Most of the more than 140 appointments to the more than 60 city advisory groups each year get little attention.Ìý
Not so with the recent appointment of a master plumber to the city’s Plumber Examination Board.
He had the credentials -- a master plumber with a Lincoln license -- but he is a union member.
Mayor Chris Beutler appointed the man in part because he is a union member and the mayor believes union members should also be part of the advisory groups.
Union members are not well represented on city code committees, said Rick Hoppe, chief of staff to the mayor. "So once in a while we give a seat to a union guy."
But a number of local plumbers objected to the appointment, primarily because of his union membership. This man also lives outside the county and works for a company headquartered in Omaha, but being a union member was the biggest sticking point with those who objected to his appointment.Ìý
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Since there is no state licensing, each city has its own licenses, exams and boards that oversee the exam. Lincoln is not a union town, and local plumbing companies and some plumbers don't want the union infiltrating the community.Ìý
The comments from local plumbers ranged from the politely brief:
“I am not sure why the decision was made to place anyone from the union on to the Exam Board, and I am not sure how it will affect any of the open shops in the future, but I do not think it is a good decision," said one email to the City Council, which approves the mayor's appointments.Ìý
To irritation in detail:Â
"The mayor’s nominee works for a union outfit in Omaha and the union has been desperately trying to come in and steal our employees ..."Â
"There is currently not a Lincoln-based company (one that has a shop or address here in town) that is part of the union and they (union) have not been able to pull as much of the talent from the local Lincoln businesses as they had wanted. ... So what’s the next best thing? Get a union representative on the Plumbing Exam Board to feed the out-of-town workforce the answers to our plumbing exam so they can come to town, take the test and get a Lincoln license," said an email to the council.Ìý
The council approved this appointment on Jan. 12, before local plumbers were aware of the issue. Rather than become embroiled in the controversy, the union man resigned the exam board seat.Ìý
City dogs and country dogs
It is not just city dogs that face time at the pound if they stray too far from home. Country dogs cannot roam freely either under state law.
Last year, the sheriff’s department received 118 calls for a dog at large, said Sheriff Terry Wagner. If the department can locate the owner and if this is a first offense, the owner gets a “dog letter†which explains the law and the owner’s duty.
At the second offense, the deputies will cite the owner for a “dog at large,†which means a $100 fine, an impoundment fee and boarding charges by the Humane Society.
Many of the dogs at large have been dumped by their owners, and the Humane Society ultimately puts them up for adoption.
Duties of rural dog owners also include keeping a dog from creating a disturbance -- so no frequent barking, howling or yelping. That penalty is a fine or up to three months in jail, or both.
“What a lot of people don’t realize is that you are required to maintain control of your animal,†said Wagner.
People don’t understand what can happen with a dog running at large, said Wagner. It can start attacking livestock and the livestock owner can take pretty drastic action. “We’ve had farmers shoot dogs that were attacking sheep, or cattle or chickens. That is allowable by state statute.â€
Rural dogs are required to have current rabies vaccinations, but there are no county licensing requirements.
There’s more than roaming dogs for sheriff's deputies to handle.
Last year the sheriff’s office had 486 animal calls. That included barking dogs, dog bites, abuse and neglect and animals at large.
Making senior lunches better
Aging Partners administrators are closely monitoring the food being served at senior centers after patrons raised a number of concerns about the quality offered by a new food service this winter.
Sometimes the issue is different tastes. Randy Jones, Aging Partners director, said he thought a carrot and raisin salad was good, but 40 percent of the people threw it away. “I don’t know if they tasted it and didn’t like it, or didn’t try it. But that is too much waste,†Jones said.
The city has sent Treat America Food Services, the company now responsible for the lunches, the “cure†letter that must be sent before the city can cancel a contract. But city staff hopes to see improvement.
“We think it is getting better,†Jones said.
The typical protein waste – the amount of ham, chicken and other meat thrown away -- was 9.4 percent in January. The protein waste had dropped to 6 percent in February. A national benchmark is 7 percent waste, Jones said.
The city is also looking at all its options, including a contract with another company, or returning to cooking from its own kitchen, Jones told the City Council recently.
“Ultimately the goal is to make this right and make sure our customers are feeling better about the food.â€