Was that so hard?
 Yesterday's post was dubbed my "angry old man post" by one of my faithful readers. She was teasing me about the topic of noisy trash trucks waking up the neighbors. I have to admit it did sound kind of cranky. OMG I am becoming my father!I had grown frustrated with Deffenbaugh. Not the driver mind you, but their management. Something told me the driver of the route in question wasn't knowingly breaking the law, he just wasn't getting the message. I refused to believe some hard working guy driving a trash truck at 6:30AM was deliberately thumbing his nose at the neighborhood. I was right. This morning I was waiting at the entrance to the alleyway at 6AM. It was a little earlier than I'm used to being out but it was a nice chance to park my Trailblazer with my big campaign signs on it at the busy intersection of 63rd and Wornall. Gotta get my name out there! The Deffenbaugh truck arrived at 6:40AM. I hailed the driver and politely asked him if he had been contacted by his management about the 7AM ordinance in Kansas City. As I suspected it was the first he had heard of it. He was very sincere and apologetic. I asked him if he would like for me to talk to his management in case they were going to cause any trouble for him. He said it was his route and he would take care of it. Ownership of the problem and personal responsibility. How about that? This whole affair was an academic exercise for me. I wanted to find out, front to back how our problem solving system works in Kansas City. My answer? It doesn't. The neighborhood contacted the property management who contacted the waste disposal company. Nothing. The neighborhood contacted the City. Nothing. We definitely have some opportunities for improvement in delivering these "basic city services" that candidates love to blather about. This problem was solved by bypassing all the bureaucracy and going straight to the source. Why is that so hard? That's something I intend find out. Oh, and by the way. This was a unique experiment. An information gathering project on my part. Don't think for one second that as your councilman I'm going to be chasing garbage trucks at 6AM for all my constituents! |
Comments on "Was that so hard?"
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hip critic said ... (10:37 AM) :
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Michelled said ... (11:14 AM) :
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hip critic said ... (11:35 AM) :
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Michelled said ... (1:16 PM) :
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Michelled said ... (1:43 PM) :
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Miss Spider said ... (2:42 PM) :
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hip critic said ... (12:18 AM) :
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Anonymous said ... (7:15 AM) :
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Mark said ... (8:15 AM) :
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hip critic said ... (9:47 AM) :
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Mark said ... (10:05 AM) :
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hip critic said ... (12:07 PM) :
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Brent said ... (5:22 PM) :
post a commentI believe you evaded the very message of your entire post. You were onto something in the very beginning and drifted aimlessly from that point.
I will break it down for you Mark. Since there is a code or ordinance and the Police have taken a sworn oath to uphold the laws of this land (e.g. Local, state, federal, they are to do so. In other words, if its a Missouri law to have plates on your car. Its KCPD's job to enforce it. If its a local ordinance that says you cant loiter and you have loiterers, it's because PD refuses to pick them up. If there's a car blasting down the street with 10,000 watt subwoofers and the Police are sitting right beside them picking their noses; they shouldn't be. We have a noise ordinance.
The bottom line is on Saturdays I am awakened sometime between 4a.m. and 6 a.m. for chicken delivery next door. From 10pm the night before until 4am I am awakened by the loudass speaker that says OUR HOURS ARE 10am -9PM everytime someone strolls through KFC looking for some pussy on the avenue. I've asked them to turn it down or off at night. They will not. I have called 311. Nothing.
On Tuesdays and Fridays Defenbaugh picks up 528 Benton Blvd between 4-5am. On Tuesdays or Wednesdays the compressed air guy delivers something to KFC that lets out a half-hour long SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS before 7am. In short, people don't observe laws anymore. Unfortunately, nobody holds them accountable either.
The best you could hope for is someone smashes their windows out a couple of times and they go back to sleep. After returning to the shop a couple of times minus the windshield in their truck they get the idea. After calling the Police a couple of times to report this and hearing the same recording we hear when calling to complain they get the idea.
As for the "it's not the drivers fault, he didn't know" argument. Bullshit. Ignorance of the law is no defense. AND KCPD=shitheads, btw. Any argument following that line of reasoning would be acceptable.
KCPD isn't the problem. It's poverty + our legal system + crappy education = chaos. Not that any of this has to do with Mark's Angry Old Man post.
If you are having problems with someone due to excessive noises and the Police refuse to address it; it's your problem for sure.
Contrarily, if you have a problem getting KCPD to enforce it; write the U.S. Justice Department. If you have any problems concerning KCPD, write the U.S. Justice Department.
They are currently interested in things like this; especially in Kansas City. They have a file opened for our great city and the derelicts failing to serve us. I know this for sure.
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Michelle--
KCPD is one problem here. Don't you read? They were voted 25th worst of 25 metroplitan cities AND have a Berkshire Study claiming we are several years from an exemplary department. How can you say PD is not the problem?
Man Hip Critic, you’re a hater. If I didn’t read I wouldn’t have gotten through your rambling, profanity laced post. If the KCPD picked up every person for every relatively minor violation they encountered there 1) would be a waiting line wrapped around the police station. 2)While the cops were waiting in line to get folks booked on loitering, the drug dealers and worse would be out having a field day. 3) After all that hubbub the person would be immediately released anyway. 4) If they did go to jail they'd have to release another criminal to make room. 6) The cops aren’t the ones picking up trash at 6:15am 7) What does any of this have to do with the post? We’re talking about city services and the KCPD is run by a state appointed board of commissioners.
I can read by apparently can't count.
There must be an acceptable place in this world for ranting lunatics!
We're talking about ordinances Michele. Ordinances are enforced by somebody Michele. Some ordinances are enforced by KCPD (or should be and aren't). The trash trucks at 4:00am are one of many who are not given tickets by PD and could be. Thats all Michele. Are you with us now?
Here’s how the early collection problem is solved without blocking access to the dumpster and risking a confrontation with the driver. Who, of course, is going to beg ignorance.
A conversation with the director of Environmental Services is all that's needed to stop these early collections. As the city is Deffenbaugh's largest client, they are responsive to the director's concerns. It works every time.
Here's the issue with calling the police. IF the police respond to a noise disturbance - there are certain criteria which must be met in order for the noise to be deemed a violation of the noise ordinance. One of those criteria specifies a distance from which the noise can be heard at a certain decibel level. The only way to measure this noise with any degree of accuracy - (especially necessary if lawyers are involved) is to use a decibel meter and the noise must be ongoing. The police do not have such equipment, nor are they interested in purchasing these meters for each police vehicle.
Enforcement of the noise ordinance is the responsibility of the Health Department. This department has decibel meters, but work regular business hours.
As we continue to build out the urban core, early morning construction work is also irritating to those still sleeping. This violation is policed by the Investigations Division of the Development Services Department. Again, a phone call to Wilson Winn solves the problem.
Holy smokes! I've stirred something up.
Anonymous. I wasn't risking a confrontation with the driver. The whole exchange was very friendly. I like to expect the best out of people and by going into the conversation with that attitude, that's what I got. I found the driver to be very professional and courteous. Keep in mind he's just a man trying to earn a living. No better or worse than the rest of us. I could sense genuine frustration on his part. I have no reason to believe he was lying about not being informed of the problem.
As to your other proposed solutions. I am quite aware of the fact that Environmental Services is the department to seek out. Not all of us have the influence to call the director personally. In fact, that's one of the problems we're trying to address on the 3-1-1 Oversight Committee. Department Directors need to be running their departments, not responding to phone calls from citizens or council people. They have no way of tracking an issue if it's reported directly to them. Once again, that's what the 3-1-1 Action Center is for.
I appreciate your suggestions, but it's those same suggestions that are greeted with groans and eye rolling whenever a candidate responds with something like "call Environmental Services!" at a public forum. The public perception is the system is broken, and they're right.
I blogged on this issue as an example. I DID contact the property owner. I DID contact Environmental Services (I have a ticket number with the Action Center). All that and the problem persisted.
The solution took two guys on a bitter cold morning having a thirty second chat in the doorway of a garbage truck. He was civil, I was civil. Problem solved.
There ARE better ways of doing things. We'll talk this situation over at the next oversight committee meeting. The call taker will be questioned and we'll ask her what she thinks needs to happen for a better response next time. She'll have some ideas, and if possible they will be implemented. Every call to the 3-1-1 Action Center is an opportunity for improvement. Talk to the people that do the job. They have the answers. That's why the men and women at the 3-1-1 Action Center are so highly motivated. They know they work in an environment where their opinion matters. They can actually have effect on the system. As a councilman I intend to be a frequent visitor to the 3-1-1 Action Center. They are the front lines. They know what's going on and where. They can tell you how backed up we are on things like water main breaks. They can tell you where the highest concentrations of illegal dumping are occurring. All at their fingertips and ready to be put to use. It's frustrating to me that no City Councilman (except for one very recently) has ever taken an interest in these people. I'm absolutely incredulous that our elected officials ignore such a valuable resource.
Thank you Mark. I have City Action Confirmation numbers I was given and when called back they said "xyz-123" has been taken care of and one could look out their window and see (READ: with your own two eyes) they were not telling anywhere near the truth. Our city is jacked. For real. Thats a problem.
If we would allow the 311 operators to dispatch the city crews directly we would see progress in our shitty neighborhoods. Unfortunately, 311 operators are nothing more than pen-pushers and have no real control over anything. A front. The city receives additional funding for a 311 call center and basically delivers the same shitty services we had before. Only difference; nice people answer the phone, give you a confirmation number, and make you feel good about getting shitty services.
Sorry for the abrasiveness. I just know no other way to put it to you.
Hip,
Trust me when I tell you the 3-1-1 customer service reps share your frustration. The system is exactly as you describe it. I too have had tickets closed when the job wasn't done. Right now it's the responsibility of the city department that performs the work to close the ticket. Obviously they're closing tickets without having completed the work. In my opinion, and MY OPINION ONLY, I think some of it is intentionally trying to undermine the 3-1-1 Action Center because some departments don't want to give up control of anything.
I think we'd all be a little agitated by trying to help citizens over the phone, trying to take care of business, and having other people drop the ball.
I appreciate you saying they are nice people on the phone. They really are and work very hard at that. That is an outstanding crew down there. Things will get better. They just need some more advocates to help overcome some of the fiefdoms in City departments.
Mark--
They are VERY nice people at 311. The kind of people you would want answering the phone at any business. Very polite. Very informative. Very insightful. Much like calling a friend. I believe they make every attempt to extricate the information from a complaint and pass it along to the proper department. Unfortunately, the process stops right there.
I'll second that on 3-1-1 -- if customer service in every area of public service was as good as the 311 people we'd have very little to complain about.