From today's Telegram by Clive McFarlane:
The Worcester airport has not only been grounded for a while but has also been a big drain on the city’s finances. The airport’s total budget is $3.8 million, of which approximately $1.3 million represents current salaries. So, OK, a chief accountant for the airport who makes more than $60,000 a year might be a necessary position, although given the scaled-down activities of that operation, you would think that those duties could temporarily be transferred to the able people working in the city Finance Department.
The airport maintenance supervisor of operations, who makes over 56 grand a year, and three airport maintenance people, who make a combined $112,000 a year, are maybe necessary to keep things in relatively good shape until we are able to sell the airport. But what exactly are we getting in return for paying $85,000 a year for an airport liaison?
And while I am thankful that the city decided not to fund the positions of three airport parking lot attendants this year, is there really a need for five security guards and crash crewmen, making a combined $231,709 a year and being supervised by a principal security guard and crash crewman making $63,099 a year?
WRRB/Telegram District City Council Forum 10/18
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This forum is for all district council candidates; all candidates are here
today. Format: 14 total questions, 4 questions across districts (for all
candida...
6 months ago
13 comments:
The FAA requires ARFF (airport firefighter/rescue/crash ops) coverage at most airports (FAA Part 139), so the crash crewmen/security personnel are probably there because of this requirement. Given that there are only five plus one supervisor, ORH is probably just meeting the minimums.
Lose the ARFF personnel and the airport will face fines or lose its certification (and any hope of attracting service).
Interesting thoughts about the admin personnel, though.
The FAA requires ARFF fifteen minutes before and after each scheduled flight.
McFarlane shouldn't speak about necessary and unnecessary jobs. His position at the T&G is a waste of money, I don't think he has ever printed anything of signifigance, he just bashes everyone else.
William
From the Federal Aviation Regulations, Part 139:
§139.3 Definitions.
The following are definitions of terms as used in this part:
Air carrier operation means the takeoff or landing of an air carrier aircraft and includes the period of time from 15 minutes before and until 15 minutes after the takeoff or landing.
§139.319 Aircraft rescue and firefighting: Operational requirements.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, each certificate holder shall provide on the airport, during air carrier operations at the airport, at least the rescue and firefighting capability specified for the Index required by §139.317.
Where's the city council on this unfunded mandate?
I continually say that with state & fed'l monies that come to the city that in the long run it aint worth it b/c of these unfunded mandates. Low income housing is a classic example....jam 10 dwelling units on a lot meant for 2 or 3 units and you end up breaking the school system b/c the taxes realized from all the kids that come into the school system from this densly dev'ed housing comes no where near enough money to cover the costs, plus theres all the other costs that come with add'l low income households in the city.
I have beefed on here before about why we need a liason and a director and an accountant up there. A 60,000 accountant actually ends up costing us $80,000after health insurance & pension. These is no way you need a full time accountant for a $2 million business.........at best a full time bookkeeper would suffice......likewise for the liason.............a liason between who or what???
Why cant the firemen/rescue/crash guys do the security as well......I mean christ almighty.........how many times in a year does this crew have to spring into action.......let's do this.......have fire/resscue do teh security and if they have to perform fire/rescue ops....then just call teh city cops to watchover the airport while they put out the fire or tend to the bruised kneees.
Talk about feather bedding ..........council will never touch this b/c ther're are scared silly of the city labor vote and this would put people out of work as well awake some who maybe sleeping on duty.
gotta run.....time to pay the end of month bills including my property taxes....................does any one who works for the city have a real job .....CHRIST !............city TRASH Haulers working 4-1/2 hours a day yet teh waste management guys are out there 8-9 hours a day ...time for Moylan to give up this fiefdom and farmm it out
Jahn, they do both jobs. Thier title is security guard/crash crewman, although they are actually sworn police officers. They don't have separate departments. They drive around in the explorer police cruisers and if there is an emergency, they go back and get the fire truck. I met the Chief there a few times, he's a decent guy.
Billy
How many warm bodies do we need at one time driving around and exploring the airport site for bad guys and wild animals?
Jahn;
Seeing as how there are only 6 guys to cover 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week 365 days a year, I would say that they are running at bare minimum as is.
Billy
Billy, there's 168 hrs in a week, divided by 5.5 employees = 30 hours per week per employee on average. Assuming each employee works 40 hrs+ per week......that s/b plenty of coverage.....even 2 guards at many times.
I use 5.5 employees and not 6 b/c if each employees gets 4 or 5 weeks vacation per yr then you have to factor that in. Then there are the so called sick days, too..on average 10 by city employee
I dont mean to pick on the guards in particular, but I am tired of my tax $$$ being flushed away at the airport, as well as otheres places the city just wastes money.
We can hire a private security service for less money. Likewise for custodial services up there. Likewise for liason and accounting services, too.
Billy is right.Not only is the chief probably a decent guy but they're all decent to be able to take on such an important job.
It may just be a movie but if a scenerio like "Die Hard 2" happens at Worcester we need trained personnel to take care of the situation.
On a less drastic note , we need to keep them to attract airlines not just for certification requirements but to also be a law enforcement presence to make sure regulations are followed, to stave off criminals and drugs dealers that would use an airport for illicit means, and be a magnet of justice for anyone to go to in times of trouble.
Also ,I'll bet many have served our country and deserve job security in exchange for performing a demanding and streesful job.
Joe
guys:
I do not think Jahn, or me for that matter, are questioning the firemen/security guards/janitors etc. I would bet that they work very hard and do a great job.
The problem is that we have an airport that is not being managed correctly and not living up to the potential and is losing lots of money. As a result the tax-payers become frustrated.
Basically is this was a football team that went 0-16, you would fire the coach and his staff not all the players. Problem is in gov't the coach and stafff never get fired and us tax-payers take it out on the players who are being mismanaged.
Bill Randell (not to be confused with the other Bill who left posts above)
Folks, I dont doubt that your booss is a nice guy........or that maybe even you are nice guys....however, this isnt the issue....
there are lotsa nice guys laboring down at St Gobain, digging ditches on a road crew, or delivering packages to our homes every day...........but these guys all work for private companies who dont have the luxury of losing money year, after year, after year....and b/c the companies they work for cannot continually lose money, it is incumbent upon them as employees, as well as their managers & bosses to be bottomline oriented...............
these businesses and their employees pay taxes to the city and state and feds...some of which taxes are funneled to the airport..............these busiensses & employees are the citys customers.........yet we have little or no say as to how the city spends (and often wastes) the money that we are forced to pay............we cannot "SHOP" anywhere else....we are beholden the the city monoploy.....be it trash collection, school custodail services or security guards.
and the problem is the city monopoly all too often operates very inefficiently and at times ineffectively,...and teh airport is a classic example of how not to run a business (or a monoply)................BTW the airport is considered an city enterprise believe it or not.............and this loss has gone on now for the better part of a decade (?) or more
would any of you run your household like this?....NO, b/c your household would outta business in 12 to 18 months.....would any of you like to be forced to subsidize my household for 10+ yrs if I was continually running a huge operating deficit and have littel or no say in how I spend money foolishly ......and then you drive by house and see my 3 ton SUV with $5,000 rims on it .....you'd say WTF!!!!!....right?? and I wouldnt blame you
An aside here......I had to travel to paxton today ............and as I came up Pleasant st to Airport Dr.........I could nt help but be confused by the signaage up there........teh large overhead sign about 100 yrs away from airport rotary seemed to be pointing in 2 diff directions.....and the mounted sign saying James OBrien Field had no arrow on it pointing toward the airport......... also how do the uninitiated know that Obrien field is also Worc. airport?
Next time you guys drive to Tatanuck Dunkn Donuts (just kidding!) take a look at the signs as you come back pleasant st............did I miss something or would a stranger to airport hill have to do a double take to try and figure out that u have to turn left at the airport roatry.........some one please check me on my observations.....b/c maybe I wasnt seeing too well
Die Hard 2!!!!!!!
I doubt there are any John Mclain's at Worcester
Mark M
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