July 13, 2009

City Clerk Rushford

Finally had a chance to flip through the papers yesterday, let me make a few comments about the story on the City Clerk.

First of all I see no better arguement for the ridiculousness of the comment section of the on-line section of the Telegram then this. I have said this before I will not read these comments, but I could not help but notice 107 comments. I can predict what is being said anonymously without reading, so why bother. Until the Telegram forces a forces a person to register and uses the same policy as they do with the letters to the editor, I will not read any of these comments.

Second, the City Clerk's office is one of the best offices run in the City of Worcester. The information that they have on-line should be an example to other departments. I can not tell you how many times that I have accessesed the agendas or archives of the City Council meetings and public agency meeetings. Not to mention how many times I have e-mailed the City Clerk a question looking for this or that and he gets back to me quickly with accurate concise answers.

Third, the extra money he earns. If the City Clerk was not doing his job then I would definately have a problem with this. That said, I do feel the City of Worcester should get a portion of each fee when it is done in City Hall; for example, if the fee is $100 then $25 should go to the City of Worcester and $75 to the Justice of Peace who performs the ceremony.

In closing we need more public servants then Dave Rushford, not less.

7 comments:

Jahn said...

Bill, you're off the reservation on this one. Without regard to how well Mr Rushford performs his tasks as city clerk, these mariage ceremonies s/b 100% detached from anything to do with the position of Clerk of city of Worcester. Take it off city property and off the city clock and then I'll be happy.

What if I am a "private" justice of the peace and I see marriages being performed by the clerk who is on th einside track that could be potential money in my pocket and not in the pocket of the "connected, well plugged in" city clerk.

This is like well funded and well connected community dev'ment corps stomping all over the turf of local builders b/c they got the political juice and the inside track.

I was over on Charlotte St yesterday......which street leads right up to the Clark Univ campus. The street is being comleptely re-done including not only new pavement but also new concrete side walks and even the old granite curbing is being re-set......rarely do we see granite curbing being re-set in conjuncttion with a city street paving project.

ANyone care to guess where all this work comes to an abrupt end???............yup right when all the infrastructure rebuilding work reaches the Clark Univ campus........it ends.......nice to be pluggged in to the city such that you can have a brand new driveway to your urban campus completely re-built by the city....when other streets and sidewalks go begging for years.

This favortism for Clark Univisity is gross and s/b fully investigated. Other streets are crumbling. Charlotte St was not in that bad of condition.

Bill Randell said...

Jahn:

Per usual you make some good points. By the way, you are not me and you did not attend the Jazz Festival. Many people asked if you were there....

I think the City Clerk's office should have a list of justice of the peaces, maybe they do, who will perform the ceremony right City Hall along with their corresponding price. For example, you could charge 50 per ceremony.
My point is that there should be a kick back to the City of Worcester whenever anyone uses a facility like City Hall to make some money..

What confuses me is didn't Gary Rosen just kicked out of City Hall recently when he wanted to announce his candidacy for Mayor there?? You can get married in City Hall but you can not announce your desire to run for Mayor there....

If Jahn, the City Clerk or anyone else want to perform a marriage at City Hall, fine by me. It is a public building but come up with some flat rate or percentage of the fee that goes back to the house.

Bill

Jahn said...

I think the best way to solve this no weddings in City Hall at all. Case closed. Just think If Harry and Pualie want to get married and they want to bring in their own justice of the peace Would the city clerk host this as well. I tend to think he'd be seeing this as stepping on his turf? Then suppose they want to have a wedding gatehring afterwards complete with relatives, friends, guests, and cases of Jahngamiester.

If I am local Worcester JP I am going to ask, No I am going to DEMAND, to use the newly refurbished "Wedding Room" in city hall to wed my customers. This should put an end to wedding ceremonies in city hall. I cannot think of one reason they shouldnt be able to do their weddings in wedding room

No way should the "wedding permit granting authority" (city clerk) be the one also doing the job (wedding ceremony) ESPECIALLY on "permit granting authority property" namely City Hall)

I have done some small business with the clerks office over the years and been treated well and Mr Rushford even works the counter when the lines back up. Congenial, professional, & friendly is how I would describe him and his staff. But this is not the issue. He should remove himself from even any appearance of impropriety. BTW there is no impropriety here, it is all legit.

Imagine if the city DPW had the authority to grant drain laying licenses in house and becasue Mr Moylan is a state certified Professional engineer he is allowed to "perform the testing" that goes with drain laying license & for $100 fee the test can be taken on site and Mr Moylan gets to pocket the $100.

Sorry, I couldnt make it to Paulie-Fest II. I was not there, but I admire the initiative that you guys took and I am sure Pualie has clocked a huge amt of non compensated hours putting thsi shindig together. From what I read and pics I saw the place was packed.........if thsi thing takes off it's going to have to be moved to larger accomodations which is unfortunate b/c the intent is to put Piedmont Vilallge on the map in a good way. I wondered to myself if this could be coordianted withe summer nationals to draw in an even larger crowd...or Maybe 4th July weekend isnt teh bes ttime for one of these events.................paulie prob knows best.

Paulie's Point of View said...

"Sorry, I couldnt make it to Paulie-Fest II. I was not there, but I admire the initiative that you guys took and I am sure Pualie has clocked a huge amt of non compensated hours putting thsi shindig together. From what I read and pics I saw the place was packed.........if thsi thing takes off it's going to have to be moved to larger accomodations which is unfortunate b/c the intent is to put Piedmont Vilallge on the map in a good way. I wondered to myself if this could be coordianted withe summer nationals to draw in an even larger crowd...or Maybe 4th July weekend isnt teh bes ttime for one of these events.................paulie prob knows best."

>>It's got legs Senor Jahn..that was a lot of folks for WooTown paying to get in and then they spent when they got there....

Enlarging the festival is something I need to really think about for awhile..any enlargement will be within The Village of Piedmont...I would not want to work with another promoter especially the Summer Nationals..to much baggage there mate.

This was a very small event for me...it broke even and I am happy with this...any enlargement would have to ensure this again with the possibility for it being profitable down the line...my events make money outside the city and I will expect the same of this over a period of time.

Very satisfying event for me..worked with lots of great folks...attracted a lot of nuevo folks to the city in the summer and we raised a ton of dough for a very worthwhile cause..

Jahn said...

Paulie, I have $100 that says a year from now the illegally overgrown, weed infested site owned by Worc Common Grd on Mason St will still be vacant.......and could easily accomodate many people............and I am sure a fellow memeber of the Chandler St bizz group (Worc Common Grd)I am sure would hand it over for $1.00 pre day rent........just a thought

Again kudos and a few Atta Boys for your tireless work & effort in this endeavor.

Paulie's Point of View said...

do yah think Steve Patton would want that lot looking like that across from his house? ...or anyone for that matter??

I am going to make mention of it at the next Chandler Street Business Association meeting

jahn said...

Paulie read WGC's mission statement, objectives, etc on their website....then drive by Mason St site...........they talk the talk but they dont walk the walk..........shameless