Politics & Government

Public Comments and a Possible Pool Opening Delay Discussed at Monday's Manchester Board of Aldermen Meeting

Abstention and board president votes were postponed, but board members are upset about a possible delay of the aquatic center opening due to the surprise cost of repairs.

It was a packed house at Monday night's Manchester board of alderman meeting, which started off with Aldermen Mike Clement stating the board should defer voting on the proposed abstention bill and board president approval until Alderman Bob Tullock , who was out of town on business, returned. Clement said he thought Tullock should be present for those votes. The abstention ordinance would require aldermen who abstain from voting to explain their decision to the public.

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Abstention

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Deferring action on the bills did not stop residents from commenting on the issue of abstention. It has caused heated debates among residents and aldermen, particularly after the latest abstention from Alderman Hal Roth on the Dec. 20 city budget vote. The city is still without a budget, although there was a first reading Monday night on a revised 2011 budget, but aldermen are no closer to agreeing on it than they were on December.

"I care that bridges won’t get fixed, children can’t take swimming lessons, and roads will continue to be patched instead of being properly repaired," Manchester resident Kim Smith said to the board. "I care that my police department still doesn’t have a chief of police, even though a very good and qualified man has been doing the job well for 18 months.  I care that my hardworking police officers, and public works, and parks and recreation, and city employees will not get the raises they were promised."

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Smith said she felt Roth and Alderman Bob Tullock were bullying residents.

"I care that the residents of the city of Manchester are being held hostage by people acting more like playground bullies than elected officials whom we trust to take care of the needs of our city," she said.

Resident Gary Hoeferkamp also addressed the board saying he wanted a public accounting of the money being spent by the city on the lawsuit filed against the board by its own alderman, Bob Tullock. 

"Because this is my tax money and the public's tax money," Hoeferkamp said. He said Tullock and Roth were abusing their powers and cited the lawsuit and Roth's recent abstention on the budget. "I think this is another abuse by another alderman on this board."

Although most of the public comments scolded Roth for his recent abstention, one resident pointed out it is the legal right of the aldermen.

"There's a lot of people in here who don't understand abstention and they don't see what's going on," Ed Spatz explained.

The abstention bill will be back up for discussion and possible vote at the next aldermen meeting Feb. 7.

Manchester Aquatic Center Pool Repair

Another issue to be readdressed at the next meeting is repairs needed for a pool at Schroeder Park's Manchester Aquatic Center that could delay the opening of the center this summer.

This off-season, the feature line of the kiddie pool needs repair. Aldermen are tired of fixing and patching the pool every year and are now looking at a more permanent replacement of the main water lines. However, Alderwoman Marilyn Ottenad said board members received an e-mail last week from City Administrator Ed Blattner notifying them that the bid for repairs to the pool increased from the initial estimate of $285,000 to $672,000.

Kuhlmann Design was hired to develop a plan and seek construction bids for the water line replacement project. Ron Pagen, of Kuhlmann Design, said none of the three bids that came back were lower than the $672,000, but he also said all three construction companies used the same system to calculated bids and it was flawed.

"This is a hard pill to swallow. I just suspect all of us will remember this for a while," Clement said.

Board members agreed that the bids should have been reviewed more closely before submission to the city.

"We expect better," Ottenad added.

Postponing the start of the construction project for even a few weeks could mean pool features will not be available when the pool opens and resident fees would have to be adjusted accordingly. The board expects to find out at the next board meeting if it's even an option to bypass the permanent fix this year and complete the less expensive patching.

Board members are now considering temporary patching again this year, due to the increased cost and time involved with the construction project, and then completing the more permanent replacement of the water pipes next year.

However, board members are still concerned because they have no budget to pay for the plan. Clement pointed out that the city does have $1.8  to $1.9 million in reserves which can be used for project if necessary, even without the 2011 budget approved.

"I don't want to leave the impression that the city doesn't have the funds to pay for it," Clement said. 

2011 Budget-

Alderwoman Ottenad gave the first reading of a revised budget at Monday night's meeting. It has an increase in expenditures of $444,250 from the Dec. 20 budget reading which Ottenad attributed mostly to the increase in aquatic center pool repairs. There was no public comment on the revised budget and it will be up for discussion and a possible vote at the Feb. 7 meeting.

City Money and Sunshine Request-

Alderman Hal Roth also addressed the board on two issues Monday night. He accused the city of moving money around in 2007 to "create a negative appearing situation" of a city in financial trouble and needing the Manchester Highland's sales tax money to save it. Roth used that as an example of why he could not support the 2011 budget proposal and said "significant and meaningful adjustments must be made."

Clement said all city finances are audited, "I have no doubts our city finances are very well documented."

Roth also said the city sends out e-mails about his recent requests of documents under the Sunshine Law yet he has never seen e-mails sent out about other aldermen's requests for documents.

City Attorney Pat Gunn said no other e-mails have been sent out because no requests have been made by other aldermen.


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