Wasterwater proposal and change

http://muskogeephoenix.com/local/x1248735535/Wastewater-proposal-not-sitting-well-with-some

Muskogee Public Works Director Mike Stewart said a private contractor has approached the city about providing management services for the plant. (Operative word is "management," not replacing the 28 city employees with private company employees.)

Change comes extremely hard to Muskogee--city charter, Greater Muskogee Development, election campaign finance reform, ward voting, still no strategic plan for Muskogee, lack of true community involvement in city planning (a future blog article), ad naseum.

Note Mayor Hammons comment that, "City employees must be given the opportunity to improve services."  Well, Mr. Mayor, they've had no incentives to improve services until now. Nothing like like free enterprise to get the competitive juices flowing, huh? 

Councilman Lucky asked, "Do we not have that type of knowledge to run (the wastewater plant) properly."  Well, obviously we do because the city has been operating it for years.  But that's not the issue. The issue is how more efficiently can the wastewater plant be operated.  And if city employees/management is not motivated to improve efficiencies  by free market challengers, then there's no reason to do so.  Remember the city is working on reducing a $1.8 million budget deficit.

The union is opposed because that's the job of the union--oppose anything that may change the status quo. 

And City Attorney John Vincent, according to the Phoenix, said that once the city receives "request for porposals" from interested outside entities, the city must go to employees and say, "This is ther bid price, what can you do." 

I think that's a fair question; and should management of the city's wastewater treatment plant come under a private contractor, that should be an incentive for other city workers to increase the efficiencies of their departments or face private management challenging their status quo.
The Muskogee Public Works Committee voted 7-2 to solicit "statements of qualification" from firms that could management the facility.  Councilmen Kenny Payne and Jackie Luckey voted against the motion.  The vote is subject to City Council approval.  We'll see if efficiency wins over "tradion." 

It really is time to drag Muskogee kicking and screaming into the 21st century of city management. Nobody likes change because it threatens their way of life, their power, their structure, their influence.  Could that be the reason Muskogee has been stagnant for years?   Hopefully the city council will vote to allow private management of the wastewater treatment plant thereby cracking open a sliver of hope that Muskogee has a future of growth and prosperity.