Just when you thought City spending couldn't get any worse - TPD Chief to remode

[DowntownNow]

The Tulsa World reports today that the City's leadership and their spending habits could not get any more asinine...read below:

TPD chiefs' offices being remodeled

by: P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer
Saturday, November 14, 2009
11/14/2009 4:35:15 AM

While 21 police officers were on the budget chopping block, bids were opened on a remodeling project for the chiefs' section of the Tulsa Police Department headquarters.

On Oct. 23, two days before Mayor Kathy Taylor announced that 37 city employees, including 21 police officers, would be laid off, the city's Purchasing Division opened five bids on the remodeling work, ranging from a high of $93,000 to a low of about $54,000.

The engineer's total estimate for the project is $47,357 — a base amount of $42,107 with the rest for additional amenities.

The section to be reconfigured houses the offices of Chief Ron Palmer and Deputy Chiefs Mark McCrory, Dennis Larsen and Daryl Webster, along with the department's legal adviser and secretaries.

Palmer said the money to do the remodeling is coming from asset forfeitures, which can't be used for salaries.

"So it's a moot point to argue that the money could have been used to retain the three officers laid off," he said.

Palmer said the remodeling work has been planned for some time. The Police Department's headquarters are in a 40-year-old building downtown between the Tulsa County Courthouse and the Tulsa Convention Center.

Palmer said the work will involve a reconfiguration of the offices and noted that the area was last remodeled in the 1990s.

He said the deputy chiefs' offices will be moved closer together to ensure that personnel are well-positioned and that the entryway into the section is more user-friendly.

"It's no big deal," he said.

The work will include removing and erecting walls, installing new carpet, painting, and doing sprinkler work, according to project documents.

Palmer said some money could be available for furniture in the conference room.

He said he realizes that the timing of the bid opening and layoffs has created not only an opportunity for scrutiny over the spending of any funds but also for rumors to circulate.

"This isn't a situation where we decided to lay off officers and then afterwards decided to remodel the area with money that could have kept the officers," he said. "The plan to remodel the area has been going on for a long while.

"If people want to look at where money is being spent, they should look at the purchase of the automobiles," Palmer said. "We're spending millions of dollars on automobiles, and nobody is complaining that they've got new cars this year."

The asset-forfeiture money also is being spent on Taser and pepperball guns, Palmer said, "and nobody is complaining about that."

He said the reconfiguration is coming about because of the relocation of the 911 center and information technology employees.

"We just got to take advantage of some space," he said.

Palmer said there is no immediate plan to get a new building, "so we're trying to make our building the best we can with the resources we have."




Now lets assume Palmer is correct that these asset forfeiture funds can not be used to re-hire even one officer..if they can be used to remodel offices and purchase new equipment and furniture, what prevents these funds frombeing used to supplement the operations of the mounted patrol unit?

Palmer also asserts that millions have been spent on new vehicles for the City and that those purchases should be scrutinized before his remodeling expenditures - lest he forget he never stepped up and made it an issue when the City was purchasing all new squad cars for the TPD that are sitting idle in lots all over Tulsa, supposedly waiting on City techs to outfit them.

"Its no big deal."  Palmer says...try standing before a room full of angry citizens that have watched their sales tax dollars spent with abandon and the public safety forces impacted, not to mention their city services Palmer.

[shadows]

Seems some of the citizens (tax  payers) are reaping the fruits from the seed they have allowed to be sown.  They just bought a multi-million glass tower that was to consolidate the functions of their city government.  Now it seems that even though floors in the glass monstrosity remain vacant they are to spend thousands to remodel building in the old civic center.  Of course the tax money is collected and distributed among the little kingdoms that have been created and like little children proclaiming "this is mine and you can't have any of it". 
Do  I read this right or is it "time to shear the sheep again with another fee or tax"?
Still foreign interest are buying our lands and businesses with the cheap dollar and as their interest increase they could feel that all the little kingdom are not needed.
Interesting times lie ahead.

[FOTD]

The only thing that jumps out is the engineer estimate versus the private sector bids. The city should remodel their own offices.

More like inefficiency than a taxing situation.

[Steve]

Yea, I read about this in this morning's paper.  Regardless of the source of the funds or restrictions on spending, the money should be banked until better times, if only for fairness and appearances sake.  Palmer, or any police chief, should know better.

If we all ran our household budgets the way government does, every household in the U.S. would be declaring bankruptcy. 

[sgrizzle]

Since I work in an environment where, like the city, capital and o&m are seperate, I consider this story a non-starter. The comment about banking the money is just silly, especially considering we were just rehashing the story about projects put on hold and how much capital money is already banked due to bidding issues, postponements, etc. Why should they stop an office remodel but still buy shiny new cars (for the officers to drive home to Owasso) and equipment? They also stated this project was started long ago and in city terms that means years. A delay for PR reasons would likely mean years upon years before they can lay down some carpet and a coupe new doors.

[MDepr2007]

They have to buy the cars because we voted for it. Then again they did change the 2 helicopters from what we voted on the first time. Making us vote again for a second one a second time because they spent all the money on the first one with extra upgrades.
You also have the AA Hanger that was changed from what we voted on also.

[swake]

They have to buy the cars because we voted for it. Then again they did change the 2 helicopters from what we voted on the first time. Making us vote again for a second one a second time because they spent all the money on the first one with extra upgrades.
You also have the AA Hanger that was changed from what we voted on also.

Hey,

I know how the city could save some real capital expenditure money.

How about we stop trying to sound insulate the houses of people stupid enough to buy homes next to Tulsa International?

[rwarn17588]

Hey,

I know how the city could save some real capital expenditure money.

How about we stop trying to sound insulate the houses of people stupid enough to buy homes next to Tulsa International?

Ouch. That's going to leave a mark.

[waterboy]

Most of those homes were there before the jet age. In fact, some before it was an airport. We should have just purchased them. But then they wouldn't have been an ongoing expense for local contractors.

[swake]

Most of those homes were there before the jet age. In fact, some before it was an airport. We should have just purchased them. But then they wouldn't have been an ongoing expense for local contractors.

No, no way. Most of the houses around the airport are from the 50s and 60s, right when jet service was getting popular. And the airport dates to 1928.

Anyway, those big old prop planes were plenty noisy themselves.

[sgrizzle]

No, no way. Most of the houses around the airport are from the 50s and 60s, right when jet service was getting popular. And the airport dates to 1928.

Anyway, those big old prop planes were plenty noisy themselves.

I'm sure everyone who currently lives in that neighborhood moved in before the jets did..

uh-huh...

[waterboy]

You might be rushing the jet age in Tulsa a bit. I seem to remember our first jet was a 707 in the late 50's early 60's. Lots of postwar(II) housing over there. My first wife and I almost bought an old farm house with acreage over there that was probably built in the twenties. Nonetheless, airports are noisy neighbors.

[sgrizzle]

I just don't get it... most of those residents moved in AFTER the jets were here. So they got a house cheap BECAUSE it was noisy. Are they upping the assessed tax values as soon as soundproofing is in?

[Townsend]

I just don't get it... most of those residents moved in AFTER the jets were here. So they got a house cheap BECAUSE it was noisy. Are they upping the assessed tax values as soon as soundproofing is in?

Well alot of them were shocked...SHOCKED, when the flight paths changed due to runway rehab and so on.

[waterboy]

If only FB were here to 'splain it all. Seems like there is money being made in soundproofing, re-soundproofing, thermal insulating, ad nauseum.

People kept moving into the fairgrounds area and complaining about noise and traffic from Bells and the Stock Car races even though they had been there for a long time. Those people still live there. Bell's is gone and the stockers are out north.