4 replies to this topic

[carpe411]

Here is the city's CIP (Capital Improvement Program) for the budget year 2008-09. They have planned to spend 48.4 million and here are some of the projects. Some of the projects listed below are over the course of the next 6 years. I have left off many of the water, sewer, and street lightning because I view some of those as necessary to maintain streets and roads. These are also funded by utilities taken in. The one's I did list come out of your pocket and are not soley funded by Utilities. This means your tax dollars are going to in my mind very questionable projects. I think it is time we push these out, way out!!!

Empire Ranch Park Site #51 1.55 million
Empire Ranch Park Site #52 1.38 million
Empire Ranch Park Site#53 1.44 million
Nisenan Community Park 2.3 million complete with Lake man-made lake and boat dock.
Parkway Site #44 1.40 million
Willow Hill Resevoir Community Park 811K
Fire Appartus's over the next 6 years 1.63 million
Fire Station #38 Remodel 965K
New Fire Station #39 Empire Ranch 4.13 million
Railroad Block Old Town Folsom 6.3 million
Historic Fire Suppression Sprinkler Retrofit 2.6 million Old Town Folsom
Sutter Street Streetscape Project 9.26 million
Oak Avenue Parkway Extension/US 50 Interchange 52.26 million, OUCH!!!

These are just a few, the total CIP program through the year 2013-2014 will cost you the tax payer 281,377,867 million dollars!

Are you interested now?

Every new Police Officer hired in the past 12 months costs you 150K with benefits there were 8. Each new Firefighter hired in the past 12 months cost you 140K with benefits there were 6. Public Safety makes up 35 Million of the General Fund over 60% of the general fund. All other employees, street, sewer, city hall, library, public works total 15 million and benefits vary depending on position. Most are under 80K with benefits. You do the math! The city needs to cut everywhere, including Public Safety!

Start asking your esteemed council how they can justify all of these positions during extra-ordinary times. Remember nothing is free including Mobile Command Vehicle given to the city's Police Department by the Fed's 500K. That sounds great however is costs roughly 150K per year with support to keep it parked and that is not free. This is another example of the city receiving something, promoting it to council as a can't pass up opportunity only to find out it is a drain on the general fund.

All of the above projects are indeed in some cases funded partially by Grant's, the keyword is PARTIALLY!!! You the tax payer pick up the other tab including reoccurring costs to keep the programs going!!! Nothing is free into perpetuity!!!

[maestro]

[quote name='carpe411' date='Nov 22 2008, 02:01 PM'

You left off one big boondoggle: The so called "clean closure" of parts of the Folsom Corp Yard. To "clean close" about 4 acres of old dumps in the old sewage plant, the city spent about $1M for up front engineering, $2.4 M for the excavation (to Pacific Environmental) of the 4 acres.

It's pretty close to a million per acre for just that little bit.

That's a lot of money from the Solid Waste (Garbage) Enterprise account which has $10.3 M as an annual budget.
Do the business and residential rate payers really get a direct benefit from cleaning 4 acres of the Corp Yard so that the city can proceed with building a four story hotel over there right next to the State Park trail.

That's right! No one is talking about it, but the city wants the entire 20 acres of Corp Yard, right off historic Sutter St. to be usable for "unrestricted" uses.
The intent is a four story hotel next to the State Park.

Yes, your Solid Waste money is going to clean up 4 acres, while the entire Corp Yard has much worse pollution issues, including encroachments onto the State Park.

Oh well, when the city starts putting in the 4 story hotel, someone might notice then. You won't be able to miss a four story building 60 feet from the trail.

[carpe411]

"clean closure" of parts of the Folsom Corp Yard. [/b] To "clean close" about 4 acres of old dumps in the old sewage plant, the city spent about $1M for up front engineering, $2.4 M for the excavation (to Pacific Environmental) of the 4 acres.

It's pretty close to a million per acre for just that little bit.

That's a lot of money from the Solid Waste (Garbage) Enterprise account which has $10.3 M as an annual budget.
Do the business and residential rate payers really get a direct benefit from cleaning 4 acres of the Corp Yard so that the city can proceed with building a four story hotel over there right next to the State Park trail.

That's right! No one is talking about it, but the city wants the entire 20 acres of Corp Yard, right off historic Sutter St. to be usable for "unrestricted" uses.
The intent is a four story hotel next to the State Park.

Yes, your Solid Waste money is going to clean up 4 acres, while the entire Corp Yard has much worse pollution issues, including encroachments onto the State Park.

Oh well, when the city starts putting in the 4 story hotel, someone might notice then. You won't be able to miss a four story building 60 feet from the trail.

Excellent point, your right completely forgot about this one but did not have the exact numbers yet but yes you are correct this project is in full swing.

The main reason it is going forward is your esteemed council and it's questionable political relationship with the Utilities Department. Ask yourself how many times have you seen council or upper management rubbing elbows with developers. I can tell you they are not talking just to be friendly. Its who you know not what you know.

Can you say conflict of interest? Can you say kickback?

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[pet lover]

I would be willing to support the following:
New Fire Station #39 Empire Ranch 4.13 million
Historic Fire Suppression Sprinkler Retrofit 2.6 million Old Town Folsom

(after further explanation)
Fire Appartus's over the next 6 years 1.63 million (if this directly provided safety for Folsom)
Fire Station #38 Remodel 965K (not sure where this is and how old the building is)

[Robert Giacometti]

The building of parks is funded through impact fees developers pay when they build houses or commercial buildings. Also, there is some grant money from time to time that Folsom gets

I don't believe there has been any General Fund money used to build Parks since at least the early 90's.