Today's Feature

Department Requests.

The Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Hearings continued on Tuesday evening with the budget requests from City Departments. Representatives from the Fire Department, Police Department, Parks Department, Street Department, Public Works Department, City Attorney office and the City Administration office were present and discussed with the committee members their funding requests for the upcoming year.

The departments divide their requests into categories for operation and for capital expenses. Capital expenses can include cars, computers, buildings and various other items that are purchased for department use. Operation expenses usually include items such as utilities, salaries, and gasoline costs.

Fire Chief John Cooper spoke to the committee concerning the Fire Department budget. Cooper’s capital requests included computer upgrades, new bunkers and air packs for the firemen, the replacement of a brush grass truck and approximated first payment for a fire substation on the south end of Carthage. Cooper said told the committee that he had researched the costs of building a 2-bay metal substation with living quarters on .9 acres of City owned property and felt the Department could have the building constructed for roughly $200,000. The first payment would cost approximately $30,000 according to Cooper. The proposal to build a substation has been discussed for many years by the committee.

The committee discussed the logistics of running a two-man station and asked several questions. Committee chair Bill Fortune asked if any additional staff would be needed for the building. Cooper said that no additional staff would be needed, but that having two firemen near the South end of Carthage would decrease the amount of time it takes to get to fires in that area. Cooper said that it would be an advantage to construct the building while interest rates are low.

Carthage Police Chief Greg Dagnan along with Lieutenant Barry Duncan were present to discuss the Police Department Budget with the Committee. The department purchases new patrol cars every year, alternating yearly between two and three replacement vehicles. The Department was scheduled to purchase three new cars this year, but Dagnan told the committee it could be decreased to two, as long as the department could be guaranteed three cars next year. Other items on the capital request list included ballistic vests for officers, hinged handcuffs and licensing for the computer software used by the Department.

Parks Director Alan Bull spoke to the committee about the Parks Department and the Golf Course Budget. Bull said that the majority of the equipment for the golf course needs to be replaced. The 12 pieces of equipment could be bought on a 5 year lease/purchase plan that Bull told the committee could help to stabilize the budget, and decrease the amount being spent for repairs.

The Streets Department is requesting a lower amount for capital purchases than in the current year’s budget. Street Commissioner Tom Shelley said that the 16-year-old front end loader used by the department needs to be replaced and discussed the option of shifting the department’s loader out to the landfill for use there. Shelley also discussed with the committee the 6 contract paving projects for the upcoming year.

Public Works Department Director Chad Wampler said that at the request of Mayor Jim Woestman and City staff, the department had increased the requested funds for demolition. Wampler said that if approved, the department would try to take a more pro-active stance on demolition of abandoned structures. The amount requested has been increased from $5,500 to $30,000, which Wampler said would likely pay for 6 demolitions. The Department’s capital requests include a proposed change in software used for engineering purposes.

The committee discussed these and many more items with the department representatives. In the uncut budget, expenditures outweigh revenues by approximately $3.8 million.

Mornin'

When my remote control started actin’ up the other day and I almost went into a panic, I started thinkin’ about how dependent we’ve become on all the modern conveniences that we live with ever’day.

Used ta be you could always get a piece a balin’ wire and at least make a machine hold together for a little while till ya could get the right part to fix it. Now it seems it either works or it doesn’t.

Cars are pretty much that way anymore. Cookin’ stoves, with their electric pilot lighters are that way. Ever try to light an oven that the igniter isn’t workin’ on? Gettin’ a watch fixed anymore is a useless effort.

I suppose it’s just as well, but I grow attached to things once I get used to ‘em. I still don’t like throwin’ it away just cause it’s cheaper to buy a new one.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Click & Clack Talk Cars
By Tom & Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom and Ray Magliozzi:

For years, I have been a field-mouse-poor college student, sleeping in my (crappy, leaky, rusty) Jeep on trips, such as snowboarding, to save money (yes, it gets nippy - hence the zero-degree sleeping bag). Now, with a job, I bought a "new to me" 2006 Subaru Outback that has similar sleeping capacity in the back (yes, I can now afford a car, just not the crazy hotel prices at the ski resorts). My fear is that this "new" car has far fewer rattles and doesn’t leak air like my Hindenburg/Jeep did. So I fear if I sleep in it, I may run out of air and just die in my sleep. Can I die in my car if it is NOT running and I sleep in it? - Jonathan

TOM: Well, let me be clear about this, so our lawyer doesn’t die in HIS sleep tonight. We don’t know.

RAY: Right. But we’re more than happy to give our uninformed opinion, like we do every week!

TOM: I don’t think you can suffocate in a closed car. I just don’t think cars are airtight to that extent. After all, when you put a car in a lake, it fills up with water and sinks, right?

RAY: And there are vents that always mix some fresh air with your heating and air conditioning, and those may very well remain open pathways all the time, regardless of whether the engine is on.

TOM: That’s our guess, Jonathan. Of course, if we’re wrong, have your heirs write to us and let us know for future reference.

RAY: We know people who’ve slept in their cars through the years, and none of them ever died, or even reported any shortness of breath. Although all of those cars were old heaps. We’ve never heard of anyone dying of suffocation in a closed car, Jonathan. But we’ll ask our listeners what they know (write to us via our Web site, www.cartalk.com). And in the meantime, you can always leave a window open a crack. See if that sleeping bag really is good down to zero degrees!