Below is the DeKalb Fire Department Wage Schedule for the current fiscal year. Click on either page for a larger version, and once more to really zoom in. After you’ve had a skim, make the jump to see how things work out in real life.
Building Blocks of Great Organizations
From the “A VC Blog” (my emphasis): Companies are not people. But they are comprised of people. And the people side of the business is harder and way more complicated than building a product is. You have to start with culture, values, and a committment to creating a fantastic workplace. You can’t fake these things.…
“Red Tails” Opens Friday, January 20th
When the movie “Malcolm X” came out a few years ago, movie theaters in DeKalb did not show it. Only after some complaints did a theater then show it, while the NIU students were on spring break. Pathetic. “Red Tails” opens this Friday. There should be *zero* controversy and I better not have to drive…
DeKalb’s City Manager’s Spending Authoritah
[Updated significantly about 7:55 a.m.] Municipal Code, Chapter 54, Financial Administration (my emphasis): The City Manager or his designee shall have the authority to enter into contracts for the purchase of goods and materials, the provision of contractual or professional services, and the construction of public improvements authorized by the approved annual budget in the…
New Contract with DeKalb Firefighters Contains Provision for Automatic Renewals
DeKalb City Council re-did the whole police station discussion last year because the members didn’t want an old council to dictate decisions to the new one. Apparently it’s quite all right to run a labor contract with its firefighters into 2014, though — and maybe even into eternity, as with the city manager’s contract. Check…
DeKalb Library Land Purchase is Complete
The DeKalb Public Library closed yesterday on its purchase of land for expansion from Castle Bank, trustee under Trust Agreement #2222 and the sole beneficiary of the land trust, developer Steve Irving. The purchase price is $1,450,000 plus $25,000 for each month/part of month beyond the original target closing date of October 1, 2011, according…
Who & What Sparked the Sparland Investigation
In “Sparland Officials Resign Amid Investigations, Controversy” we learned that most of the officials of the Village of Sparland resigned in December and that it had to do with investigations into possible Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act violations. But we were missing something. [Resident Margaret] Murry asked for records that included meeting…
Municipal Electrical Aggregation & You
An organization I belong to has hundreds of members. During a recent general membership meeting, one of them stood up and pitched the idea that the group should be selling his brand of electricity to the rest of us as a fundraiser. The board of directors asked him to confirm whether his is a multi-level…
Discussion of Unsustainable State Pensions
Prairie State Blue: The Problem with Pensions: Defined benefit plans are not inherently unsustainable. They made sense and were solvent when salaries were lower, payout levels were lower, employees retired later and died earlier. With higher salaries and especially stepped-up pay schedules, earlier retirements, increased longevity, and payouts of up to 75% or higher on…
Sparland Officials Resign Amid Investigations, Controversy
The (Peoria) Journal-Star reports that five elected officials of the central Illinois community of Sparland have resigned this month. The departing officials are Mayor Linda Medearis, Village Clerk Susan Persinger, Treasurer Margo Danger-Smith, and trustees Louis Lenz and Ralph McCasky. All have recently submitted notarized letters of resignation. […] The resignations come in the wake…