We are going to briefly get into the Step System that most employers, especially municipal and government employers have because of the Unions. I believe (90 percent) that the Town of Cheshire has a Step system, and my significant other had mentioned it at the Police Budget Workshop.

And no, you know who, my significant other is NOT advising you when union negotiations come up unless I GIVE HIM PERMISSION and right now and I not too happy!! So we will see.

Now my sig other has worked for the state for nearly 30 years and their step system is one of the best. My sig other told me the other night that he remembers all the town candidates, including me, (but I lied), who stated at the Candidates debate night that they all supported the Police Department. But, what have they really done to support them?

Sit there and not ask questions. No, that is not enough.

Now here is basically how the step system works with the State of Connecticut employees who have anywhere between a seven and a nine step system.

The Cheshire Police Department, I believe, has a five step system.

When a person gets hired to work at the Labor Department, the person can be at a different pay grade than another person who also just got hired, but there are seven to nine steps in the pay grade.

So this step system recognizes a persons experience and training.

For example, a supervisor in the Labor Department could make less money than one of its employees he or she is supervising only because that employee has been on the job longer than the supervisor.

So how is this fair? Only so many people can be promoted. Eventually, the supervisor will make more, because he or she can move up the ladder further, because his or her steps will eventually pay more money. The regular employee reaches a ceiling sooner than the supervisor.

With a five step system, employment and training ceases to be recognized after FIVE years unless you get promoted. So, technically, a patrol officer who is at the CPD for let’s say eight years, could be making the same money as a patrol officer working at CPD for five years. So, that is really not fair. There is a ceiling at five years for every officer unless you get promoted. If you don’t, that is the end of the line and that is where the disparity lies.

You would get better retention if even another step was added.

Now what about Longevity payments? The CPD has them, and they are given out twice a year as is the case with the Labor Department, but it doesn’t have enough recognition of experience and training, because it basically boils down to several hundred dollars a year.

So, we are advocating an additional pay step to be added to the Cheshire Police Department’s contract.

And we need to take action when action needs to be taken and not worry about whether or not it will get on the news, as I have stated before. That is part of the problem too. Police officers have to feel they can act like the police (within guidelines of the law of course), without 14 people having to be contacted before they can make a move. Police work involves split second decision making. Sometimes there is no time to contact certain people in Town Government for permission. I am not talking about immediate supervisors, you know who I mean.

If when we called the Montreal Police about my son several months back, when he was “pre-occupied” like a young man will be at times, and we had not heard from him in several weeks, and they acted like this town, he still would be sitting in his apartment.

Within 10 minutes after we contacted the MPD, it was over.

The MPD assumed the worst and went over to the apartment with a battering ram, mind you. They knocked on the door. When no one answered right away, the broke the door down, grabbed him, threw him out into the hallway of his apartment building, where several officers were waiting on the stairwell, searched the apartment and then had him contact us. Our son told us the MPD told him they assumed he was being held against his will or worse when he had not contacted us in several weeks, despite our attempts to contact him on a daily basis. I know Canada is not the U.S. but they have STRONG respect for human rights.

Oh, and btw, that did NOT get on the news. That was police work without interference from people who can’t make split second decisions because they are worried about their image.

One of the most, if not the most powerful word in the English language—TRUST.

Our very lives depend on it. Our society, in fact this entire world would probably grind to a halt without it.

Everyday we get in our cars to go to work or run errands and we trust the person driving on the other side of the road does not cross over the line. We trust they have full control of their motor vehicle.

We fly in airplanes and we trust the pilots, the mechanics that worked on the plane, the baggage handlers to put our luggage where it is supposed to be; we trust the air traffic controllers, (now that is real trust).

We go to a restaurant or a fast food place and we put our trust in the people who prepare our food. We go to the supermarket and bring food home to prepare ourselves, trusting the people who grew the food, picked it, packed it and then shipped it to its destination.

If we have surgery, we place our trust in our physician and their staff to keep us alive.

It is amazing how trust is a major part of our lives and for the most part we don’t really think about it.

The issue of trust came up this past week when one of our Town Councilors, Tim White asked our Town Manager if there was a policy on municipal gas use.

I really believe our town employees for the most part are honest and professional. But human behavior being what it is, safeguards have to be put into place. When I work, there are monitoring systems put on my computer by the company I am working for to guard against fraud and unauthorized usage. That doesn’t mean I or my fellow workers are engaging in unscrupulous behavior. Most people are not.

But some are and temptations are many. Especially now with our economy tightening up, less money and higher food and fuel prices. The temptation to stretch things or “just take the town car I have for personal uses” is out there, especially with these gas prices.

Human nature is human nature and safeguards must be in place. I did read the article in the Herald, and I was happy to see it there, of course it was one sided, but we are getting somewhere with this paper. They did at least address the issue.

The article mentioned all the departments, police, fire, public works. I did call Mr. Michaelangelo who was nice enough to take time out of his day for a few minutes and speak to me. The DPW does have this two key system, one to unlock the gas pump and the other key, which is linked directly to the vehicle one is driving at the time. One key will not work the pumps which is good and the other key must match the vehicle.

I called because the Herald article stated in effect that the DPW employees do not have to put in the vehicle’s mileage because the system is so sensitive that if one number is entered in incorrectly, the system would shut down completely. It is almost like too much of a good thing. Besides, the Herald article stated, that the mechanics on duty at the DPW garage are right by the pumps so an unauthorized vehicle would be detected.

I called Mr. Michaelangelo to ask what happens after the mechanics go home for the day. I was told the gates are locked. If someone has to use the pumps to fill up let’s say a snowplow, the two key system is in effect. Remember, public works DOES have GPS on all snowplows.

Well my concern is what if someone took the two keys home and drove their own vehicle there one night. That is why the cameras and GPS at all municipal pumps, and apparently there are four of them according to the Herald article, must be put into place as soon as possible and most likely will.

Now I did get an email from Chief Cruess of the Police Department. Here is is reply.

Note: the Police Chief took it upon himself to expound on my post the other night. I did not solicit a response. Thank you to all who contacted me, I am starting to feel better.

And thanks to Chris for his thoughtful insights.

From UNDERGROUNDTOWNHALLPOST:

Lt. Markella said up to three cameras can monitor the pump if
 necessary. The gas ipump is old according to Markella but the recording system is
 adequate. What happens is that the two pumps are on a stand alone system
 with a gauge. The officer who needs to dispense gas into a police
 vehicle, marked or unmarked, records what the gauge says and these records are
 kept on a daily schedule.

CHIEF CRUESS RESPONSE

Hi Cindy, as to the above let me try to explain it better.  The gauge
 you refer to is the total amount in the fuel tank.  This is read each
 morning and recorded.  This allows us to monitor when we need fuel and to
 make sure that the number is not going up (ie: water getting into the
 tank, hasn't happened since we now have an above ground storage tank).
  When an officer fuels up he enters the vehicle code, mileage and that
 officers identification number.  This is all recorded on a computer
 inside the building that we check routinely and use to prepare our
 monthly gas reports.  I'll be glad to show it to you if you come on a First
 Thursday/Late hours" night.

FROM UNDERGROUNDTOWNHALL POST:
This is something because I swear this sounds like the Madison
 Wisconsin gas card system I spoke about in front of the Town Council last week.
 Go to Home Page "Featured Video" to hear my speech on the Municipal
 Gas Use Policy

CHIEF CRUESS RESPONSE:

Yes it does only ours is here at the PD and is on several cameras with
 the readings collected on a computer within our building

FROM UNDERGROUNDTOWNHALL:.

A resident had a question: how much does the Town pay for gasoline? Are
 they exempt from state gasoline tax? Is there a bid waiver? We will
 find out

CHIEF CRUESS.
I do not believe we pay taxes.  The town goes off of a regional
 consortium bid I believe but the Finance department would know better.

UNDERGROUNDTOWNHALL: 

Many of you are wondering if the town really did have a gas use policy
 in place or did they scramble. I don't know. As the Police Chief stated
 Monday night, there comes a point where you have to place your trust
 in the people that work with you

Chief Cruess: 

The policy has been the same here for as long as I can remember and I
 know it is the same as it was when I joined the administartion in 2002.
  As you know you can have every rule, policy, law etc in place but you
 can not watch everyone 24/7.  That is where integrity and trust must
 come in.  We monitor the gas closely, even prior to this price spike.
 Just an FYI, I was looking at some Toyota Camary today that were
 hybrids.  Another Department is purchasing them on a lease program which
 makes them somewhat more price available.  I will be looking into it with
 that department.  Remember if you have questions ask.  I will try to
 answer them even if we do not agree.

ANOTHER BRIDGEPORT FIRE OFFICIAL FIRED FOR ILLEGAL VEHICLE USE 

Tonight’s Post is by guest columnist Chris Cullins.

First of all, I want to thank Cindy for letting me post as a guest on her blog while she recovers from illness.

I also want to thank Cheshire Town Council member Tim White for finally getting the message on just how out of balance our town is, especially with the so called “policy” on town employee gas use.

I for one, do not believe for one second that the town ever had a gas use policy for its employees and the town owned vehicles until Town Council member Tim White had the guts to ask this question.

Look at the video Mr. White has of him asking about the policy. It is also on Ms. Kleist’s website. Look very closely at the Town Manager’s reaction. Look at his face. To me, it is obvious there was never a policy on employee gas use.

If there was, a policy, why didn’t the Town Manager state the policy right then and there? Why did he say he would e-mail the policy to Mr. White? Why didn’t a member of the Town Council tell Ms. Kleist when she spoke recently at the March 11th Town Council meeting on that very subject in order to support Mr. White, that the town already had a gas policy?

It seems to me that Mr. White is finally getting the picture with the “do whatever and say whatever we want” police department.

Mr. White realizes that Cindy will back up anyone she feels is legitimately questioning governmental operations.

Are people starting to come to their senses about the Cheshire Police Department? Hopefully. People expressing concerns has nothing to do with a grudge or grievance. It has to do with things in government being right or wrong.

Asking for an approximate $300,000 increase in the budget for any department, especially the Police in this town who do minor police work to say the least, and at a time when job losses are at an all time high in this state and in this nation is outrageous to say the least.

What Mr. White and Ms. Kleist did not mention in the police budget was not only the audacity of either the Town Manager or the Chief to put in for a $14,000 salary increase but the request to replace two office chairs because of broken parts at a cost of $250 apiece for a total of $500! This borders on insanity!!

As Ms. Kleist stated before, nothing but the best!! Luckily, someone in Town Goverment had a moment of sanity and nixed the chair replacement idea. Another question is:

What happened to the money in their gift account that we never see a spreadsheet on regarding how the money is spent until Ms. Kleist asks for it, then they make her wait several days when all that is needed is to press “print” on the computer. How is it spent?

The balance can’t be too high if they need to ask the taxpayers to pay for two $250 office chairs. Didn’t Elim Park just give the Cheshire Police over $100,000 and now a few months later they have to ask the taxpayers to buy two expensive chairs for them to sit in? Why don’t they use the gift account? It makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

Myself and the Underground Nation have been supporting Ms. Kleist and others like her in other communities for years.

Finally, people are coming around and questioning the golden children of this town. The grief and the heartache they have caused many people in this town is now coming back to haunt. State and Federal grants to the Town of Cheshire?

Soon to be a thing of the past.

Our Victory is “Glorious.”

I did not get a chance to go to the first public hearing on the 08-09 budget but my significant other did. As of 9 p.m., the hot air continued.

So while we are not listening because it is boring, here is a rundown of my favorite department’s fleet of vehicles that was handed out by the Police Chief Monday night.

Now again, I do not have a scanner, but maybe I will be given one from Elim Park. You never know.

Now there are 29 vehicles which make up the Police Departments fleet; nine belong to the Patrol Division; four in traffic; six in Investigation seven in Administration and three in the Utility Division.

PATROL DIVISION:

2008 Ford Expedition-year purchased 2008-total miles-1093.90

2007 Ford Crown Victoria-year purchased-2007-total miles-22,444.00-2007 miles-18,486.oo

2006 Ford Crown Victoria-year purchased-2006-total miles-49,272.00-2007 miles-26,894.00

2005 Ford Crown Victoria-year purchased-2005-total miles-68,726.00-2007 miles-22,474.00.

2007 Ford Crown Victoria-year purchased-2007-total miles-9,876.oo-2007 miles-5,705.00.

2008 Ford Crown Victoria-year purchased-2007-total miles-13,041.00-2007 miles-7,927.00

2006 Ford Crown Victoria-year purchased-2006-total miles-45,504.00-2007 miles-24,834.00.

2006 Ford Crown Victoria-year purchased-2006-total miles-54,069.00-2007 miles-30,817.00.

2003 Ford Crown Victoria-year purchased-2003 used for Traffic-total miles 49,096.00-2007 miles 14,411.00

Ok that is it for tonight with the cars. I will run the rest of the list Wednesday.

But, before I go, let’s see what my people in the Bridgeport Police Department did in 2007 with their fleet of police cars.

Click Here

Many of you are wondering if the town really did have a gas use policy in place or did they scramble. I don’t know. As the Police Chief stated Monday night, there comes a point where you have to place your trust in the people that work with you.

That is all well and good, but we do need regulations. Please read Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” which entails the nasty undertakings of our food industry before the USDA.

Some people say it is getting back to the old ways, but believe me, it is not. We cannot rely on people to police themselves, what is this Lord of the Flies? Human nature–it won’t happen.

Now I know many of you are upset with the education budget with nearly the entire budget taking up teacher salaries. All well and good, but all I can say to you out there is that you must remember, one of the biggest, if not the biggest employer in the United States is WALMART!!

You don’t think the gas prices and the high foreclosure rates are not trickling down to you here in Cheshire–THINK AGAIN!!! I wonder who is going to be paying these salaries, not that I am against making good money, I am not!!! But who will be able to pay for this in the next several years? Will you be willing to shoulder most of the tax burden? Probably not.

When I first started doing Underground Town Hall and making my comments, I secretly used to say to myself, “boy do I wish just one person on the Town Council would start asking the hard questions.”

Well, I think we have someone who is asking —- Councilor Tim White. But one thing that must be kept in perspective–question government because it is the right thing to do, not because of a personal feeling.

We must realize that most of the changes brought about in our society and in this world were motivated by hate or greed or both. That is the way of the world. But there are people who believe in open and honest government. I have had to deal with my personal feelings about this police department for many years. I really try to keep things in perspective. I try to balance things out, but sometimes it may not look that way.

Hopefully soon, many of my questions will be answered and many of my feelings will be put on the table to rest once and for all. That is all I will say about that.

I always try to attend as many Town Council meetings as possible, especially during the budget. I do attend the Police Department budget, because it is not so much the Cheshire Police Department as it is a Police Department. This is the most powerful department in town. It is a para-military organization. So checks and balances must be in place and kept there. It has nothing to do with who is running the organization. Not at all. My husband could be the Police Chief and I would insist on the same standards. That is my belief and that is the duty of every citizen in this nation, to oversee and watch the government. That was the will of our founding fathers.

Someone said they are not “buying” what I am saying. I am NOT SELLING IT!!!

Now the police over the past several years has been very efficient. This year’s budget is up approximately $200,000 with the bulk of the increase ( $184,000) coming from salaries. According to the Town Manager, there is $16,000 in the non salary account.

Out of these salaries is the hiring of two new police officers to basically replace officers who have either left the department or retired. I believe the Police Chief said that in July of 2008, approximately 33.7 percent will be eligible for retirement. That is ELIGIBLE, not meaning they will all take retirement mind you.

Now the big issue the past several weeks was the topic that Councilor Tim White first brought up at a recent Town Council meeting regarding a gas use policy by municipal employees. Tim asked about the policy for all municipal employees, not the just the police department.

So I was pleased tonight to see quite a lengthy presentation by the Police Chief on just this issue. GOOD!!

Now I still do not have a scanner unfortunately but I did want to show all of you the handout that was given to everyone at the Police Budget Hearing which went from 6:30 p.m. to a little after 8 p.m. Many questions were asked about staffing, hiring, equipment use, and my favorite, the new cruiser purchases, tire wear and tear. It was great and very informative.

Right now, I want to concentrate on the big topic, the municipal gas use.

According to the”Cheshire Police Department Gas/Mileage use 2005 to 2006:

For Calendar Year 2005: Total Gallons used was 34,392: Average Gallons per month in 2005 was 2,866; Total Miles Driven in 2005 was 326,386 and Average Miles Driven Per Month in 2005 was 27,199.

In 2006: Total Gallons: 34,576; Avg. Gallons Per Month: 2,882: Total Miles Driven: 337,941: Avg. Miles Driven Per Month 28,162.

In 2007: Total gallons: 31,489: Avg. Gallons Per Month: 2,624: Total Miles Driven: 306,955; Avg. Miles Driven Per Month: 25, 580.

Jan/Feb 2008: Total Gallons: 4,969: Avg. Gallons Per Month: 2,485: Total Miles Driven 48,370: Avg. Miles Driven Per Month: 24,185.

PROJECTED TOTAL GALLONS FOR Calendar Year 2008-2009: 29,820: PROJECT TOTAL MILES DRIVEN FOR Calendar Year 2008-2009: 290,220.

FISCAL YEAR

Fiscal Year 2004/2005: Total Gallons: 39,148: Avg. Gallons Per Month, 3,262: Total Miles Driven: 359,638: Avg. Miles Driven Per Month: 29,970.

2005/2006: Total Gallons: 37,657: Avg. Gallons Per Month: 3,138: Total Miles Driven: 312,380: Avg. Miles Driven Per Month: 26,032.

2006/2007: Total Gallons: 33,003: Avg. Gallons Per Month: 2,750: Total Miles Driven: 332,111: Avg. Miles Driven Per Month: 27,676.

2007/2008: Total Gallons: 20,233: Avg. Gallons Per Month: 2,530: Total Miles Driven: 198,076: Avg. Miles Driven Per Month: 24,760.

Projected Total Gallons for Fiscal Year 2008-2009: 30,353: Projected Total Miles Driven for Fiscal Year 2008-2009: 297,116.

Now according to Lt. Jay Markella the gas pumps ( I believe he said there are two) at the Police Station is located in the north east corner of the department and is monitored by a camera. I know this to be the case because I saw it being montored when I was in the dispatch area of the police department during the tour of the station as part of the Citizens Police Academy.

Lt. Markella said up to three cameras can monitor the pump if necessary. The gas is old according to Markella but the recording system is adequate. What happens is that the two pumps are on a stand alone system with a gauge. The officer who needs to dispense gas into a police vehicle, marked or unmarked, records what the gauge says and these records are kept on a daily schedule.

Lt. Markella (whom I hope and I really mean this, goes to the pool when I am there because I would love to see this man in a bathing suit–whew), ok, enough of that Cindy!!!, said that the way the monitoring system works is that the system, which he said is very sensitive, has the Officer pulling around to the pump. The Officer must enter the vehicle ID#, the vehicle gas code and the odometer reading which automatically triggers a printout inside police headquarters.

This is something because I swear this sounds like the Madison Wisconsin gas card system I spoke about in front of the Town Council last week. Go to Home Page “Featured Video” to hear my speech on the Municipal Gas Use Policy.

A report is filed and each report has the date, time, amount of gallons pumped, which is then turned into a chart.

Now apparently the department will be using a pump and the system used by the Public Works which involves a plastic key. A number is issued for each key, so if a municipal employee decided to give his key to a non-authorized user, that municipal employee would be charged for the unauthorized use, because his or her key number would show up in the system. All for what it is worth I guess.

Now the Chief also handed out a chart of what looks like the entire CPD fleet: i.e. the marker number, the year make and model the year purchased, what department the vehicle is assigned to, total miles and 2007 miles. THANK YOU!!

A resident had a question: how much does the Town pay for gasoline? Are they exempt from state gasoline tax? Is there a bid waiver? We will find out.

I will scan this in for Wednesday, but I know Tim White will have it on his blog. What a difference a day makes, 24 little hours. Oh, let’s play that song.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A (QUESTION) DAY MAKES!!