IT IS TIME TO QUIT PUSSY FOOTING AROUND THIS PROBLEM AND SEND OUT FOR BID A CONTRACT FOR THE NEEDED REPLACEMENT OF THE FIRE HYDRANTS IN THE MOST UNPROTECTED AREAS OF BUFFALO ! (all caps is considered to be voicing something strongly or quite simply YELLING)
CLICK ON THIS MAP FOR LARGER VIEW
INSIDE BUFFALO FIRE HYDRANT ARTICLE
UPDATE APRIL 16, 2009
Anonymous said...
Anyone know where we stand on the fire hydrant issue? According to the map one that isn't working is by my home......
FYI
THESE TWO FIRE HYDRANTS HAVE BEEN LAYING AROUND FOR A LONG TIME JUST WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DIG A HOLE AND INSTALL THEM.
MAYBE SOMEONE HAS JUST BEEN WAITING FOR A RAINY DAY TO GET
(AROUND TO IT)
BUT THEN AGAIN, IT MAY BE HARD TO FIGURE OUT JUST WHERE TO BEGIN INSTALLING THEM FIRST.
For a quarter you should be able to get a copy of the "secret document" at city hall of the most recent City Manager's report that explains just what exactly has been done since the last meeting in March regarding the fire hydrant issue.
Perhaps I misunderstood the report given at the Town Board Meeting, but I could swear that I heard that there were 5 fire hydrants that were "dead soldiers", as Board Member Susan Harper termed them. This seems to be substantiated by the fire chief's report that was posted in the insidebuffalo site - there are 5 stars marked next to hydrant numbers 5, 19, 28, 38 and 50, with "5" marked in the margin. There are the 5 "dead soldiers" and 7 others that can not test and are out of service. There are also 15 others that need maintenance, ranging from replacing washers, rubbers, seals and caps to trimming grass and digging them out.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to use a little common sense here, and not point a finger either, but where are the resources to be able to accomplish everything that is being DEMANDED to be done IMMEDIATELY? I agree 100% that the fire hydrants need to be a #1 priority in order to protect life and property, and to keep the ISO rating so homeowner insurance doesn't take a big jump. There are repairs to be made at the sewer ponds; improvements to be made to comply with the DEQ "fine" assessment; tree limbs to be picked up; pot holes to fill; debris to be cleaned up at Doby Springs; along with many other regular daily maintenance duties that have to be performed. Once again, using common sense, most everyone can figure out that there is only so much that can be done in a 40 hour work week with a crew of 3 to 4 people. Along with that is the challenge of paying for all of it. I personally know from my place of employment that the cost of hot mix/cold lay asphalt used to patch potholes has tripled in the past few years. (Yes, I also used some "all caps" voicing something strongly, but those that know me well know that I most likely am YELLING!)
"This blog is for people to share their thoughts and ideas on things of interest in this town of Buffalo Oklahoma", and I know that my thoughts and ideas differ from both onsidebuffalo's and insidebuffalo's. I too would like to see some kind of an independent study done on our drinking water, but in my opinion the Town of Buffalo shouldn't be forking out the money right now for an impartial study of the condition of our water. Now....if you can find someone with a maximillion dollars to donate for this cause, maybe it would be a more feasible project to pursue.
I don't know what the answers will be to get everything accomplished that needs tended to, but I would much rather be a part of the solution than part of the problem. I don't know how to work on fire hydrants, but I have a weed-eater and a shovel. I wouldn't mind a bit pitching in to help get some positive things accomplished, and I've heard several others make that offer also. I've even been known to put limbs in the back of my pickup and dispose of them properly. The Buffalo Beautification Committee has done an outstanding job trying to improve things here in town. They are just a few people, but they have made a big difference. If we could all work together like they do, just think of what all might be accomplished!
Jo Ellen,
ReplyDeleteYou have just described a full plate for any city manager to be asked to do. I know that Joe will commit, and has in the past, to take it upon himself, that he and his crew get these things done. If that is the approach that is taken the costs would be a fraction of hiring a contractor to do them. But with a plate this full the opportunity for success diminishes. I know that some of those hydrants are the same ones that needed repaired when I had a short time as a board member. A lot of hydrants were replaced and even one or two extra were added when the highway was redone through town.
These situations are beyond the scope of routine operations of daily infrastructure maintenance. I believe the Trustees need to take the bull by the horns and tackle some of these problems by contracting experts to complete the needed tasks. The budget of course is going to have to be analyzed to see what can be done. The Capitol Improvement Plan coming back to life is a step in the right direction to deal with the overall game plan and should help in figuring out which projects to tackle first. I believe the boards in the past have given the city manager too many opportunities to succeed and the plate has become too full to handle and the end result is the appearance of failure. Let’s give the city manager the opportunity to succeed by reducing his work load. Hire contractors to do the work.
With the downturn of the economy I believe that there will be contractors eager to do work at reasonable rates. We as a town are positioned to get through these rough days by stimulating our own economy with all of the work that needs to be done. The lengthy process of getting to the point of actually getting any work done starts with the designing and engineering of the projects so that they can go to bid if needed. I don’t want to see us miss out on the opportunities that the stimulus package may provide and I think that the sense of urgency needs to be heightened. There is no demand for immediate actions only wishes to see a first step taken by the board to make a motion and pass it to let others come in and help clean off the plate.
I don’t know if we are singing the same song but maybe at least we are humming the same melody.
I agree with both of you and am hearing a little harmony here!! (Very thankful for that and thank you two). Recognition of the issues while looking for solutions will lead to the accomplishment of meeting the needs of this community. The solutions will vary and won't be agreed to by all, however give and take will go a long way. Could some projects require a volunteer task force to tackle them while others require the expertise and expedition of contractors? Let's stay on this path folks, the same kind of can-do attitude that has worked in the past to accomplish missions. (Theatre, VFW skating rink back in the day, swimming pool ~ back in the day, getting thru multiple tragedies, etc...). Do not allow the few among us to deflect from what is truly important here, come together, stay together and stay on task.
ReplyDeletem.e.
If the maintenance had been taken care of annually, as needed and as done by other towns there wouldn't even be an Inside Buffalo or Onside Buffalo website.
ReplyDeleteSo in 2009 there are many problems. Well, Buffalo has the use of the inmates (we've all seen them all over town collecting garbage) and there's the ability to bring in more on occasion.
The point though, THE POINT is that these things never should have been problems. They should have been taken care of when brought to the attention of the town manager. YEARS AGO!
There are reserves available ($$.$$), grants, as the auditor said in his report Wednesday that we've received, and other means to get these things fixed. Never shoulda been.
Those people now volunteering to help, to dig out hydrants, to clean up Doby, where the hell have you been in the last 20 years? I have to include me too - I've been accepting status quo and doing nothing either. Where the hell have I been? Joe said that tractor has been out at Doby for 20 years!
So you don't agree with Inside or Onside Buffalo but they've made you AWARE! You now are at least offering to do something. That never happened before.
Let's collectively swallow our pride and admit that they’re right!
We don't like the message and it looks like we absolutely don't like the messengers but they are, without a doubt, doing something we've never seen before. They're speaking UP and OUT and not just at the diner. They're doing something about the problems and they are doing it with the support of many people in Buffalo.
Let's get the things done that they've brought to our attention and do it before News Channel 5 or 9 or some other news agency gets hold of it.
Can’t we all see what we’re doing? We’ve created these problems because of our not wanting to get involved and now that they’re being pointed out to us we are taking it personally. This isn’t personal as I see it. There are people in this town who have to be accountable and quit making excuses.
There’s a comment that Joe will commit and get it done – maybe he will NOW!
Thanks to Onside and Inside Buffalo he might! Not before.
Without DEMANDS nothing gets done. IMMEDIATELY is a request for urgency because years and years of complacency have brought us to where we are. Laverne and neighboring towns are laughing at us. They are getting things done while we visit Onside and poke fun at our neighbors and those who are at least trying
If, if, if, if. If Christopher Columbus had never sailed the ocean blue and discovered America, we wouldn't be having any problems here at all. The if, if, if's are always accompained by the shoulda, woulda, coulda's. Can't you at least try to say "We CAN"!
ReplyDeleteAre we the only small town in Oklahoma that is having problems? Heck no! Small towns are just that, small towns. Things tend to move at a slower pace than it does in the metropolitan areas, thank God! The problems we are encountering are also being dealt with by rural communities all across our nation. The only way to not know that is to have your head stuck in the sand.
Every time someone tries to get everyone working TOGETHER for the betterment of our town, there is always someone that can do nothing but complain, whine and try to stir things up again. What is so wrong with getting everyone on the same page and working together? We CAN work together and schedule some Saturday or Sunday afternoons to have "clean-up" sessions to help improve the looks of our town.
Where have I been for the last 20 years? Well, 15 of those years I spent volunteering my time in other areas to benefit the community. The past 5, I have been sitting on my butt just like everyone else. Now it's time for all of us, including myself, to give back a little to the town that we call "home". If just half of the crowd that is now showing up for the Town Board meetings would show up for even an hour to help with the clean-up efforts, much progress would be made. I am willing to do so, how about you Anonymous? Wow....even if we could round up all of the Anonymous posters, we would have a large work crew!
The point is, I would have much rather been told about any of the given problems, with a simple, "There is a mess out by Doby." Or, "Both pumps have failed at the sewer ponds and they need to be replaced." Belittling and fingerpointing are about as useful as poision ivy is for toilet paper. Should the pumps have been maintained or replaced long ago? I don't know, but I will ask Joe and see. I would place far more trust in Joe's answer. Hard to place any trust in a publication that is seemingly more interested in holding someone responsible and acccountable, as opposed to problem resolutions.
ReplyDeleteAs said above: "Hard to place any trust in a publication that is seemingly more interested in holding someone responsible and acccountable, as opposed to problem resolutions." AMEN!
ReplyDeleteNice links to the DEQ and EPA on the publication. What would the purpose of that be except one that is self-serving? I remember being told that it is best not to air ones dirty laundry in public, however that seems to be a major purpose of said publication. One of propaganda and un-signed op-ed pieces.
Can't we just agree to disagree?
ReplyDeleteIt is a FACT that maintenance wasn't done.
It is a FACT that trash was hauled incorrectly.
It is a FACT that improper alterations to the waste water facility were done.
It is a FACT that the fire hydrants were not corrected when things were wrong with them.
It is a FACT that pumps were left inoperable.
It is a FACT that the mess at Doby was already known about.
It is a FACT that both camps are irritating the community as a whole.
Those things we cannot just ignore.... so instead of everyone grandstanding - that is on BOTH sides of the disagreement - let's let the CIP committee that is being put together work on it. They are all apprised of the problem by now and now that this is a major undertaking with long reaching goals.
The problems are officially out there, we get it, there are some issues to take control of and fix. Thanks for pointing them out, albeit not the forum where I would have handled it. But we are aware now. We get it, we get it, we get it.
I am sick of both sides. Both sides only see what they are saying and ignore everyone else's opinions and/or feelings.
LET's GET TOGETHER PEOPLE! (yes I am yelling) We are a laughing stock for lots of areas around us. Recently one of our townspeople spoke at a different meeting than the Town Board. She said, "Let's stop the backstabbing. We need to get together and become one family again. Stop trying to destroy each other and focus on what we can do to work together." Yes, this is paraphrased.
Margaret hit it on the head.
Let's see, we have spies everywhere, secret hidden cameras and recorders, stalking and intimidation.Boycotting, backstabbing, underhanded communications. Have I left anything out? Let's see would that make us a KGB, Cold War Mentality? I am absolutely embarrased by both sides in this discussion.
Get it out in the open, admit a problem, find a solution then correct it. Enough. This is emotionally draining on everyone. Jobs are being threatened, people are being slandered, nutcases are going after everyone.
let's all take a deep breath and blow it out. Now, let's do what good bison do. Protect the herd, stick together, work as one. (Remember, we bison also invited the "turdy birds" and the "turdus migratorius" as they have been so lovingly named, into our herd with open arms. We do not throw our family under the bus, no matter how much the irritate us. (I can think of a few family members I would like to strangle occasionally.)
Please?
Ostrich.
I have been following the "ideas" that have been coming from the "publication" insidebuffalo.net and also this blog. I am a Buffalonian, born and raised, I have seen what wonderful things can happen when a bunch of people get together, pitch in, and clean things up and get things done. That said, I have also seen what can happen when people are so frustrated and upset by others that nothing constructive is able to be done. We have other problems in our little town than just some DEQ issues at Doby, there are people employed by the town and county that can't seem to keep their hands out of the till. When the issue is brought to light, lifesaving treatment is threatened to be withheld (VERY professional). While I agree that things at Doby should be taken care of to preserve our drinking water and the natural beauty of the area, I'm also concerned that people employed by the county are spending my hard-earned tax dollars on furniture and God only knows what else. WAKE UP PEOPLE! You pay county taxes, you have a RIGHT to know where they are going!!!! Don't let these people steal from us any longer!
ReplyDeleteDoby does need to be cleaned up. The sewer ponds need correcting, fire hydrants need to be fixed or replaced, and a study needs to be done to be sure our drinking water is safe. I will agree on all of those issues. I had also heard rumor of hand(s) in the till, but just rumor, nothing concrete. The town board will most suredly get the sewer pond problem fixed. They will likely address the Doby issues and fire hydrants as well. We all need to be patient and give them time to get things taken care of. These are major issues and will very likely take time to correct. The town board is a good group of people and they WILL get things done. Give em a break. PLEASE!!!!
ReplyDeleteReally Tommy, hasn't the town board had enough time to get all of the these thing taken care of??? I think the biggest problem is that they have been given break after break after break because "they are our friends and neighbors" instead of being held accountable for their poor performance. Signed, Anonymous: aka Nancy Drew
ReplyDeleteAccountabilty is a mute point at this time. Addressing and tackling the problem(s) is the real concern. I don't really give a tinkers damn about accountability. Crying over spilled milk is useless. Yes they are our friends and neighbors and thus, they should be given the opportunity to take care of the issues our community is currently faced with. Obviously you feel a deep desire to punish someone for past actions. Me....I would prefer to see a joint plan of action between our city leaders and town folk. Just my opinion!!!
ReplyDeleteAccountability is NEVER a moot point Tommy. I don't want to see anyone "punished" for past actions - or should I say inactions - no punishment, just maybe being replaced with people who will actually DO something before they are forced to. If this town board steps up to the plate and actually accomplishs something, fine. If not then get rid of them and get this city moving forward!!! Signed, Anonymous: aka Nancy Drew
ReplyDeleteAnyone know where we stand on the fire hydrant issue? According to the map one that isn't working is by my home.....
ReplyDeleteyou know the rumor mill is cherning and I hear that a person is suing the town because of the fire hydrant problem.
ReplyDeletecan you confirm this?
we don't need that but I can understand being very concerned if one of the bad hydrants was near me.
can you imagine if the firemen couldn't get to water quickly how much more damage would come about because of the extra time to get to another fire hydrant?
Don't know about any law suit...but you never know. However, at least one concerned citizen has requested one of the bad hydrant by their house be repaired. The Town sent someone out to open up the hydrant and claimed it was working fine. No pressure test, no flow test, nothing, just excited that it flowed some water.
ReplyDeleteThe Fire Dept retested it Thursday evening and it showed that it was indeed NOT working to cpacity or flow and that every time you use it water shoots through the top. Does this mean that it will absolutely not handle a house fire? No. But it also does not prove that it will. I guess you need to decide if 50/50 is good enough for you.
The report presented at a Board meeting showed several that were bad or needed repaired/replaced. The one in question was marked RED. The report is pretty vague in that it says "cannot be tested/out of service" but does not show which need repaired versus only needs replaced.
It seems to me that the easiest fix would be to have the report modified to breakdown those which need replaced and those which need repaired. Then get it done. Hire it out so that we have someone who does this for a living repair the items that protect our lives and homes.
Do you remember the saying - "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."? By what degree or percenage of broke are we happy to settle?
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ReplyDelete