand it's been a bad winter, but the city roads are BY FAR the worst in the county.  I have never witnessed such an awful job of snow plowing.  Someone needs to tell the guys that you can take more than one pass down the road.  You don't have to plow it right down the middle and push all the snow into the intersection.  If you watch the PennDot guys and the guys in the West Hills.......well, as always, the city is an embarrassment.   No one is the city cares.  Getting a job in the city is like hitting the lottery.  Free money and you don't have to work.

Thank you. We finally gave up on these idiots running the plows around here and are doing our street ourselves with snow blowers and hand shovels otherwise, those of us without garages would have had no place to park two months ago. Once in awhile a guy flies down the street here about 60 miles an hour down the middle and he's gone. Meantime, the snow builds up three feet away from the curbs. I wonder if I can be excused from paying my city taxes in exchange for receiving no services from the city? Actually, the plow probably causes us more work than anything.     Nice job........

[PSUROCKS]

This has to be the most overstaffed useless department in the city. I figure there is roughly $120,000+ a yr in salaries in that dept

COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Director Ronald Andrews
Residential Development Officer Kelly Barger
Economic Development Coordinator Jim White
Economic Development Specialist Renée Daly
Administrative Secretary Marlane Zima

One of many.  Good call though.  What in the world do they do on a daily basis?  Speaking of Daly, she most have been a patronge hire, like everyone else.  Like I said, working for the city is like hitting the lottery.  Kind of like $1000 a week for life, plus health benefits and a pension.  Work and/or accomplishment is optional.

The recreation department was budgeted at nearly $700,000.  Used to be on the city's website until they took such things down to avoid embarrassment.  What in the world was the city getting for $700K?  Some council members are determined to bring the department back.

Nice story in todays paper:

http://www.tribdem.com/local/local_story_059232603.html

But a typical response from the few in the city that could even understand the article.  Of course Jim Roberts doesn't want the city to file bankrupcy; it would cost him his job.  Seventeen years and still distressed.  Keep up the good work, Jim.  Only in the public sector could someone as big a failure as you have been keep their job.

The city spends 72% MORE than similiar municipalities.  The fire chief says that doesn't take commuters into consideration.  The other 9 places don't have commuters?  The also get more money, albeit mostly from the state and federal government.  Kind of like the GJSD............they get more so they spend more.  Kind of like government in general.  

72% more and look at the awful job the city did on something as simple as snow plowing.  Awful.  It's not that the city is understaffed; the staff they have doesn't perform.....that's the problem.  Boroughs and the like around the area do twice the work with half the staff.

It would be anyone's hope that SOMEONE at city hall or on council can get something from that study.  Given the comments of the one council member, it seems doubtful.        

[Cobnobuler]

I think the first thing this new city manager should go out and get is a big ole' elephant gun. Its time to blow some heads off and get an instant return on some of this wasted money on these useless city positions. ....And it may motivate those left standing to actually do something.
And one of the things that has remained pretty much a constant as the city continues its downward spiral is Jack Williams. He needs to be thrown down the front steps of city hall once and for good already for cryin out loud....

[Alfred E. Neuman]

"Change We Can Believe In"................all together now!!   

[bleyeskaren]

I think the first thing this new city manager should go out and get is a big ole' elephant gun. Its time to blow some heads off and get an instant return on some of this wasted money on these useless city positions. ....And it may motivate those left standing to actually do something.
And one of the things that has remained pretty much a constant as the city continues its downward spiral is Jack Williams. He needs to be thrown down the front steps of city hall once and for good already for cryin out loud....

While Jack Williams seems to be outspoken, he has pointed out several issues that the City to this day continues to ignore. No, we actually need more to recognize the "needs" of the city with the resources available.  Problem is the City has always adapted a sweep it under the rug approach to management.. hopefully, this will change with new leadership.

[millcreek]

COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Director Ronald Andrews
Residential Development Officer Kelly Barger
Economic Development Coordinator Jim White
Economic Development Specialist Renée Daly
Administrative Secretary Marlane Zima
Kelly Barger hands out monies for the lower income (free after 7 yrs) housing improvements within the city. Ironically her brother is a private contractor. Guess who has received a substantial amount of work from the Residential development officer? Of course these employees are also not required to live within city limits either.