Letter Exposes Kimball Report (KRIT) Not Implemented As Prescribed

"April 23, 2010

Dear [Board of Aldermen Members]

As elected current and former representatives of our communities, with more than 20 years between us serving the City of Milford as Planning and Zoning Board Commissioners, we know that what you do is important, difficult and at times, unfortunately, thankless. Please know, therefore, that our speaking out regarding the newly formed Department of Permitting and Land Use reflect genuine concerns regarding the re-alignment of the land use departments, and these concerns, expressed to your board before, reflect the views of many in our community.

As you know, this new department, formed by the Kimball Report Implementation Team, is a new item in the 2011 budget currently being reviewed by your board. This department was formed by the merging of three departments—Building, Inland Wetlands, and City Planning—into one department. The proposed budget reflects the cost of running those three departments and the salary of a new position, Director of the Department of Permitting and Land Use.

Comparing the budget request for this new department with the individual budgets for the once independent departments for FY 2010, shows that there is an 11% budget increase projected; this increase is comprised, in large part, of the salary for the Director. (Salaries for all three departments in FY 2010: $830,229 and the Mayor’s request is $934,385 for FY 2010). The total budget for these three departments: $892,752 FY 2010/$1,001,690 FY 2011. This increase does not include the cost of the Parsons remodel to accommodate the merging of the 3 departments which has been suggested to be $145,000. Part of the funding for this redesign and renovation is being funded through LOCIP Funds.

The increase – the largest for any City department – represents a stark departure from the intention of the Kimball Report which was initiated by the Board of Alderman and paid for from City Funds. In that report many recommendations were made to enhance the permitting process thereby ensuring better and more efficient customer service. Among the recommendations: Implementation of enhanced software; utilization of the City of Milford website; signage for Parsons Complex and a new staffing position, described in the report as a Permitting Authority or a concierge.

What the City has now is a position budgeted for a permanent Director of the Department of Permitting and Land Use who, according to the recently posted job description, has authority over three departments and professional staff, yet that position, paying $95,000 year, requires no land use experience, professional certification of any kind or post-high school education. During the almost 6 months that the interim Director has served the City, the operations of the three departments have remained pretty much the same; if anything the departments have less available resources than before this change was implemented in November of 2009. This was brought into stark clarity during your most recent budget hearing: the overtime costs for these departments remain as they were, and not only has overtime costs continued during the past 6 months, but staffing shortages are projected at the same level for all of 2011. As you know a key staff position (the Zoning Enforcement Officer) in the City Planning office remains unfilled, and a building inspector position in the building department has been removed from this year’s budget.

In short, the City is currently paying $95,000 for a position that has not alleviated staffing shortages as the Director of the Department of Permitting and Land Use testified to during the budget hearings.

What the City wanted with the hiring of an outside firm to review the permitting processes in the City was a plan for addressing the concerns of developers and residents who found working with the various departments difficult and confusing. But, the implementation of that plan has brought about little or no savings to the City and the key recommendations of the Kimball Report remain unfulfilled. But, more importantly, the cost for a Director overseeing professional staff has in fact made it impossible for these departments to be fully staffed and deprived these offices of some technical upgrades that were recommended and are necessary to expedite the permitting process.

As your board makes decisions on the budget, you are, as in good years and not-so-good years, left to make decisions about what is working and what is not as well setting the priorities of the City. Everyone has their own view; however, the cost to the City of a regular, full-time employee (including benefit package that will add at a minimum 10% additional cost for the position) overseeing the professional staff of three departments seems a very high price to pay when the City is cutting teachers or decreasing funding in other City departments or services. What makes the Director of Permitting and Land Use more important than preserving certain teaching positions?

In the case of the Director’s position, the City has had almost 6 months to review the progress of the changes envisioned by the implementation team, and the benefits to the City that that position has brought. We don’t believe that a fair and impartial look at what was envisioned by the Kimball Report and what has been delivered meets the vision of Kimball nor does it come close to satisfying the needs of the City.

The City needs to get the most value for their taxpayer’s money. We believe that if a position such as this is added to the City budget, this position should increase departmental efficiencies by providing customer service through a one-stop concierge service as envisioned in the Kimball Report. Further, as outlined in that report, providing customer service through development of internet tools that assist permit seekers with accurate information would go a long way to decreasing individual visits to various Land Use offices. Moreover, planned GIS upgrades—previously partially budgeted—should be implemented and inter-departmental information flow enhanced through electronic upgrades; all of which would allow professional staff to focus on their core jobs rather than attending to the myriad of questions and frustrations that arise everyday and could be handled by a mid-level employee. These affordable changes will help decrease overtime costs while providing builders and residents with quality and prompt information.

In addition to the known added costs of this implementation, there is also the unknown impact of pending grievances by union administrators. It would seem mandatory that this be dealt with before any position is funded.

We believe, that the City does not need to hire a permanent Director. However, if deemed necessary, that a job description be more in line with the goals set forth in Kimball—a mid-salary position where the duties emphasize the customer service aspect that is at the heart of the Kimball Report. Moreover, interdepartmental and extra-departmental communication needs to be enhanced through electronic upgrades that allow information to be shared across departments as well as providing basic land use information on the Milford City website.

An alternative scenario: “pause” further action and concentrate solely on the technology

up-grades; if necessary a tech consultant hired with oversight provided by a city administrator. At the end of the next fiscal year evaluate the need for any further change.

It doesn't make sense to us for the Board of Alderman to be looking at cutting overtime, consolidating copier costs and looking into cheaper ways to publicize announcements among the three departments without giving very serious consideration to the thousands and thousands of dollars the City is spending—and will continue to spend year after year—for a position that is not, in its present form, able to provide the full range of customer service objectives and departmental efficiencies that were the objectives of the City’s own funded report.

Please know that we understand the enormous responsibility you have and we hope you understand the value we place on your service to the City. We hope that with the understanding that we are all working together for a better Milford, that you consider our concerns and suggestions seriously."
With all respect,

Susan Shaw
Chairman, Planning and Zoning
203 874-0115

Jeanne Cervin
Past-Chairman, Planning and Zoning
203 878-1665

Jack Jansen
Past-Chairman, Planning and Zoning
203 215-4825

Are Milford's Banks "Zombie" Banks?

Economist William K. Black of the University of Missouri appeared in an interview on PBS last week with Bill Moyers. He pulls no punches in spelling out who is really responsible for our current economic disaster, and why our own Treasury Secretary is leading the charge to protect U.S. "zombie" banks.

Willian K. Black is the author of "The Best Way To Rob A Bank Is To Own One."

Predatory Banks Go Agressive On Fees

With the credit markets dried up, and losses to banks mounting to the tune of 9000 foreclosures a day, banks are getting more aggressive. One of the ways I personally experienced banks raising money is on their "fee income." These fees come in the form of Late Fees, Unavailable Funds Fees, Over Draft Fees, Service Fees, Etc.. These banks could also care less that you are unemployed, on welfare, or just lost your home.

No fee, however is more profitable than the predatory Bank Fee, and employees at at branches are being trained in public combat. When the public complains about a Fee often bank tellers have a system of keeping their money down pat, it's called "No, No, and No" again and again to any refund of their predatory fees.

My personal experience at my own bank had to do with a check that was bounced to me, due to an honest mistake by a friend of mine. The unmentioned bank I no longer deal with, has a policy of maximizing their predatory fees. They do so by clearing the bigger checks first and then ratcheting up lots of overdraft fees on all the smaller checks that did not make it.

Sadly the photo above is true I ended up paying an exorbitant amount for a simple pizza. That aside, keep in mind that banks expect us all to be perfect. They know this is impossible, so they take advantage of our mistakes, they embarrass you, and then keep even more of your money. Peoples, bank keep in mind, recently lost many of their customers personal information and you got nothing for their mistake.

Anyone who feels their bank has been abusive does have some recourse by contacting the Banking Commissioner in Hartford. If your bank is desperate for money and has begun criminal and unethical fee practices call the Banking Commissioner and file a complaint.

Click HERE for the official website.

Milford's New Voting Gizmo's Suspect.

About two months ago I was on the phone speaking with the voter registrars office regarding the new voting gizmo's coming to Milford. These were a particular concern of mine because Moveon.org all but has condemned electronic voting all together.

Quite happily I felt very comfortable to know that our authorities at the voter registrars office have the up most confidence in these new voting machines. Not only are they electronic calculators, but they are backed with a paper receipt making the system pretty much a two tier fail safe unit. So that is what I, and you have been all told.

Just last week, in my mailbox came a little postcard with instructions on how to use this new little voting wonder, and for the first time I learned its name. The unit aptly dubbed the "Diebold optical scan" (see photo) requires us, the voters, to mark a card that we feed through a scanner that then reads our card and records our vote into memory. Eventually, after we have all voted and the polls close, the gizmo publishes the electronic results announcing the winners.


This is the part that gets a bit slippery, because it entails my skepticism and distrust of technology all together. Also, being that I am the CEO of Computerfox Inc., I can expertly speak to the fact that these Diebold machines are not only prone to error, but are about as reliable as your basic home computer. Computers that my company fixes by the thousands in CT.

My paranoia of these "diabolical" machines, as of yesterday became a grim reality. What I suspected of them is appallingly true they do not work reliably. The Daytona beach news journal in Fla. the "capitol state" of voting disasters, all but condemned these machines exposing defects in their memory cards, and unacceptable failure rates that cannot be checked unless the proper manpower is used to supervise these units. This too is difficult because, its designers refuse to give up the computer code. Diabold alleges that despite the integrity of the electoral system, election auditors or computer programmers have no right to look at the computer code. This code is the computer language that is written inside the unit. There is already evidence (see the video below) that this programming language can be tampered with to throw an election.



Diebold indicated, however, that they are committed to examining any problems, but to do so with reticence, in other words someone would have to force them into action. Immediately after learning about this problem I placed a "Diary" at dailykos.com. This is what 17 people said: SEE THE COMMENTS

The overwhelming majority response was shocking and not what I expected, and now once again I find myself challenging the Voter Registrar, and election commission here in our state as should you. Please help voice your opinion to local leaders, to restore trust in our electoral process.

This is the news link to the Daytona Paper. Daytona News on Diebold Fiasco