Plan for outsourcing work will go before Pomona Council
Three proposals calling for outsource certain city services will be before City Council members for a vote Monday night.
The proposals focus on contracting park maintenance and landscaping services, contracting for street sweeping services, and contracting building and safety services, according to city staff reports.
During the most recent budgeting process city leaders made cuts that require the city to either contract with companies who will provide services resulting in the layoff of a number of employees or have city staff continue to offer the services but in a scaled back form and requiring the release of some employees.
One proposal calls for awarding park maintenance and landscaping services for three years to Spectrum Care, a company that is already handling some landscaping services for the city, a staff report said.
The proposals call for the City to fire dozens of long time city employees, yet that is not mentioned in the agenda descriptions? There is no way that a member of the public will even know that is the ultimate action that is being considered?
I find it ironic that the Council is being sold on "outsourcing" as a way to more efficiently manage these departments, yet the existing management team which has mis-managed these departments will remain. They won't be fired, just the average worker will be kicked to the curb. Single moms, single dads, sole supporters of their families....well they will be out.
And of course, these same management folks are making sure the public is kept out of the process.
They created an Ad Hoc committee so the issues could be discussed....but would not allow public participation or involvement.
This plan is bad for our city.
If this is approved by Council, it will show the Pomona residents the value placed on city employees by the council. There are many employees being threatened with loss of jobs. The city should fire the management team that proposed the failing budget not the employees that are already giving the city part of their salary back in furloughs to help with the budget. The consultants have placed their shiny bids. Outsourcing didn't work before in Pomona, they tried it with Planning and with Computer services. It will not work with Building services in particular. The consultants fees are based on permit fees collected. Do you think any consultant working the permit system is going to cut you a break and thereby reduce their intake? Ha! Ha! There were many options the city could have taken in accepting bids for outsourcing. They could have just taken for instance, plan checking, or just inspection services, or just waste pick up, but to outsource entire divisions without regard for their employees many who also live in Pomona is just not right. Who's idea was it to outsource anyway? City manager? any outsourcing history at their previous employment? Bottom line is, the outsourcing service has bid just $200,000 under the approved budget. I think the city has given away more than this amount in "free" permit fees to large developers who like the outsourcing services, had great promises that do not materialize. You know these outsourcing services do it all, maybe we should think about outsourcing the city manager (how much is that salary?), or let's outsource the counci, how about the mayor?
If this is approved by Council, it will show the Pomona residents the value placed on city employees by the council. There are many employees being threatened with loss of jobs. The city should fire the management team that proposed the failing budget not the employees that are already giving the city part of their salary back in furloughs to help with the budget. The consultants have placed their shiny bids. Outsourcing didn't work before in Pomona, they tried it with Planning and with Computer services. It will not work with Building services in particular. The consultants fees are based on permit fees collected. Do you think any consultant working the permit system is going to cut you a break and thereby reduce their intake? Ha! Ha! There were many options the city could have taken in accepting bids for outsourcing. They could have just taken for instance, plan checking, or just inspection services, or just waste pick up, but to outsource entire divisions without regard for their employees many who also live in Pomona is just not right. Who's idea was it to outsource anyway? City manager? any outsourcing history at their previous employment? Bottom line is, the outsourcing service has bid just $200,000 under the approved budget. I think the city has given away more than this amount in "free" permit fees to large developers who like the outsourcing services, had great promises that do not materialize. You know these outsourcing services do it all, maybe we should think about outsourcing the city manager (how much is that salary?), or let's outsource the counci, how about the mayor?
As a "native" of Pomona, I wonder what is best for the city. My question is what was a labor representative for the San Bernardino Public Employees Assoc. commenting about this situation in the IVDB and why was she quoted?