Coming up at 5 p.m. Wednesday is a session on the GASB 45 issue related to the idea of taking some money from the city pension funds and using it for the new post-retirement benefits fund that would cover retired employees' health care. It's potentially an explosive issue.
Tomorrow's meeting in the council chambers is aimed at providing everyone who cares with the basic information they need to begin wrestling with the proposal.
On Thursday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m., there will be a joint session of the West Bristol School Building Committee and the City Council, where councilors will likely rescind their approval for the Scalia site for a new school and endorse the purchase of a lot on Matthews Street instead.
That one, too, offers potential for fireworks. We'll see.
*******Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
20 comments:
I am curious to see what amount the union has set aside for OPEB for their retires?
"That one, too, offers potential for fireworks. We'll see'
--Once again Collins sits on the sidelines and in a childish way, mocks us.
---I sure hope the anti-new-school put up a coherent, intelligent argument against this asinine site on Matthews Street.
What is the latest status of the pension fund?
Will klocko let it be known?
Sorry miss spell. Should be retirees not retires.
So the City Council will or could approve the purchase of the Matthews Street school site BEFORE sending the proposal to the Planning Commission for their recommendation and input?
Is the Council and Mayor going to make themselves look like stupid jerks again, like they did over the Scalia site?
Wouldn't it make more sense to refer the proposal to the Planning Commission, first?
The Planning Commission will likely vote on Wednesday night whether to approve the Matthews Street site or not. Most everyone expects that it will be approved this time.
The council session was timed to come after the planning recommendation was in hand.
One difference this time, however, is there appear to be at least five votes for the Matthews Street site an the council, enough to make it so the planning recommendation doesn't have the same weight this time around.
steve,
do you know how the pension investments have fared during this down turn in the market?can you give us an update? thanks.
The last time I asked about the pensions, a few weeks ago, Klocko told me they were down a bit with the rest of the market. They were still well overfunded, however.
I'm sure, though, that we'll get the right-up-to-the-minute numbers at Wednesday's meeting.
I'm planning to be there so I'll have it for you Wednesday night.
Typical asinine answer by Klocko.
EVERYONE knows investments are down, the question is, how much?
And Ward lets him get away with it.
Would be nice if people were informed in time to better understand the impact, and be able to ask meaning ful questions.
I suppose the Council and BOF are in the dark too!
What a mess.
I am not a union worker but it makes me wonder why everyone always piles on the Unions. As an employee, whether private sector or public, isn't it normal to get what you can get from your employer? If the contracts are too rich then I place the blame with the elected officials who have to approve them. They did not have to approve them after all. I will vote accordingly.
Klocko would tell you to the penny what the trusts have if you want to know. Call him.
I'm sure, as I said, that it will be mentioned at the meeting Wednesday.
And nobody's in the dark. It's all readily available information. I just haven't asked specifically what it is lately.
Good Lord, people, this stuff is published in the city's annual reports every year and is probably online in the Pension Board's minutes as well. I haven't looked.
12:55pm, 4:45pm - if both of you can be so quick to assume that you are the only smart ones than ass-u-me really is appropriate for both of you.
Get off your dumb lazy butts on Wednesday night and ask the questions at the public GAS-B 45 meeting - it's early enough that you can get home, have your pablum and diaper changed before being tucked in by mommy dearest.
Email TJ Barnes I think he is the Chairman of the pension board, correct?
I tried and got a song and dance from Klocko.
Seems like he wants an official request.
But then, I don't have the clout of the media.
Ironic that we all want to get as much as we can from the government (our union is in the voting booth), but begrudge the workers from trying to maximize their return.
If you called Klocko, you would get the information. He might not have it hand, but he'll get it for you soon. Why would he keep secret numbers that are made public all the time and will be again tomorrow? He's not stupid.
I did and I didn't!
To the 10/28 12:55 poster. The council was made to look stupid, because all of a sudden, at that particular meeting, Al Weiner stated that planning should be consulted before anything else is done. Well, why didn't he speak up before the meeting? Sounds awfully fishy to me! Apparently politics continues to rear its ugly head!
You want to know why things don't get done? It's because of actions like what Al did. I'm not saying that planning shouldn't be notified. But if you desire to be notified, speak to the council and mayor before the meeting ... not grandstanding during the meeting at the 11th hour and saying you want it done at that time. I personally believe it was a setup and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
How many times have we seen an important project get shot down because someone like Mize says we won't fund it even before it's come anywhere near the finance board? Frank Johnson is another one for spouting off to the Press before it's even gone to zoning. They're all setups. Mize should know that his job is to find the money; not say because he doesn't like it he'll turn it down; and Johnson should keep his opinions to himself, because he is not the only person on zoning. Actually, he and Mize should have been voted out when the council had a chance. They've been on too long and are acting as if they were the mayor! What a shame that our city has to operate this way!
Hey, 3:27 PM
There are no stupid questions or stupid assumptions based on the past proceedures of this local government.
Stop the demeaning personal attacks to the respondents.
is the 11-06 meeting still on?
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