The Town Board is a having "special meeting" to discuss and act upon some special things concerning special people. They may even go so far as to declare that there is an emergency in Buffalo politics.
Well isn't that special that they couldn't do this at the regular meeting that is coming up in July.
This meeting is really special because everyone will become rudely acquainted with the itinerant vendor ordinance. Maybe they will go so far as to tell the community why there is an emergency situation with this.
Oops! Almost forgot about slipping some cash to the Clerk and Treasurer. $1187.08 for each one of them. Better hurry and get er done before the audit changes again. Can you say Christmas in July!
Here is the link to the agenda for the "SPECIAL MEETING"
Orange votes against search for new police chief at the special meeting. Buss,Daley,Harper, and Carpenter voted to find new chief for the Buffalo Police Department.
ReplyDeleteHard to believe that Orange would vote that way!!
ReplyDeleteKudos to the others to find a new Chief, Just beware to hire on their credibility,.....
not familiarity. We don't need a good'ole boy in there we need a professional!
I assume the over due "pay raises" were approved to be paid?
So I understand Tommy has been turned down for the position of Chief even if he gets his cleet cirt.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know about that????
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteFor decades, our community and its direction have often been altered by rumor, inuendo, and gossip. Lets lay this one to rest. It is true that I did speak to a few of the board members prior to the last meeting. I proposed a budget, and asked them to give me a six month trial as chief. I told them if I did not deliver in a manor favorable to the board, that I would simply resign at the end of the six month period and they could either sign a contract with the sheriff's office or hire another chief. Apparently, they did not favor that plan. I have not spoken to any of the board members since the meeting and do not know why they rejected the offer. It was their decision to make and they made it. Nothing more, nothing less. I can say with certainty, that during the 8 months that I worked as a reserve for them, I did my very best to represent the department in a professional manner and keep the town covered in Jeremy's absence. I worked hard to get along with everyone and strived to build good working relations with everyone. I refuse to second guess the town board. Though I do not know the reason they went the direction they went, I am sure they had their reasons. I can only hope the reasons were valid and not based on rumor, gossip, or inuendo. At any rate...good luck to whomever winds up with the job.
Tommy
Thank you Tommy for your reply. I feel personaly that you would be a great choice for the job. I enjoyed seeing your smiling face while out on patrol and felt protected knowing that in Jeremy's absence there was a respectful officer out there.
ReplyDeleteWe will miss that. Keep smiling and Best wishes to you and yours.....
Cleet certification for a full time officer is 16 WEEKS...it also requires an agility test and daily physical testing. It is strenuous and time-consuming... that would mean that 4 months of time for any officer that we hired "that did not already have the required certification" would be paid a full salary for 4 months while obtaining it.
ReplyDeleteIt makes more sense to hire someone that is already trained and not be without an officer for a 4 month period. Business decision, straight and simle. I can understand why the Board is going this route.
This is not to say anything against Tommy. Tommy is very easy to talk to and was visible. Tommy is "Reserve Cleet Certified" it is a whole different ball of wax. Beacuse he is "reserve" he could only work under someone elses certification and to become full-time he would now have to be gone for 4 months to CLEET.
Remember, not everyone who goes to CLEET passes. So it is really a crap shoot at best.
Looks like the Board is trying to save time by not trying to play catch-up and going with someone who is already CLEET certified. Don't we have some of those already in the Town of Buffalo or in Harper County?
I just want some local law enforcement. Looks like the Board is working on getting that done. Talk about a thankless job, Board members have to be thick-skinned and extremely tolerant. You Go Guys!!
Oh yeah, and Go Girls! (Not intentionally left off, oops!)
ReplyDeleteYeah, yeah, whatever.
ReplyDeleteSp they don't want him.... happens. Not everyone who applies for a job gets it.
Wonder if his son will re-apply? Might not be a bad fit. Local boy, sort of. Knows the town and the peoples' mindset.
What about Maggert? Still interested? Stoddard? Any of those from Laverne?
There are options.
ANyone else notice that the Sheriff office has stepped up to cover in the meanwhile? Pretty nice of them to cover their county. Thanks?
Stepped up?!?!? Wow, I missed something there. I was attacked by a Rottweiler (not once but twice) while working in the yard. There were three Rott's running in the pack. The only thing that kept me from getting bit was I had a knife in my hand digging weeds and kept the one dog trying to bite off of me. Called the Sheriff's Office for assistance and was told the officer was busy on a call and would be there when he got thru (the officer on call was actually at Tiger Hut in Laverne on a coffee or meal break). After the officer got back in his unit he headed south to Log Cabin to work traffic. He never did respond to my request for assistance. 20 minutes after my call to the Sheriff's Office, the dispatcher finally called Joe McVicker to notify him of the incident. Joe came in and was able to locate 2 of the dogs and pen them up, but the viscious dog has never been located. It's still out there somewhere and it WILL bite someone someday. (Incidently, Joe came in at 7:50pm and was working on this situation until after 9:00pm. Town Board Member, Robin Daley, also drove around trying to locate the dog. Thanks Joe and Robin!)
ReplyDeleteLast night it was 12:54 a.m. before the people popping fireworks finally stopped and went in for the night. At least it was a weekend night and I didn't have to get up and go to work in the morning. Once again, a call went in to the Sheriff's Office for assistance, only to have Sheriff's Reserve Office Stoddard tell the dispatcher "That's a city ordinance, you will have to call the police department". The dispatcher responded that there's no police department, and Shawn told the dispatcher that he was 2-for-2 tonight!
After the dog attack, I was told by several different Town Board Members that I should have shot the dog myself. Good thing we are still allowed to "bear arms". I guess next time that's just exactly what I will be forced to do.
What kind of an emergency might you encounter in the next 6-8 weeks? No one can answer that question. Just remember before you call to distinguish between if it breaks state or federal law, or if it is a city ordinance violation. The Sheriff's Office is not going to respond to "city ordinance" calls. So, who then do you call for assistance? Possibly the Town Board Members themselves!
A business decision huh? Does appear to be a good sound business decision doesn't it? Want a different point of view from a 77 year old life long resident of Buffalo? In the past 77 years, I have seen many different town boards and many different sheriff's and many different police officers. The one thing that is undisputed here, is that not one time in history has this town ever hired a policeman from outside this town, that ever worked out. They were either too mean, too strict, too ticket happy, too lax, too lazy, too gung ho, not politically correct, hung with he wrong people, wrote hot checks, didn't pay their bills, and on and on and on. We hired em, payed em, sent many to school, and fired every single one of them. The only good cops we have ever had, were local people. Officers like Marion England, Bill Wheaton, Everett Harper, and many many others. Those investments we made in those guys paid off. Just as she said above, hiring an outsider is a crap shoot at best and will probably turn out just like the last one, a joke indeed. I would rather our town board seek out a local person and spend our money wisely as opposed to playing another crap shoot. I stopped by Tommie's house yesterday to ask him about a boundry dispute I have with a neighbor. Tommie was very polite and answered all my questions in laymens terms and was very helpful. I tried to get him to say something bad about the town board, but all he said was "it was their decision to make." He also told me he would much prefer to see the board sign a contract with Marty than to risk hiring another outsider. Said he felt Marty was a much better choice. How bout that. Marty creams him in two different elections and yet he still recommends Marty. I am old and tired and have seen it all and I surely do hope the board rethinks this outsider theory as being the best business decision. It wont work. Never has and never will.
ReplyDeleteBob
77 yr old resident! You are so correct in every way you have no idea! Its always the same thing all the time and its been this way since my family came here years ago as outsiders and Ive been here a very long time but I still think Im treated as an outsider. Every outsider is unwelcome here from outsider cops to outsider business owners. then you have someone complaining about dogs and problems with the sheriff office. Well, all you who are complaining about a lawless town, you voted for the town board you voted for the same people who caused this to be a town without a police department. You supported the board, you apologized for them and praised them and then reelected some of them. Got your cake, now you can eat it. Happy?
ReplyDeleteI too am an outsider. I will ALWAYS be an outsider. That is what this Town does. Those outsiders who were hired as police in this community were no different than the residents here.
ReplyDeleteThe locals here are exactly like those officers -
"To quote an older resident, "They were either too mean, too strict, too ticket happy, too lax, too lazy, too gung ho, not politically correct, hung with he wrong people, wrote hot checks, didn't pay their bills, and on and on and on." I can list numerous "locals" who match that description to the "T". But since they are local they are forgiven, pllltthhh.
The main problem they all had is that they areTOO far from the family tree. This Town has a habit of treating those newcomers to town as though they were second-class citizens. It is embarrassing and should be stopped.
Just because someone is local doesn't make them the right one for a job. Most often when in law enforcement, if they are local they play favorites. Wait, maybe that is what the Town wants, someone who will play favorites. I really don't think so but that appears to be what the last two posters are leaning towards.
Maybe this time a thorough background, pysche test and employment history will be done and we will know what we are getting before it shows up. But this Town needs to understand that law enforcement is not to make you feel good about yourselves, it is about making the streets safe and your children protected. It is about enforcing the laws and ordinances of your town, whether you like it or not. The days of Mayberry are over, the troubles we have today are not the same troubles of 10-20-30 years ago. We are workign with an entirely different set of problems, sure some are the same but the punishments are not.
We need to move into the 21st Century folks.
BTW, Tommie has told me in the past that we NEEDED a police department. He has said that to several people on several occasions. It sounds more like sour grapes that if he can't have it to just give it to the County. Even he won't give a qualified applicant the benefit, if he is not a local boy. He has even stated when he was running for Sheriff that he wouldn't charge ANYTHING for covering the Town as that is what the Sheriff Dept is supposed to do. I know that there are seveal Tommie supporters, I am not one of them. Sorry, it is my opinion, which I am entitled to have.
He who speaks from both sides of mouth will truly get slapped by his own tongue!
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteYes, I have said that I think we need a police department. My primary reason being, the sheriff is an elected official and as such, makes the job a very political one. Code enforcement in particular, would likely be a huge detriment to getting re-elected. Police departments and officers are appointed and not elected making politics much less of an issue. And no, I do not have sour grapes at all. My primary focus was keeping the town covered. Hiring me, or hiring Marty would have provided instantaneous coverage. Advertising the job as they chose to do for the next 30 days, will likely mean a minimum of 6-8 weeks with no police department. However, let me say again...IT WAS THEIR DECISION TO MAKE. Regarding qualified applicants, I have no problem whatever with whomever applies for the job, qualified or not. Please don't make more out of this than what it is. The town board is empowered with making decisions as to the direction our town moves. We elected them to do that and I decline to critisize the choice they made. I do however, differ in opinion, and as you said above, each of us has the right to our own opinion.
Tommy
The need for instantaneous coverage is mute. We went for almost a year while trying to decide what to do previously. If it makes you feel better to use that as an excuse for your comments, that's your choice.
ReplyDeleteThe Sheriff Dept will cover ALL emergencies. A code violation is NOT an emergency. Now a vicious dog IS. Marty has even stated that in the past and has always been very cooperative on working those. Marty is a stand-up guy and will cover emergencies while the Town searches for a new PD guy. The sky is not falling because we have a down time. The world will not open up and swallow our Town, no "emergency" will go unanswered. I guess you might call this a "grace period" while a search is conducted.
So now we go about our business politely and let the Board do what they have sworn to do. That's it, I'm done.
I'm done, your post isn't exactly right unless the definition of a vicious dog excludes being knocked down to the ground with it on top of you growling and biting at your face.
ReplyDeleteThis incident happened exactly two weeks ago tonight and I still haven't seen or heard from any law enforcement officer in reference to it. This dog could still be inside city limits. What will happen the next time it happens to get out? Somebody will definately get hurt, not doubt about it.
I know the sheriff's office will not respond to "code enforcement issues" such as a dog running loose, but does a dog actually have to bite/maul or kill someone before it is considered vicious? What would have happened that night if the dog that attacked me jumped on a child or an elderly person? This happened in my mother's yard and she is 91 years old. Gives me cold chills just to think about it, especially since the dog has never been located.
you got chills thinking about a mean dog? so call your elected officials, the exact same ones you voted for a couple months ago and tell them what your problems are and have them deal with them instead of complaining about it on the blog. the daley buss got him to leave town, call the daley buss team up and tell them about your dog problem and your fireworks problem and tell them to police the town and rid you of your dog dillemma. they caused it! have them fix it!
ReplyDeleteI did start calling my elected town board members shortly after Joe showed up to try to locate the animals and heard the sheriff's reserve officer on duty leave from Tiger Hut and go on down to Log Cabin to work traffic. Robin Daley was the only Board Member that answered her phone that evening and she came out to look for the dogs also. The next evening I visited with David Orange, and visited with Georganna Buss on Friday about the incident and my concerns. I didn't get to talk to Lewis Carpenter or Susan Harper about it until after the special board meeting on the 24th.
ReplyDeleteI consider the fireworks as being part what has to be endured during our "down time" or "grace period" as I'm done stated. Inconsideration for your neighbors most likely won't harm anyone including myself. Annoying? Yes, but it's the price we have to pay for others' rudeness. IMO
Yeah Marty is a wonderful Sheriff, LMAO on that one, anyone in law enforcemnet who thinks, actually who said out loud that "it's only marijuana and he knows what their doing" and let it continue for several uears.is not the kind of officer I want in any position of athourity! And for the people who think just voting for an eleceted person can change the out come is wrong. This town has family and friends who gang up together to vote they don't vote on credibility or past performance, if they did Marty would never been re-elected! I can garantee that for sure! he never did anything in the past for the "city limits" and never will.
ReplyDeleteDear Mrs Sky Falling,
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me how you can twist and distort things to fit your own needs. I have never said the sky would fall, or the town would be swallowed up. And I never said Marty would not answer emergency or non emergency calls. If you feel a need to justify your actions, please do it with true and factual information. You have stated your decisions were "Business Decisions" plain and simple. Right? My primary concern is for the safety of our citizens. As a town board member, yours SHOULD be the same. Marty has himself, and three other officers to cover this entire county. My concern, if he and his deputies get called to the other side of the county on an emergency, and an emergency call occurs at the same time in Buffalo, response time will be greatly affected. Supposing someone gets hurt while waiting for the deputy to respond all the way across the county, how well will you think your "grace period" worked then?? Unfortunatley, criminals, domestic violence, fights, and a whole host of other crimes, do not take "grace periods" while you rest on your laurels and make your "business decisions." You yourself, said above, that you and the other board members have been elected to take care of this town. Did any of you ask Marty if he minded or felt he had adequate personell to cover during this board sanctioned "grace period?" Don't lie. What you told me to my face, is that Marty does not have a choice, that he "has to cover" whether he wants to or not. Right? Maybe we will endure this "grace period" and maybe no one will be hurt by it. Me...I would not be willing to take the risk. Whether you hired me or not doesn't matter at all. You should be providing protection with an interim chief until you can hire the person of your choice. One thing I can assure you of, this is my final post regarding this matter. Oh, and my vote next election, most assuredly won't be coming your way. Have a nice day!
Tommy
I attended the last "special" town board meeting on June 24th. It slaves me that we have five board members and a newly elected mayor whom seemingly was more concerned about getting a peddlers license so he could sell his barbeque on week-ends and the 4th of July. We have another newly elected board member who seemingly had no clue what the heck was going on. Then we have three hens a clucking that spent 45 minutes trying to decide whether the vendor's license should expire on Dec 31st ot July 31st. Then there was the executive session, in which the board members returned with an astounding decision of taking a grace period with our police department while they search statewide for a replacement police chief. It is little wonder, if it took 45 minutes to make a decision on an expiration date, that they couldn't decide what was the best way to ensure the safety of our town. Three current board members are still seated on the board that hired our last chief. Makes me wonder what kind of goof ball we will get this time. Board members have actually said, "keep a gun handy and do what you need to do." Kinda like the wild west huh? I wonder if the board will check the background of their new hiree? No more rejects!!!
ReplyDeleteFrom Susan Harper:
ReplyDeleteSorry if you misunderstood anything I might have said directly to you. We both know what was said and not said. I will leave it at that. FYI..... I post with my name for a reason. Same as you.....
Sad......
Who said?
ReplyDelete"I refuse to second guess the town board."
Then a few days later turns around and does just that....
"You should be providing protection with an interim chief until you can hire the person of your choice."
Looks like the grapes soured a little bit in that time span.
Can we take this one to the bank?
"One thing I can assure you of, this is my final post regarding this matter."
:)
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION needs to be taken. The him-hawing around time is over! City and County both are run with lack of professionalism..
ReplyDeleteI attended the Harper Co. Courthouse on Thurs.7-2-09, To observe our legal system here. More like a circus!!!
Supposed to start at 10:30 didn't start till 11:30.
Elected officials such as a Judge, DA, and Sheriff M.Drew were all there on time but as usual did not have their files ready for court.
Several cases to be heard...Drugs, domestic violences, public intoxes, driving w/susp lic., and a release of inmate.
No court reporter, recess 20min into the proceddings,Judge leaves room, Banter between DA and Sheriff Marty....DA says "I need a scotch and water, you should go down and get me one" Marty replies "We only have tequlia"
DA says "I perfer burbon" They both laugh.
Court resumes and continues with more unprepairdness by all, Files not in order, DA explaining to defendents, in the middle of plee, that if they plea guilty the he will only recomends Ct. costs and a $10.00 fine, Judge has wrong calander in front of him.....Then at 12:20 recess for lunch, Banter continues to be about alcohol and the DA needing a drink, Present are defendants, children, mothers, a corrections officer escourting prisioner from another institute. He comments "Never in all the years he has done this job, has he ever seen such diorginazation, lack of ethics, and this is a joke!" Wish I had brought a tape-recorder...
FOR A GOOD LAUGH YOU CAN ATTEND THE NEXT COURT HEARING 7-16-09!!!
As for everything else in this County it is run like a 3 ring circus!!!
People need to reconsider who they want to represent Buffalo as "Elected Officials"!!!
ReplyDeleteI thought my-duaghter-in-law was just crazy with all her stories, but I have been to the courthouse and town board meetings and observed several times the same kind of things going on there.......I might have to come to more
I am from Oklahoma City, have been in law enforcement for a little over twenty years and wanting to move to a small town. I saw the ad for a police chief on the CLEET website and thought tis might be a great way to get to a small town and still be able to work.
ReplyDeleteI have been reading your posts on here and now I wonder. Is it true that someone moving in from outside the area is shunned by the community? Is it true that the town will not accept an officer that was not "home grown"?
I wish someone would answer these questions, as I really want toenjoy small town life but I don't want to just move somewhere for a couple of months.
By the way, I feel that law enforcement should be maintained on an even playing field. Not become a ticket writting event or being too tough or not tough enough. It should be respected by the community and where the citizens know that there will be someone there for them when neded. Officers should be a huge part of the schools and in the kids lifes, protecting them and helping them to make the correct decisions in life. It is a respected profession and should be maintained as a respected profession. Laws are written for public safety and apply to all, no matter what their status is in the community. From the richest to the poorest, there is no difference.
Please excuse the mistakes in the previous post in spelling and spacing, it was written in haste and not proof read before posting.
ReplyDeleteI am serious about the questions and hope that someone will take the time to answer them for me.
Thank you in advance.
As a born and bred "child" of Buffalo who accepted many new friends when they moved in to town I would say no, it is not true that those from outside are not accepted. I would say however if those whom move in do not attempt to assimilate into the community and rather offer their perspectives and thoughts on how the town should run instead of trying to gain an understanding and perspective of those within in the community first, then yes.... those individuals would likely find themselves at odds with the "old timers". I would assume this would be much like anywhere else they might attempt the same. My perspective only and my parents were "outsiders", however accepted in so much that they have been successful runnning businesses, employing many people and successfully raised a family while being pretty happy in Buffalo, as "outsiders".
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for the comment, this changes my perspective on how I am thinking. I agree, if an outsider comes into the picture and tries to force their opinions on how the community should be ran, then they are in for a long stay. One should take the time to learn the community and the area before attempting to change anything.
ReplyDeletebe prepared to get run out of town like all the others before you when you pick on the wrong person. dont buy a houses or property because itll sit here after you move like the last chiefs house. outsiders are not welcome unless you never complain and are willing to put up with poopy houses next to you
ReplyDeleteHey I really only thought I had a few people on my side of the poopy issues....So glad to know there are some out there who do care! Yes, unless you really care what the towns folk think they will try to run you out....But if you hang in there (it might take many years like A+) or never, to "fit in" if thats what you want....me I have never cared what people think or say.
ReplyDeleteWe as Americans have the right to our opinions!I do have to say that it has been a long fight but the light may be there. Mr. Poopy goes to court for his drug crimes on Thursday and if the DA does his job, Mr Poopy will be in our "Adult daycare system," THE JAIL! Marty will have to do his job and "Sit" with him. I know he really hates that but It It His Job!
As for Mr Poopy he must think he is going for a walk in the park cause he is not preparing for the worst because he still has 3 dogs and tons of cats and kittens, and the poop hole is still there and has poop covered in ashes that need to be cleaned.
I beleieve the Journal posted our Ordinances on Health and Nusisances and Dilpidated Buildings....I also think the house at 422 NE 3rd St is a health and should be comdened
1- Lacks necessary repairs and IS in a state of decay as the windows on both floors have no glass in them
2-are a hazard to health, safty,or welfare of general public.....there is mold growing from the roof boards and up all exterior and intieror walls the mold spoers fly through the air a hazard for anyone!
And yet the Board Still to this day has not taken any action on it! oh 1 more thing if and when Mr Poopy leaves his home for a walk or for whatever reason he does not lock the home up...He just closes the screen door and his vicious doggs bark and could come through with no force....that put anyone at risk too.
M.S
Hey Mr Police Officer I think that our town will accept anyone who comes. There are always those that refuse to move into the 21st century so new changes need to be made slowly and carefully. Buffalo is a wonderful community. It has great pride in what it could be just has to get there! I think that a wake up call was heard by us all and we are just slow to wake. Give us a chance if you are interested. I think everyone will be surprised.
ReplyDeleteVery nice, I am sending my resume in and we will see.
ReplyDeleteI am well aware that change has to be slow and easy, and I am more than willing to work slow and easy.
Living in a small town has always goal of mine and being a small town officer would be great, I think.
It has impressed me that so many people show interest in their town politics. I think that is a good thing, I have always enjoyed the citizens telling me their concerns and trying to find solutions. It makes it hard when people don't understand that law enforcement can't take all their problems away.