They turn up the heat to keep snow off the roof???

[TheVoiceOfReason]

Originally Posted by garysanfran

How many businesses offer their employees a kitchen?

Maybe Taylor's Family Restaurant would still be around if the Meredith DPW employees supported local eateries.

Silicon Valley has started outlawing employers from giving employees free gourmet lunches with the intent of supporting the local economy.

I don't think it's the Govt.'s responsibility to set eating requirements for employers/employees one-way-or-the-other.

However...Does this not escalate their "high" utility bill further at my expense? I pay my high taxes which I now know includes the cost of the DPW cooking lunch. I pay for my own utilities when I cook my meals.

I know, it doesn't amount to much, but a lot of "not amounting to much" amounts to a lot!

How many times has Meredith used that new expensive fire engine capable of reaching the top stories of high-rise buildings?

I don't even know where to begin here. Almost all workplaces have a small kitchen area (fridge for storing lunches, microwave for heating food, sink for rinsing dishes). It would be entirely reasonable for the Meredith DPW to have the same, especially considering they work long shifts during snowstorms plowing our town roads.

You insinuate that Taylor's Family Restaurant would still be open if the Meredith DPW crews purchased their lunch instead of bringing it in a paper bag. First off, it's not the DPW crew's responsibility to keep a business afloat and secondly, they aren't compensated well enough to spend $10/day on lunch when they can brown bag it for $10/week.

The Meredith DPW is a hard-working, underappreciated crew who deserves to be supported by the town and its residents, not bashed on an online forum for (gasp) requesting an actual building with an actual office and an actual kitchen to prepare lunch in. Heaven forbid your taxes go up $0.01/year so that the guy who plows your road at 3am can heat up his Hot Pocket using a microwave that is supplied by town power.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by TheVoiceOfReason

I don't even know where to begin here. Almost all workplaces have a small kitchen area (fridge for storing lunches, microwave for heating food, sink for rinsing dishes). It would be entirely reasonable for the Meredith DPW to have the same, especially considering they work long shifts during snowstorms plowing our town roads.

You insinuate that Taylor's Family Restaurant would still be open if the Meredith DPW crews purchased their lunch instead of bringing it in a paper bag. First off, it's not the DPW crew's responsibility to keep a business afloat and secondly, they aren't compensated well enough to spend $10/day on lunch when they can brown bag it for $10/week.

The Meredith DPW is a hard-working, underappreciated crew who deserves to be supported by the town and its residents, not bashed on an online forum for (gasp) requesting an actual building with an actual office and an actual kitchen to prepare lunch in. Heaven forbid your taxes go up $0.01/year so that the guy who plows your road at 3am can heat up his Hot Pocket using a microwave that is supplied by town power.

I, for one, think they do a terrific job!

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by TheVoiceOfReason

I don't even know where to begin here. Almost all workplaces have a small kitchen area (fridge for storing lunches, microwave for heating food, sink for rinsing dishes). It would be entirely reasonable for the Meredith DPW to have the same, especially considering they work long shifts during snowstorms plowing our town roads.



You insinuate that Taylor's Family Restaurant would still be open if the Meredith DPW crews purchased their lunch instead of bringing it in a paper bag. First off, it's not the DPW crew's responsibility to keep a business afloat and secondly, they aren't compensated well enough to spend $10/day on lunch when they can brown bag it for $10/week.



The Meredith DPW is a hard-working, underappreciated crew who deserves to be supported by the town and its residents, not bashed on an online forum for (gasp) requesting an actual building with an actual office and an actual kitchen to prepare lunch in. Heaven forbid your taxes go up $0.01/year so that the guy who plows your road at 3am can heat up his Hot Pocket using a microwave that is supplied by town power.

Agreed.

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[garysanfran]

Originally Posted by TheVoiceOfReason

I don't even know where to begin here. Almost all workplaces have a small kitchen area (fridge for storing lunches, microwave for heating food, sink for rinsing dishes). It would be entirely reasonable for the Meredith DPW to have the same, especially considering they work long shifts during snowstorms plowing our town roads.

You insinuate that Taylor's Family Restaurant would still be open if the Meredith DPW crews purchased their lunch instead of bringing it in a paper bag. First off, it's not the DPW crew's responsibility to keep a business afloat and secondly, they aren't compensated well enough to spend $10/day on lunch when they can brown bag it for $10/week.

The Meredith DPW is a hard-working, underappreciated crew who deserves to be supported by the town and its residents, not bashed on an online forum for (gasp) requesting an actual building with an actual office and an actual kitchen to prepare lunch in. Heaven forbid your taxes go up $0.01/year so that the guy who plows your road at 3am can heat up his Hot Pocket using a microwave that is supplied by town power.

I do appreciate the work they do...However, They don't plow my road. I have no town water. No town sewer. No paved road. And I pay the same tax rate as everyone else.

[TheVoiceOfReason]

Originally Posted by garysanfran

I do appreciate the work they do...However, They don't plow my road. I have no town water. No town sewer. No paved road. And I pay the same tax rate as everyone else.

If you have no town water and no town sewer then you have no town water or sewer bills to pay. Even if they don't plow your road they plow the roads to get to your road. I don't have a child in the school system but I don't complain about having to pay taxes to maintain the schools. You pay the same tax rate as everyone else because as a community we share the burden. That's what being part of a community is. And in my community I'd prefer to not have my DPW workers operate out of a substandard facility.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by TheVoiceOfReason

If you have no town water and no town sewer then you have no town water or sewer bills to pay. Even if they don't plow your road they plow the roads to get to your road. I don't have a child in the school system but I don't complain about having to pay taxes to maintain the schools. You pay the same tax rate as everyone else because as a community we share the burden. That's what being part of a community is. And in my community I'd prefer to not have my DPW workers operate out of a substandard facility.

Will you please, please, please stop using common sense?

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[MAXUM]

I got no problem with stuff like to so long as it is done within reason.

As stated in that article 5.6 million is targeted for "hard" expenses IE the demo, site work and new construction. 1.6 million is targeted for "soft costs" listed as "engineering and architecture" work. Now wait a minute here, approximately 1/3 of the cost is devoted to engineering and architecture and even worse that work is being done by an outfit in MA.

I don't understand why the DPW can't go buy some pre-engineered steel buildings and use those, they can be finished off inside, insulated etc.. as needed to provide office space and whatever else is needed - even a kitchen. These are regularly used by various companies, farms and even churches. I got to believe this could be done for a FRACTION of the price stated.

In fact the town could hire FLL as a 1099 consultant (paid a minimum wage of course) to keep the costs down.

[Descant]

In most towns if a proposal is too extravagant, the voters turn it down. Meredith voters are probably having these same conversations. I think it is rare for a DPW to propose a palace, compared to those who run some other functions of government. Sometimes it's just timing. NH built a new courthouse in town in 2009. They expected three bidders and a cost of $7MM. There were 13 bidders and a final cost of about $4MM. Not gonna happen, as they say, "...and in this economy..." .

[Outdoorsman]

Originally Posted by Descant

In most towns if a proposal is too extravagant, the voters turn it down. Meredith voters are probably having these same conversations. I think it is rare for a DPW to propose a palace, compared to those who run some other functions of government. Sometimes it's just timing. NH built a new courthouse in town in 2009. They expected three bidders and a cost of $7MM. There were 13 bidders and a final cost of about $4MM. Not gonna happen, as they say, "...and in this economy..." .

MEREDITH — Resolution of the long-discussed need for better and safer conditions for Department of Public Works employees took a big step forward with the approval of a $7.6 million building plan at Wednesday’s Town Meeting.

The 185-37 ballot vote easily met the two-thirds majority requirement for passage of the article. The plan calls for the replacement of a 7,000-square-foot building with a 12,839-square-foot structure that will allow the crew to maintain town vehicles in a safe environment that also is far more energy-efficient.

https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news...1d8627193.html

[tis]

Originally Posted by Outdoorsman

MEREDITH — Resolution of the long-discussed need for better and safer conditions for Department of Public Works employees took a big step forward with the approval of a $7.6 million building plan at Wednesday’s Town Meeting.

The 185-37 ballot vote easily met the two-thirds majority requirement for passage of the article. The plan calls for the replacement of a 7,000-square-foot building with a 12,839-square-foot structure that will allow the crew to maintain town vehicles in a safe environment that also is far more energy-efficient.

https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news...1d8627193.html

What??? 7.6 million for a Public Works Building?????? And can it be that 187 people voted for it? I must be reading something wrong. Please help!!

[Biggd]

I guess my taxes will be going up again.

[garysanfran]

They can have a kitchen...Viking range, Sub-Zero fridge. I have no vote! Us Out-of-Towners will continue taking care of the locals.

In Meredith, I live on a non-town owned road...No snow removal. No pavement. No maintenance of any kind. No town sewer. No town water. No kids in school. No trash removal. Not a full-time resident. I have to pay for a library card. I go to the transfer station, give the guy my $2 fee and watch him put it in his pocket.

In San Francisco, I pay 1/3 of the property tax I pay in Meredith on a place worth 4 times more. And I just saw the street sweeper go by and later they'll pick-up my trash. Free library card! (I know we have a sales tax, income tax, etc. These are expenses within my control). Don't get me wrong. California is THE example of waste, fraud, nepotism, cronyism and Kamala Harris progressivism. Get rid of those winters and I'm in Meredith full-time. Yesterday I got an unintentional tan after I fell asleep on my deck.

If they allowed guns in SF, you could go to their DPW building and shoot rats. The unions here probably believe making one's own lunch is not part of the job description.

[dpg]

Wait till someone dies and the town pays the family twice the amount of a new garage in a lawsuit then they'll see how expensive a building is.

[tis]

Originally Posted by dpg

Wait till someone dies and the town pays the family twice the amount of a new garage in a lawsuit then they'll see how expensive a building is.

Are you implying that a 7.6 million dollar public works building is going to prevent a lawsuit?

[tis]

dog, is this what you are talking about?

"There are a number of safety risks with the current facility, Warren said, making Meredith “the loss leader in slip-and-fall injuries” because there is no wash bay for the trucks. Instead, employees climb to the top of the vehicles to clean them after sand and salt operations, and the runoff from washing them may contain contaminants that reach nearby Hawkins Brook.

The current facility also lacks truck lifts, so workers making undercarriage repairs to the heavy trucks are working under vehicle jacks."

Surely, they could have built a safe building for less than 7.6 million? I am just shocked by this amount.

Sorry, should have said that is from the L. Sun.

[MAXUM]

What they couldn't buy a couple of these?

https://www.ebay.com/i/142750819242?chn=ps

FREE SHIPPING!!!!!

[dpg]

Originally Posted by tis

dog, is this what you are talking about?

"There are a number of safety risks with the current facility, Warren said, making Meredith “the loss leader in slip-and-fall injuries” because there is no wash bay for the trucks. Instead, employees climb to the top of the vehicles to clean them after sand and salt operations, and the runoff from washing them may contain contaminants that reach nearby Hawkins Brook.

The current facility also lacks truck lifts, so workers making undercarriage repairs to the heavy trucks are working under vehicle jacks."

Surely, they could have built a safe building for less than 7.6 million? I am just shocked by this amount.

Sorry, should have said that is from the L. Sun.

Yes it is...

[MAXUM]

Just to illustrate just how far off the mark that 7.6 million dollar price tag is....

Guarantee you they are not building anything nearly as nice and keep in mind this project was 39,000 SQFT so more than twice the size. Not only that being this was done in Massachusetts you can bet that price is at a premium too. Congratulations to the town of Meredith for an EPIC fail - but who cares the tax payers will just pay for incompetence as usual.


Project Overview
Project Title:HERB CHAMBERS AUDI & PORSCHE DEALERSHIP
Estimated Construction Cost:$5,000,000

Project Location
State:Massachusetts
County:Middlesex
City:Burlington
Address:62 Cambridge St

Project Description:
Auto Dealership Auto Service Bay, Computer, Customer Service, Equipment Storage, Fueling Station, Lobby, Meeting Room, Office[s], Records Storage, Restroom, Sales, Vehicle Parking New 39,020 Sqft Concrete Substructure And Steel Framed Superstructure With A Metal And EIFS Building Envelope. Includes: Concrete Framework, Concrete Flatwork, Concrete Reinforcing, Structural And Misc. Steel, Waterproofing, EPDM Roofing, Insulation, Doors And Hardware, Alluminum Entrances And Storefronts, Gypsum Drywall, Acoustical Ceilings, Flooring And Painting. Fire Protection, Plumbing, HVAC And Electrical.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by garysanfran

They can have a kitchen...Viking range, Sub-Zero fridge. I have no vote! Us Out-of-Towners will continue taking care of the locals.

In Meredith, I live on a non-town owned road...No snow removal. No pavement. No maintenance of any kind. No town sewer. No town water. No kids in school. No trash removal. Not a full-time resident. I have to pay for a library card. I go to the transfer station, give the guy my $2 fee and watch him put it in his pocket.

In San Francisco, I pay 1/3 of the property tax I pay in Meredith on a place worth 4 times more. And I just saw the street sweeper go by and later they'll pick-up my trash. Free library card! (I know we have a sales tax, income tax, etc. These are expenses within my control). Don't get me wrong. California is THE example of waste, fraud, nepotism, cronyism and Kamala Harris progressivism. Get rid of those winters and I'm in Meredith full-time. Yesterday I got an unintentional tan after I fell asleep on my deck.

If they allowed guns in SF, you could go to their DPW building and shoot rats. The unions here probably believe making one's own lunch is not part of the job description.

FYI, you can get 2 dump stickers for your vehicles at the town hall as long as you own a home in Meredith. It's 20 bucks and lasts for 2 years. It also gives you free access to the town boat launches.

[garysanfran]

Originally Posted by Biggd

FYI, you can get 2 dump stickers for your vehicles at the town hall as long as you own a home in Meredith. It's 20 bucks and lasts for 2 years. It also gives you free access to the town boat launches.

I usually arrive in Meredith for two months at a time with a rental car. Getting a yearly doesn't work. The sticker has to be permanently adhered.

[Paugus Bay Resident]

"No town sewer. No town water. No kids in school. No trash removal. Not a full-time resident"

Well, I am a full time resident and the same applies to me But, I chose to live here knowing all that, assume you did too.

[garysanfran]

Originally Posted by Paugus Bay Resident

"No town sewer. No town water. No kids in school. No trash removal. Not a full-time resident"

Well, I am a full time resident and the same applies to me But, I chose to live here knowing all that, assume you did too.

I have complaints about all the great places I spend my time. Why complain about other places?

When my parents died, I did all I could, and maybe more, to keep our Winni place in the family because I love it and can't imagine life without it. The evolution since 1961 has been phenomenal...Makes me wonder what the area will be like in 2100?

[MAXUM]

It will be a unlivable, dry, hot, barren wasteland. The great thing is you only have to wait 12 years to experience this. Isn't that awesome?

[JEEPONLY]

Originally Posted by MAXUM

It will be a unlivable, dry, hot, barren wasteland. The great thing is you only have to wait 12 years to experience this. Isn't that awesome?

Too much New year's Twilight Zone!

[garysanfran]

It took only 185 people to in-debt the entire town for over $7.6 mm?

Just curious as to how many of these pro-voters worked for DPW or were their relatives?

My initial question remains...I think...

These are DPW workers. Their job descriptions include snow removal. With an anticipated $7.6 mm proposed building, I assume they already have the best snow removal equipment Meredith can afford. And lots of shovels and a ladder?

They chose to turn up the heat???

Meredith proves (as do most Governments) ... It's very easy to spend other people's money!

I wonder if Adriana Ocasio-Cortez has ever shoveled snow?

[Seaplane Pilot]

Originally Posted by garysanfran

It took only 185 people to in-debt the entire town for over $7.6 mm?

Just curious as to how many of these pro-voters worked for DPW or were their relatives?

My initial question remains...I think...

These are DPW workers. Their job descriptions include snow removal. With an anticipated $7.6 mm proposed building, I assume they already have the best snow removal equipment Meredith can afford. And lots of shovels and a ladder?

They chose to turn up the heat???

Meredith proves (as do most Governments) ... It's very easy to spend other people's money!

I wonder if Adriana Ocasio-Cortez has ever shoveled snow?

I don’t know about snow, but she sure has shoveled tons of B**L S**T!

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by garysanfran

It took only 185 people to in-debt the entire town for over $7.6 mm?

There are 5849 registered voters in Meredith. I would think that it would take more than 185 people to pass a capital expenditure of $7.6 M to build the DPW building.
Everything is legal, but jeeeeeez 185 people????

[tis]

Originally Posted by Rusty

There are 5849 registered voters in Meredith. I would think that it would take more than 185 people to pass a capital expenditure of $7.6 M to build the DPW building.
Everything is legal, but jeeeeeez 185 people????

That's my thought exactly. It seems hard to believe that only 185 people made a 7.6 million dollar decision for the town of Meredith. With that amount it's hard to believe more people didn't go and vote.