Ryan and Junad,

The unions will fight to keep the jobs. As with many public service jobs, the real payoff is the defined benefit pension. You do not find that in other types of jobs other than federal, state, municipal and teaching. If you think that social security is a time bomb, then the obligation under these pensions is a nuke. San Diego is already bankrupt and has discovered the nasty truth, there is no PBGC to hand these pensions off. It is the citizens who have to make it whole. Do we really have a good handle on what the city pension funding status is. Now? 5, 10 years from now?

Just checking...but I would assume a lot of people are not worried because they know the TIF's will start to pay off soon?

Good news. We went for our flu shots at Levy this morning and I was impressed by the ordered and efficient handling of a very large number of people. My compliments to those who planned and executed the event.

Bad news. My rant about pension obligations was reinforced by the article in this morning's Tribune. It is worse than I thought. Gov. BlowDry avoids the issue. If the state (and local units) don't get them under control, their bond ratings will sink.

Hold on to your wallet.

Ann, is there a proposal for staffing and managing the funding from the increased transfer tax?

/m6197 from the head of our forestry department.

Alderman Rainey,

None of the new trees we are currently planting will ever duplicate the “green cathedral” that Mr. Kettelkamp mentions, as the habit of the American Elm is quite unique. While most of the trees will eventually create a canopy that extends over the entire street, each species’ unique habit will make this overall canopy much different than what people remember. This is especially true now that we are planting multiple species on any given block, rather than the continuous row after row of the same species.

The new trees that are planted on the parkways have been grown to certain specifications at the nurseries. Part of these specifications requires that the individual tree species be “limbed up” to a certain height relative to the diameter of the trunk. Each species is a little different, and different species require differing heights, based on the growth habit of the species itself. Once the tree is planted, new growth can take 2 to 3 years to really begin, as newly transplanted trees will put forth most of their effort in replacing the roots that were lost when it was dug from the nursery. During this initial 2 to 3 year period, little or no training is necessary on the majority of trees.

When our crews are trimming in a specific area, all the trees are given attention, and this includes the newly planted trees as well as the mature trees.

The limbing up of new trees is best accomplished over time, as the overall canopy grows upward. In order to eliminate side branching to a height of 15 to 20 feet, it may take that same number of years before there is enough growth above that height to support further growth of the tree. Since our trimming cycle is currently at 6 to 7 years, we believe that we can address the training of the new trees sufficiently within this time frame.

While I am not against accepting volunteer help, the idea of neighborhood “tree-keepers” would take some work to implement and monitor. Some further discussion would be necessary before a decision could be made to proceed.

As for the new trees planted along McCormick, there are no ornamental types planted along the actual corridor of the street. There are 3 ornamental varieties planted within the Arboretum itself, but these are well off the street. There are 11 new varieties of trees that have been planted along what could be considered the parkway, directly adjacent to the roadway, and these are all shade trees. These trees are all under warranty for a period of one year, which means the contractor that planted them will replace them if they do not survive. Shading of the community gardens was a possibility before this project, as there were several Ash trees already in this area before construction began. We have only replaced trees that were removed from this section, and the new trees all have a slower growth rate than the Ash trees that were removed.

 

Paul

Ann - Thanks for following up with Paul on the issue of street trees. It's interesting that I've been doing this for 17 years and it's rare that you get the same response out of any two arborists.

Trees in nurseries are sold by the diameter of their trunks and nurserymen have found that they can get a tree to thicken up more quickly if they leave it branched low. Yet again....econonmics come into play here.

I'll contact Paul directly about the isues that I see in our neighborhood in particular.

I think he has a few years on you. Additionally, Paul has planted many many thousands of trees.

I do not recall as many trees in front of the community garden as where now planted. It appears to me they may have died over the years and were not replaced.

I also have to wonder as to what are the so called 11 new varieties of trees. Over the years the city has planted a number of trees on the parkway in the nieghborhood that have died. So I am not too impressed with the selection process.

Ryan the building department is not just the people you are dealing with there are other positions and inspectors who I think may not be so necessary.

I feel like Vito nothing is going to change here - at the end of the budget cycle you will just see a big tax increase the same that happens every year.

If people "feel like nothing is going to change here", then nothing will. I saw Lionel Jean Baptiste's comment in the Roundtable this morning...it implied that we should get rid of the Public Health department but make sure that the hospitals hire the people that we let go.

I have no problem with the City forwarding the resume's of the people who are terminated in the Public Health department to the hospitals. I even think that they could accompany letters of recommendation from their supervisor's or from patients that they have served if they are deserving. But it's up to the hospital to decide if they need additional staff in the event that we roll this public service over to them...we can't mandate that they pick up these people.

Paul D'Agostino and his department do a beautiful job planting trees and encouraging a wide variety of trees to be planted throughout our city. He also has been of tremendous help to me personally and professionally as regards our public forest. In my career I always find it useful to receive feedback from my peers about the work that I'm doing...it never hurts to occasionally have to explain why you do what you do and how you do it.

Ryan - your point is well taken - the council wants the hospitals to hire thier employees? this is interesting - if the city workers are qualified the hospital will hire them - Bottom line the City Health department is hardly the jewel the council wants us all to belief it is.

I think we need to have the hospitals and other non-interested parties review the entire operation and then decide what to do with it. If we have council members it will be nothing but the usually politics and will end up cost us more in taxes! Remember what they did with the elm trees!

By the way I am not against the city providing some limited funding for community health - but it appears to me what has happened over the years they get small grants then the hire people and there is no cost justificaiton for the employees. Also their is a duplication of services let people go to cook county to get the services.

Last year I pointed out the health department was not following the law since it was using racial guide lines to pass out PSA testing - they have since changed this practice - but I see not great value in the entire program - they started this because they got a state grant. They are providing incomplete testing by the way. Here again this service could be quickly privatize since all the city was doing is drawing blood. Why do we need to pay a city employee $50,000 a year to draw blood and give shots?

Junad - In order to be fair I believe it is important to say, "some on the council want....". I get uncomfortable lumping all aldermen into one collective pot.

I love it when total strangers tell me they read the message board but now I am very concerned with some of the things Junad is writing.

Junad, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about and I might have to start reviewing posts of yours before they are published. I have been involved in the discussions with the hospitals. Your comments about the hospitals are useless. You have no idea what you are talking about.

You don't accept factual information when posted and when you have no information you simply think up stuff and in your twisted negative way, you post it here.

I have always fought for your right to post your opinions here. On the other hand the junk you make up is no longer welcomed. This board is to inform and help me and others.

If you continue to be unable to act responsibly and respectfully, I will start monitoring your posts.














http://evanstonnow.com/blog/23

Ann - OK - I will wait until after the budget hearing is done to say any more on the Hospital / Health department issue on this board. You must remember I have been to alot of budget hearings over the years and seen the end results every year. I am sorry I can not be optimistic.

Remember the time at council you jokingly put your hands over my ears when we were talking to the fire chief. Sometimes facts and what is going on come together.

I hope to see you at the next budget session.

This is ment to be read in humor:

1) Can we all stipulate that Junad has been to a budget hearing, so he doesn't have to type that sentence into every posting he has?

2) Junad, when you say you cannot be optimistic, is that a condition or a medical anomaly? Can we all also stipulate the Junad will not be optimistic? (about anything).

Jason,

Junad and his mascot, the stuffed pig, symbolic of Evanston budgets, have been to many a budget hearing and Council meeting. It is obvious that you have missed this.

As far as optimism, after 41 years as a resident and taxpayer, I can attest that the Evanston budget is a fiscal anomaly. The pension shortfalls are about to fester when the new accounting rules come in.