WV State Fire Academy

Monday I had the opportunity to volunteer at the state fire academy at Jackson's Mill. I attended the afternoon session with Buckhannon's fire chief Mitch Tacy and our main function was to refill the student's breathing air bottles at the conclusion of student activities. Before the afternoon session, we were treated to lunch at the Jackson's Mill dining hall and we shared the hall not only with the 100+ fire academy students and instructors, but an equal number of 4 H'rs. It was a walk down memory lane of the various youth camps I attended growing up in upstate New York. The Jackson's Mill dining hall was renovated several years ago and it is a beautiful facility.

The 2010 fire academy roster has 90 students and about half are out of state students. There is also a strong representation of young female fire fighters. The students on Monday afternoon had a rigorous schedule and completed rotations in knot tying, the proper use of hand held fire extinguishers with live fire, hazmat class A (spaceman) suits, hose advancement, interior rescue and rural water movement. The instructors kept the classes moving and I'm quite sure all students slept well Monday night.

The quality of training the students receive is excellent and the program is designed to familiarize students with with a smorgasbord of activities and experiences one would find in today's fire service. Both Mitch and I commented that students completing the academy curriculum have in many cases, more training than some of the old timers in today's fire service. As an observer, I also learned some new techniques for hose handling as well as being reminded of how much I had once known but had forgotten over time.

Finding and developing volunteers for local departments is challenging. Starting young and planting the seeds of volunteerism early is an excellent method. The sad thing is finding and encouraging youth volunteerism especially in the fire service. The Upshur County Fire Fighters Association offer scholarships for any youth interested in attending this years academy. Out of 8 county departments, only one youth expressed interest in attending but was unable to attend. Hopefully participation will increase in the years to come.

Add, Subtract, Multipy or Divide

Last Friday I spent part of the morning with Amby Jenkins the acting city treasurer for a tutorial on the 2010-2011 city budget. After just a few minutes I was reliving my grad school business accounting course. I am very thankful for the time I spent with Amby because it gives me a better understanding of the budget numbers as well as a list of questions to ask the department heads when the opportunity arises.

When the 2010-2011 budget was completed I heard comments about the police budget. Folks were analyzing the budget dividing the total monies by the number of officers, subtracting the number of square miles in Buckhannon and adding the square root of the sum of officer hat sizes. Without understanding the budget makeup, an uninformed person may not know the police budget number includes significant funds for the police safety complex construction.

The more time I spend at city hall, the more I learn. Thanks again to Amby for taking me to school.

Torch Training

Last Thursday night members of the Buckhannon fire department trained with a cutting torch in preparation for Saturday's area wide drill. The cutting torch unit is a seldom used but valuable tool in our arsenal of cutting devices. A guest trainer, Mr. Logan Lamb, was invited to instruct the fire fighters in the proper use of the cutting torch. Mr. Lamb discussed proper procedures for setting gas cylinder regulators before and after cutting, proper safety equipment and cutting techniques for various metals and shapes.

In the inserted image, Mr. Lamb observes and guides firefighter Joey Baxa cutting pipe. The purpose of this blog is many fold. The obvious purpose is to highlight ongoing training activities that add to the skills of your local firemen.

A second, less obvious but equally important purpose, to highlight some of our local education success stories. Our school system, similar to city council, has heard from time to time, the cry of 'improvement needed'. While there are always areas needing improvement, success stories often take a back seat to more pressing topics. The guest trainer, Logan Lamb, is a 2010 graduate of Buckhannon High School and the welding program at Fred Eberle Technical. Mr. Lamb was the gold medal winner in the local welding SkillsUSA competition and placed second at the state SkillsUSA competition with a silver medal. Mr. Lamb provided an interesting and entertaining hour of training and carried conversation like a seasoned professional. Every student brings their own personal drive to their educational experience. Hats off to the Eberle program for inspiring students like Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb will be attending the Hobart Welding Institute in August.

If its not obvious by now, the last purpose of this blog is bragging rights. Logan is my step son and I am very proud!!!

Rick Holley

Please keep the Holley's, Kay, Beau, Nikki, Adam and grand baby Adysin in your thoughts and prayers. We will miss Rick.

Letters to Santa

As a child I remember writing letters to Santa and most of the time the letters were answered in the positive. The tradition is still alive, although I think Santa may be receiving more texts than hand written letters. My reason for mentioning letters to Santa, is not the the days are now getting shorter, but a request Rich Clemens made on June 7th at the conclusion of his remarks to the Chamber of Commerce. He asked everyone present to write a letter to city council. He provided 6x8 lined cards and pens. Thirty six letters were written and Rich made copies of each for all council members.

Yesterday, John Waltz and I were the speakers at Chamber. I took the opportunity the share my analysis of the letters with the Chamber attendees and thought blog readers would be interested in the results as well. Thirteen themes emerged from the letters to council presented as follows in no particular order:

1) Cycling, parks, trails, beautification - 5 comments
2) Youth Activities - 2 comments
3) Working together - 15 comments
4) Parking - 3 comments
5) Police - 6 comments
6) Energy conservation - 1 comment
7) 2015 Plan - 10 comments
8) CVB - 7 comments
9) Streets & Sidewalks - 3 comments
10) Budget - 3 comments
11) More business to town - 3 comments
12) City manager concept - 1 comment
13) Improved schools - 3 comments

The common message after reading all the letters was 'we have a future'. Sprinkled among all the suggestions, gripes, complaints and comments was a generous dose of positive and hopeful anticipation of change. The most common theme was working together. That message was loud and clear. Success will be achieved only by working together. I want to close this blog by printing one of the letters in full. No additional comments will be necessary.

The major critical issue for the city of Buckhannon and the 2015 Plan is the necessity of being "generally" unified with all parties committed to working together for a common goal. I say "generally" as there are some groups and folks who will not participate at all. There seems to be some very good ideas out there in the 2015 Plan and being developed today but key is implementation and key to implementation is acceptance as the thing to do. Over my almost 40 years of working in various groups in Buckhannon, many intelligent, capable, hard working and meaning people have tried several things similar to this (2015 plan). Many of those people and organizations were committed to making a difference, but eventually became just like the other groups and just faded away. I believe a key reason for this was their tiring of "fighting" losing battles with others instead of committing to working with those who agree with them and even more, those who do not agree with them.

Homework

On Friday, John, Rich and I spent the morning meeting key staff at city hall, the sewer plant, transfer station and water plant. It was informative and interesting. We were also provided copies of the city charter circa 1934, city ordinances, parts of the West Virginia code, FAQ's of Roberts Rules, the city budget and about 1 1/2 inches of additional paper.

I started reading through the information and I'm beginning the slow learning process. Thanks to the mayor for taking time to make the transition into city government more efficient.

My View On The Farmers Market

The farmers market was a topic of conversation recently and it's current location will be disturbed by the construction in Jawbone Park scheduled to begin in July. I am told there are several options for the permanent location of the farmers market after completion of the Jawbone construction. Some of the options were designed by VanNostrand Architechs and others by the city engineering staff. I have not seen any of the proposed designs and am hopeful that the new council will ahve an opportunity to review all the designs. In any event some changes are in store for the farmers market.

I have talked with individuals who studied other area farmers markets and they offered the Bridgeport farmers market as an example of a well run market system. The Bridgeport market has set hours of operation. By setting specific hours, the public knows exactly when it will be open and the farmers have found they have more visitors and frequently sell out before the end of the scheduled hours. By establishing specific hours, the city of Bridgeport has use of the farmers market area for alternate functions during non market hours.

I have observed the Buckhannon farmers market with only one or two vendors per day and those vendors are there for most of the day. Seems to me, if I were a farmer, having a set time for sales would be a better use of my time. As a child I would go the market with Uncle Aust three days a week arriving before the sun rose and back on the farm about 8:30am for breakfast. Uncle Aust knew when and where to go to sell his produce. The Bridgeport market has a set of bylaws, and participants are required to register to sell at the market.

Whether the permanent home of the farmers market is near downtown or incorporated into Jawbone Park, an operating structure similar to Bridgeport makes sense to me. The farmers market is a unique feature of Buckhannon and should continue.

My View On Employee Handbook & Job Descriptions

Each July, the city council confirms appointees such as police and fire chiefs, city attorney and others. I asked my fellow council members how they assess the performance of the appointees. Are there job or position descriptions with measurable objectives? The indirect answer I took away from my conversations was, if the appointees didn't really screw up during the previous year, they got reappointed for the next year.

I was told there is an employees handbook in draft form waiting on a legal review. One of the action items I feel is fundamental to running the business of city government, is having a written employee handbook. Closely following adopting a city employee handbook, would be developing job descriptions and performance criteria with specific measurable objectives for city supervisors and appointees. And finally following the supervisory level, all employees should have a job description. with performance criteria.

A job description defines what and how a task is performed. Job descriptions and performance criteria should, in my opinion, also contain a measure of personal impact. Very simply "Do you play well with others?" including your peers, staff and the public.

My Current View Of The CVB

The title is careful to say my current view. As I learn more about the entire issue my view may be modified. There are executive session discussions that I will not have access to until sworn in on July 1st. I believe the city must reimburse the CVB for the cost of the land which is reported to be $127k. I also believe there is an interest component due the CVB and I would think that interest would being accruing on the date of Judge Hennings order. Prior to the trial end date, it could only to assumed that the CVB intended to retain the property.



There is nothing in Judge Hennings order that requires the city to fully reimburse the CVB by July 1st. I believe that date was established by council vote. It is my belief that such a payment schedule would cripple the city financially. One could argue that the city could auction off the property in question to secure the necessary funds but I think disposing of the property quickly may not be in the best interests of the city long term. I would hate to see another parking lot permanently at that corner when a more beneficial use might be found. I would favor paying the CVB as originally suggested by the mayor over a one year period but I would add interest.



Having read the Judge's order, it leaves open the filing by attorneys for fees and final rulings. It is my understanding that both parties have filed additional information and that suggests to me that the court proceedings are not totally finalized. Time will tell.



My final comment is directed about the CVB as a whole and not any one individual. I am disappointed in the performance of the CVB over the last several years. I have not seen any regional approach to promoting our area. Between Pittsburg and Buckhannon it was reported there are no brochures in the travel stops along I79 for Buckhannon while Weston and Elkins are both represented. The CVB website is basic at best and not eye catching. The Internet is today's key marketing tool. And lastly, the make up of the governing board is too narrow to reflect the many interests of our area.

Making Contact

My thanks to Pam Cuppari, Skeeter Queen, Dave Thomas and Mary Albaugh for taking time to share some of their initial thoughts with me about council and issues that need to be addressed. I completed my last meeting yesterday. All were candid with their comments and each encouraged me to be my own person. Over the next several blogs I plan to share some of the topics discussed in these interviews which include: CVB, Stockert Youth Center, parking, farmers market, employee handbook, health care and the list goes on.

Rising Workers Compensation Costs

At last weeks monthly meeting of the Buckhannon fire department, Bill Hamilton dropped by to share some ball caps with the volunteers. In addition to representing our area as a state delegate, Bill's insurance company is used by our department for insurance needs. We asked Bill if he had any news to share that would impact fire and emergency service providers.

Bill shared information that BrickStreet would no longer be writing workers compensation insurance for WV fire departments. It seems that the insurance modifier rate (I hope I have that correct) for fire departments has significantly increased as a result of high cost claims. These claims are not from our area. Fire departments will be forced to obtain insurance from the high risk markets at significantly higher rates. According to Bill, there are departments in the state that may not be able to afford the insurance premium increases and will be forced to cease operation.

That's terrible news as the trickle down effect may result in higher homeowners insurance premiums and it's difficult to promote community growth in an area without fire protection.

The Three Stooges

I'm sure some readers will directly make the assumption that John, Rich and me are the modern version of the Three Stooges. In one respect we are, if you think about the classic Stooges episode called, Niagara Falls.

In the Niagara Falls episode, the Stooges, responded to the hypnotic words Niagara Falls, by saying with great animation, "Slowly I turn, inch by inch, step by step..."

That's much the same way we will be responding to the challenges facing us as new council members. The problems facing our city didn't happen over night and as much as we want immediate change, it will truly be an inch by inch, step by step transformation.

City council meetings are the first and third Thursdays of each month. Please take time to attend and participate in the governing of you city.

Firehouse Wednesday

Jason Parrish of WBOY came to our station tonight to film another segment in Firehouse Fridays. Dinner was provided by Minard's restaurant and I enjoyed far more fried chicken than I should have. It was very nice to be recognized for the service we provide as volunteers.

If you are interested in viewing the segment filmed tonight, tune into channel 12 for the 6pm news on June 18th.

Starting At The Bottom

I am honored and anxious to be one of the new councilmen for our city. I was asked by one of the newspaper staff reporters present during the tabulation of votes, what action items I have planned. I replied that my first priority was to work with the other members of council to renew the financial health of the city and help put to rest several long overdue issues. I have a long wish list of good things for our city. It is just a matter of time and meshing these ideas with those of the other council members before we can move forward.

Over the next three weeks I will hope to meet with council members Cuppari, Queen and Thomas and glean from them issues that they consider important. Additionally, Mayor Davidson indicated he will try to set up some tutorials for the newly elected to get to know the staff and routines of city hall. I will also meet with Mary Albaugh, current city recorder, who wants me to have the benefit of her preparations for a seat on council. My special thanks to Mary for being a gracious candidate and genuinely concerned about Buckhannon.

I feel like a freshman heading off to college and starting at the bottom: lots of excitement and butterflies. Thanks to all who supported me. I plan to keep this blog as a regular tool to keep you informed about the work at city hall.

Vote Today

The long awaited election day has arrived. If you have not voted, please do so for the candidate of your choice. This is your opportunity to select the new leaders of our city. My big sign will come down and the back window of my car will be less cluttered. Throughout my candidacy I have maintained this on going blog to share my thoughts and my email and phone number have been readily available for any and all to contact me. Regardless of the final outcome, I will remain committed to making our area the best it can be.

Anxious Monday

Today I took my four legged friend to the vets for her annual check up. Pixel just loves to go for rides, even to Dr. Bob's. It's a joy to see her head out the rear window and ears flapping in the wind. Pure ecstasy if you are a dog. Last Wednesday night, when a thunderstorm rolled through Buckhannon after midnight, Pixel nudged her way into bed between Renee and me. Not much room left when sharing the bed with a 70 pound lab who can approach four feet in length when she stretches out.

Blogging about my lab is easier than talking about elections and area issues. As election day approaches I am anxious to have the campaign season come to an end. Good luck to all.

Surprise In The Mail

I met my letter carrier at the mail box today and he said he has seen my name all morning long. I gave him a look of understanding but had absolutely no idea what he was referring to. Renee went home early today and called when she picked up the mail. She described a large postcard asking voters to support John Waltz and myself.

I was interested to see the return postage address as" Concerned Citizens of Buckhannon". Not knowing who these citizens are, I can only imagine that they truly desire change and think enough of John and me that change might actually occur if we are elected.

Who ever you are, thank you for your vote of confidence. If elected I will do my best to look at what is best for our city.

Change From Within

Several weeks ago, at the fire station and during one of the regular morning coffee sessions, one of Buckhannon's police officers, Adam Gissy, dropped by for conversation before beginning his shift. As usual, the front page stories of the local newspapers are fodder for much of the conversation as well as any gossip that may be floating on the air. As a candidate for city council I am frequently asked for my opinion on news worthy topics.

After most of the news and local gossip had been dealt with, Adam asked my opinion of the
Buckhannon police department. I thought briefly and then gave Adam my assessment of the police department from my personal experiences and the experiences of others have shared with me. I held nothing back and shared the areas that needed improvement and the areas where our police officers are performing their duties as consummate professionals. Not surprising, the areas needing improvement outnumbered the areas of positive performance. I have found that in situations like this, where you are asked about performance of an individual or department, areas needing improvement almost always out number the positives. It's just the way we respond.

After this discussion, it was time for Adam to begin patrol and I was due at the studio. About two hours after we parted, Adam called me to say he had been thinking about what I had shared and wondered if I was willing to get some residents together to discuss the current state of the Buckhannon police department. Adam had discussed his desire to have such a meeting and police chief Matt Gregory supported the idea. More than willing to help facilitate this meeting, I worked with Adam to hold such a meeting, with the first being held last night.

The first meeting was attended by residents representing the college, retired law enforcement professionals, restaurant and lodging businesses, City of Buckhannon and residents at large. The purpose of the first meeting was to develop a listing of topics and issues needing attention. Such a list was developed and Adam will be meeting with Matt Gregory to discuss the findings.

It is hoped that future meetings will be held regularly and be attended by more residents and police professionals. Hats off to Adam Gissy for taking this initiative.

Discounted Service or Compromised Policy

Recently we had a customer call to say the wrong image was used on a sports order. As always, we offered to correct the order and asked the customer to drop off the original ordered item so it could be corrected. When the customer dropped off the item, the customer asked if there was any discount offered because of the 'inconvenience' of having the item corrected. We politely said no.

Upon returning home, the customer discussed the fact that we did not offer an inconvenience discount with their spouse, and called the studio to complain, saying they were disappointed with our customer service. The caller went on to say, "You'd think Scott Preston, who is running for city council, would be more aware of customer service." When I was made aware of the nature of the call , I personally called the customer and explained, that according to our policy, we do not offer inconvenience discounts, but we would gladly refund her order in full or correct the problem. I asked the customer if other retail stores like WalMart, Advanced Auto Parts etc. offered inconvenience discounts and the customer replied that they were national chains and not local. The implication was, that local stores should offer inconvenience discounts and national retailers are exempt.

The statement that caught my attention the most was linking customer service to running for city council. The inference one could draw from this is that inconvenience discounts should be issued if you are a candidate for office, even if it violates you business policy. Somehow that doesn't gel with me. I would not support a candidate who changes policy based on the whims of a few. I would vote for a candidate who sticks with sound business policy, even when it is not popular.

I have taken great efforts in drafting this blog to eliminate any reference to customer identity. The customer, by the way, elected to have the order corrected.

When Is Enough, Enough?

On Monday I was one of several fire fighters who responded to an ATV accident on Turkey Run Road. Warren District, Station 6 and Buckhannon, Station 1 were dispatched to the scene along with Station 77 (EMS) and law enforcement. The protocol is always to dispatch two fire departments to make sure there is sufficient volunteer staff and equipment responding.

Station 6 responded with an engine, rescue truck and utility vehicle. Station 1 responded with our rescue truck and a utility vehicle. Shortly after we arrived on scene, a community resident came up to us complaining that we had far too much equipment for such a simple accident and it was a total waste of tax payers money. There were several responders that wanted to explain our response procedures to the complainer from behind the nearest barn but logic did prevail by simply saying that the number of apparatus on scene was standard protocol.

The complainer didn't realize that all the responders were volunteers and the cost of the response was basically the cost of fuel. The response on Monday was unusually well staffed. During a regular work week, the number of volunteers is often at minimum levels. From the standpoint of the fire service, you can never have too much help on the way. It is easier to cancel responding units than to page out for additional help.

If you have an emergency, would you complain that too much help responded? Probably not. When is enough, enough? Only when the emergency response is over.

I Can't See It From ...

That post is not exactly level, but I can't see it from my house. Oops, I ran off the road plowing and tore up a section of lawn, but I can't see it from my house. That pot hole is not that bad and I can't see it from my house. I don't care what the college does as long as I can't see it from my house. The tires are flat on that abandon car, but I can't see it from my house. The clogged drain washes out that driveway, but I can't see it from my house. So what if I my shoes are out, I can't see them from my bedroom. My flower beds are full of weeds, but I can't see it from the street.

Sometimes we run into the "I can't see it from..." attitude. It happens in our homes with our children, at work with our associates and in government employment. I am aware of a recent instance where the "I can't see it from..." behavior was manifested by city employees. If elected I will encourage the supervisors of that department to have some pep talks with employees about attitude. When the public hears a city worker saying "That will be okay, I can't see it from my house" it calls to question the calibur of workers the city employees. If a job is not completed to the best standards, don't do the job because it will have to be done again at a later date. It's sad to see employees not taking pride in their work. Yes there are tasks that are a pain in the neck. But as I tell my children, you have to do them anyway and you might just as well make the best of what ever you are doing.