Steve Berry Desires Layoff of Staff

Acting City Manager Steve Berry has made a recommendation to save 270.000 dollars that he Layoff or Terminate particular staff members. Included in this savings plan are Child Care Providers, Maintenance Manager, Planning Secretary. These are individuals who are serving our community and show up to work... it is a matter of cost savings.

Well, how about this... don't make 5 or 6 individuals suffer 100 percent loss of their income. Don't make Children in Day Care receive a higher child staff ratio. Don't reduce the actual services of the Maintenance Department. These jobs are done in Grand Terrace and Serve Grand Terrace Citizens.

On the other hand. Acting City Manager Steve Berry uses City Time to support his Riverside Interests. He has been given a raise recently, and has for some reason found his job so difficult that Former City Manger Tom Schwab who should be on Disability Payments not Staff has been hired back to help Steve Berry and maintain his income level.

What we have here is a City clearly in the service to Tom Schwab and Steve Berry. Asking them to find a way to save money is a farce.

Here is how money could be saved. Cut the Contract Payment to Acting City Manager, and Tom Schwab what ever his title is by 20 percent. Cut all Management Income Payments by 10 percent, Cut out all travel expense to League of California Cities, Cut out Memberships and all out of city expenses for associations and PAC's. Reduce all Stipends to City Council Members by 20 percent. Require actual travel expenses to be logged and accounted for by City Council Members and staff. Reports of meetings attended and people and topic of meeting during travel or the event should be required on trip reports or travel expense accounts.

Cut all staff time spent on planning Halloween Haunt, and other City Parties to zero. Let the Service Clubs and Citizens handle the entertainment. This time should be spent finding grants and funds for the city's long term use in service to the Citizens, or pulling weeds in the pocket park.

Cut all Birthday Gifts, and purchases of Lunches by all Staff Members. Unless there is a Public Meeting, and a trip report of who what where and why the lunch was in service to the citizens and required the expenditure.

Cut all purchases of Automobiles for the Staff use as personal vehicles. Cut all payments of Medical and Life Insurance for City Council Members, and Private Vehicles for Tom Schwab.

This is where I would start making the cuts... Dream on Citizens if you think the duo of Schwab/Berry will suggest making cuts in these areas. It is now clear why Tom is interested in taking on "Finance" when he "Returns" to work. This is where the bones of his management folly are hidden... if we dare to look.

Remember... every time the question of Child Care Center finances came up the Staff always said it pays for itself, money in and money out it is a "wash" as far as the city's finances. So what has changed? Has enrolment gone down? Or do they have a desire to have the Child Care Center found to be in violation of the staff / child ratio and then fall into violations so that it is closed, and turned into a parking lot for Fresh and Easy? One has to wonder when or if there was truth being told here. There are job listings for Sub Teachers and Aids for the Child Care Center... so what is up with that? Hire to Fire?

Only Council Member Miller is asking for an alternative... Other Council Members are "Trusting" Steve Berry to make the recommendations on who to Layoff.. or where the axe will fall. Notice his toes were clear of being amputated. Trust... no... not unless the other cuts come first, will I ever trust that it was required to terminate, layoff, fire people to "Save" money.