THE PIP AND CHAMBER BOARD RIGHTLY SENT A JULY THIRD LETTER TO THE UTILITY SERVICE BOARD ASKING THEM TO PREPARE A 15-YEAR CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT ROAD MAP PLAN, AS OTHER CORPORATIONS DO.   WE SALUTE THEM.  GOOD INTENTIONS!   AS A MEMBER OF THE FOURTH ESTATE AND GOVERNMENTAL WATCH DOG…..AS YOU KNOW….WE HAVE DONE THE SAME AND MADE IT PUBLIC.          

 

            THE ESSENCE OF THE PIP AND CHAMBER BOARD REQUEST IS WHAT MOTIVATED US TO CALL THE PUBLIC’S ATTENTION TO A LACK OF A CLEAR ROADMAP TO FUTURE OPERATIONS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.   SINCE THEN, POLITICS BEING WHAT POLITICS ARE,  THE MAYOR’S OFFICE HAS CHANGED…DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PLACED ON THE UTILITY BOARD AND ITS CHAIRMANSHIP HAS CHANGED.    

 

            IT IS SAID THE FRANKFORT UTILITY BOARD SHOULD  PREPARE A  15-YEAR CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT ROAD MAP PLAN, AS OTHER CORPORATIONS DO.  THERE IS A PROBLEM ….THE FRANKFORT TOP EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP THAT TIES OUR THIRTY MILLION DOLLAR UTILITY ENTERPRISE TOGETHER …. IS NOT LIKE ‘OTHER 30 MILLION DOLLAR PRIVATE CORPORATION STRUCTURES.   WE ARE EXPECTING TO GUIDE OUR CITY OWNED THIRTY MILLION DOLLAR ENTERPRISE WITH POLITICALLY APPOINTED PART TIME PEOPLE WITH MAYORS CHANGING…

APPOINTMENTS CHANGING WITH THE POLITICAL WINDS.    

 

            AS YOU KNOW, MOST POLITCAL APPOINTMENTS IN TOWNS OUR SIZE ARE MADE…. LACKING THE PROPER VETTING OF THE POTENTIAL BOARD MEMBER FOR….BUSINESS,  TECHNICAL EXPERTISE OR THE WILLINGNESS TO DEVOTE THE TIME AND ENERGY TO LEARNING THE BUSINESS THAT THE APPOINTEE IS ASKED TO SUPPLY WITH QUALITY STEWARDSHIP.  IN THIS CASE A THIRTY MILLION DOLLAR OPERATION.        

 

            WE HAVE GOOD PEOPLE AS HEADS OF THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS…ELECTRIC, WATER, WASTE WATER, STORM WATER, SEWER AND BILLING OFFICE ETC.  WE HAVE GOOD PEOPLE ON THE BOARDS.   WE NOW HAVE ADDED A POTENTIAL FIBER OPTICS BRIDGE AND DATA CENTER UTILITY…..BUT WE HAVE NOT SET UP THE PROPER EXECUTIVE POWER TO TIE THIS THIRTY MILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS TOGETHER AND PLAN FOR PROJECTED MANTAINENCE, FUTURE EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT ETC.   YES, OCCASIONALLY WE HIRE AN OUTSIDE FIRM….PAY THE BIG MONEY BUT THAT JUST DOESN’T CUT IT.    

 

            WE ARE EXPECTING TO DO THIS HIGH LEVEL GUIDANCE AND REPORTING WITH PART TIME POLITICAL APPOINTEES,  GOOD PEOPLE ALL.   THERE ARE FIVE OF THEM ON A UTILITY BOARD.  THREE ARE APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR AND TWO BY THE CITY COUNCIL.  THE UTILITY BOARD CHAIRMAN  MAKES $3,865 A YEAR….THE VICE CHAIRMAN IS GETTING $3,835 A YEAR AND THE OTHER THREE MEMBERS … $3,800 PER YEAR.    A GRAND TOTAL OF $19,100 A YEAR TO FURNISH HIGH LEVEL EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE TO GUIDE A 30 MILLION DOLLAR, MULTI-FACTICED ENTERPRISE.  WE EXPECT TO DO THIS WITH PART TIME PEOPLE, WHO CONTINUALLY COME AND GO WITH THE WHIMS OF POLITICS.  AT LEAST WE CAN PUT SOME STABILITY IN PLACE AT THE HIGHEST OF LEVELS.   

 

            WE HAVE HERE A PUBLICLY OWNED AND MANAGED BUSINESS.   THAT MEANS OUR FRANKFORT PUBLIC LEADERS MUST GET INVOLVED.  WE, AS COMMUNITY LEADERS, CAN NOT JUST SIT BACK AND CLAP OUR HANDS AND EXPECT GREAT RESULTS.  THERE MUST BE CONSTRUCTIVE INPUT IN THESE PUBLICALLY HELD MONDAY UTILITY BOARD MEETINGS.     

 

            WE NOW HAVE A LETTER, ON THE TABLE,  ASKING FOR A 15 YEAR PLAN.  FAIR ENOUGH,   I SALUTE YOU.  TO MY FRIENDS I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A SHOW OF HANDS AS TO HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE ATTENDED EVEN 8 OF THE LAST 48 MONDAY UTILITY BOARD MEETINGS, AND CONSTRUCTIVELY CONTRIBUTED TO, GIVEN DIRECTION FOR, OR ASKED POINTED QUESTIONS. THAT IS LESS THAN ONE OUT OF FIVE OF THE LAST TWO YEARS WORTH OF OPEN MEETINGS.  MEETINGS HELD TO GUIDING AND SHAPE OUR THIRTY MILLION DOLLAR…..PUBLICLY (YOURS AND MINE) OWN UTILITY.       . 

 

            HAVE YOU APPOINTED TWO PEOPLE FROM EACH, THE PIP AND CHAMBER BOARD TO FOLLOW CLOSELY THE OPERATION OF YOURS AND MY 30,000.000 DOLLAR UTILITY BUSINESS?  HAVE YOU OFFERED INPUT AND GUIDANCE?   

 

            TO MY GOOD FRIENDS AND CITIZENS ON THE PIP AND CHAMBER BOARDS…...AS AN EX-UTILITY COMPANY EXECUTIVE WHO 49 YEARS AGO CHOSE TO INVEST IN THIS COMMUNITY I FEEL IT IS A CITIZEN’S OBLIGATION TO BECOME INVOLVED IN MATTERS LIKE THIS.  I HAVE DONE THIS AND HERE YOU HAVE A FEW OF MY OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.  I HOPE THEY WILL BE ACCEPTED IN THE SPIRIT THEY ARE GIVEN.   FOOD FOR THOUGHT SO TO SPEAK.  .

 

            LET THE CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSION BEGIN !

 

            Vern Kaspar  

 

P.S.  THIS COMMUNITY ALSO….NEEDS A CITY MANAGER TO ADD STABILITY AND CONSISTENCY OF DIRECTION TO OUR GREAT COMMUNITY IN THIS 21ST CENTURY….BUT THAT IS ANOTHER SUBJECT