APRIL 1, 2008

Communication is Key to Good Public Service

By Kathy Konst
Erie County Legislator District 5

Saturday, I held my district's supervisors and mayors meeting. I've been holding these meetings regularly since being elected three years ago and everyone finds them very productive.

Last January, our group requested that I organize a meeting with the new County Executive. So I did, which allowed us to showcase our district and also ask him to share his vision with us. Mr. Collins liked the concept of these meetings so much that he now meets with all Erie County mayors and supervisors as well.

We also set another meeting with Personnel Commissioner John Greenan to address the concerns with regard to Civil Service law and employee matters.

We all agreed that regularly inviting key people to speak to us was a good thing. This way, rather than succumbing to rumor or innuendo, we get the facts right from the source.

So I invited two more guests to attend Saturday. First was Commissioner of Emergency Services Greg Skibitsky, who spoke about the issues surrounding the State Wireless Network. After potentially enormous expense and problems of an 800 MHz system under Mr. Giambra, the new Executive decided to step back from the original program. Greg was able to clear up any misconceptions and reflected a fresh new attitude for his department.

Sheriff Tim Howard also joined us. Most of the towns in my district are patrolled by the Sheriff's Department. Sheriff Tim made it clear that Mr. Collins is not inclined to go to the fee-for-service idea that Giambra was touting for only Sheriff patrolled communities. There are new issues that have surfaced as a result of labor grievances by the Sheriff's PBA over the use of deputies from the Mounted and Marine divisions, and if not resolved, we could unfortunately see the end of some of these important services.

Another topic discussed was the identification of roads and bridges on this year's County's capital projects list. Since my district has the most lane miles in the County, this is of vital importance. We have a way to go towards ensuring that improvements to our infrastructure are made on a regular basis. Maintenance has not been a top priority because of lack of funds. But I believe we need this to ensure safe roads, bridges and buildings.

As Chair of the important Finance, Management and Budget Committee, I've set meetings for the 2008 proposed capital projects to be discussed over the next few weeks. The Legislature must determine an amount that reflects the immediate need for improvements, our contractual obligations and a plan for continued maintenance. Once again, each legislator will be arguing for their district projects.

We legislators understand our mutual dilemmas looking to balance needs, wants and money available. Let's pray that we can strike a balance in a responsible manner this year.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and ideas. For accurate information on County issues, please call my district office at 601-3030.

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