That Water (Billing Policy) is Refreshing!

I saw some jaws drop Tuesday night as our new Finance Director, Jane Obert, made her first formal presentation to your city council. What went wrong you ask? Honestly? Absolutely nothing! It was one of the most professional, concise, to-the point, factual presentations that I’ve ever seen brought to your city council. And it’s yet another example of how we are changing the tone of government and working to improve oversight and customer service in our city.

Among other things, Jane’s report focused around her concerns that our city’s water billing policy was simply customer UNFRIEDLY! Specifically, until now, if your water bill due date was on a weekend or a holiday, the city expected you to pay it EARLY. That policy (which I complained about over 2 years ago to no avail) was certainly contrary to most business policies and practices today (including the IRS!) And thanks to Jane and her “common sense” approach this issue, that policy is no more!

Starting with bills due on October 15^th, 2011 (which was a Saturday), if the due date falls on a non-business day (i.e. weekend or holiday), you as a water customer now have until the end of business on the FOLLOWING business day to pay your bill. In other words, if your bill was due on a Saturday, you now can pay it the following Monday without penalty. We’ve also increased the frequency of when our payment drop box is checked for payments. Effective immediately, all payments dropped by 4:00pm will be applied the same business day. Again – a change that some would say is a “no brainer”!

So to those who are watching, make note that we are following through on our commitments to improve the service offered by your local city government. When we find something that is contrary to the conventional wisdom, we’re now working to change whatever that “something” is. If we identify areas that common sense would tell you need to be improved, we’re improving them. And we’re doing it for no other reason than because it’s the right thing to do.

If you’re out and about at the Neosho Wildcat football game tonight, make a point to stop and say hello. I’ll be working concessions during the 2^nd half at the main concession stand. And to our Wildcat football team, good luck as you battle the Tigers from Ozark! It should be a great game.

Until next time, stay the course and God Bless!

Officials Apparently Knew About Problems at Solyndra

Below are a few paragraphs from today’s NY Times article on the ongoing investigation into the government’s loan guarantees to Solyndra.  They are very telling as it relates to how the government used wasted millions in tax payer funds.  Emphasis is mine.  The entire article can be found here.

• “One of our solar companies with revenues of less than $100 million (and not yet profitable) received a government loan of $580 million,” the investor, Brad Jones, an executive at Redpoint Ventures, wrote in December 2009 to Lawrence H. Summers, then the president’s chief economic advisor, referring to Solyndra. “While that is good for us, I can’t imagine it’s a good way for the government to use taxpayer money.”
• “The memorandum, prepared for Democrats who serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, details how officials at the White House considered scaling back or even terminating the loan guarantee program, because of concerns over how it was being managed. The dispute went all the way to the president, the memo says, but there is no evidence that he made any changes in the structure of the loan program.”
• “The most alarming issue to the White House official was growing evidence that Solyndra, which filed for bankruptcy last month, was headed toward a collapse even in early 2010. It led the Office of Management and Budget officials to predict widespread problems with companies getting loan guarantees.”
• “What’s terrifying is that after looking at some of the ones that came next, this one started to look better,” said one April 2010 e-mail, referring to the Solyndra decision, and others that followed. “Bad Days are coming.”