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As the City of Sheffield Revolves
By: The Midnight Rider
Sounds like a Soap Opera, doesn’t it. While it may not be as bad as Muscle Shoals, Sheffield has some things going on right now. We all know that the City of Sheffield cannot retain employees in its various Departments. Basically the City of Sheffield is a training ground for other cities.
First let’s look at the Police Department. In the month of December, they lost three Police Officers. Two of them had less than a year on the job. The third had about 2 years on the job. So the two short timers basically went through the Police Academy which is 3 months long and then left shortly thereafter. Now the Police Department has to replace and train these Offices. I noticed in the Times Daily Newspaper that the City Council had approved to start a list for the Police Department. I hope it is long they way they are losing officers.
Secondly, the Fire Department is no better. They are replacing Firemen just about as fast as Police Officers. In the month of December, they lost a Fireman with about 5 years’ experience. So now they get a rookie that they will probably have to train. Even the Times Daily has figured this out and ran stories about this.
However, they have a nice Library. Kinda looks like the Taj Mahal. We have gone by a couple of times and there has been no one there using this nice facility. But it is nice.
Inspiration Landing…………………..Don’t even get me started on this fiasco.
Businesses are closing. Miss Kitty’s: Closed. Hammer Down Gun & Pawn: Closed. Rumor has it that Foodland is not happy with the way the plaza is being run and may be leaving at the end of their lease. If that is true, that will close the plaza. One of the Council Members made a comment that they needed a grocery store on “that side of the tracks”. I guess Foodland doesn’t count since it is on the south side of the tracks. This was reported by the Time Daily.
Shouldn’t the retention of business or the recruiting new businesses be the top priority of the Council? That is what pays your taxes to the City so they can pay their employees. Recently as reported by the Times Daily that Council couldn’t readily agree on giving its employees a raise. News Flash! That is why you are losing employees to other Departments. Ray Charles can see that.
Ok, the City of Sheffield has a Mayor that oversees everything. A City Council that is supposed to help control the City is also in place. Then we have a Public Safety Director that is over the Police and Fire Department. This same Public Safety Director just happens to be the Fire Chief. Then we have a Police Chief. Sounds like to me that we have to many Chiefs and not enough Indians.
I remember a couple of years ago in Florence, there were a slogan as well as signs going around “Vote them all out.” It may need to happen in Sheffield.
We are glad we don’t live in the City of Sheffield, but in the County.
Is there anything good about the City of Sheffield right now? We did have to do a little digging but we did find something. The Panty Tree is blooming.
That’s it for now. But remember, the Midnight Rider will always be around to voice his/her/their(?) opinion.
I am and always will be, the Midnight Rider
Re the library: recently, while in B'ham, I went to the Mountain Brook library. Couldn't even find a parking place. No special event going on, just people using their library.
ReplyDeleteNow, I won't go into ALL the differences between Mtn. Brk. AL and Shurfeel, but Lordy, it do give one pause.
Seriously, Shoalsites: think about it. Mebbe all them rich, successful, professional people down yonder know somethin' Colbert County don't???
The PS Director position was created in a move by Mayor Sanford to weaken the authority and power of the police chief, whom he has had numerous issues with concerning his job performance. Important, meaningful issues dealing with citizen complaints not being addressed and officers not being investigated and disciplined. These issues got so bad, to the point the chief was terminated after repeated failures while in his position that never could seem to be corrected. The chief appealed to the civil service board who was sympathetic, for the chief has been with the department all his life. They looked past his incompetence and reinstated him. Enter, PS Director Dewey Mitchell, to oversee the chief and make sure citizen complaints are addressed and investigated properly and to handle the disciplinary actions taken against officers that are found to have violated orders/policies.
ReplyDeleteIt was the only option Mayor Sanford had to remedy these and many more problems in the department that he had addressed with the chief on numerous occasions throughout the years and given him plenty of opportunities to address his concerns. He felt he had proper grounds to terminate on insubordination for failing to follow his orders and plain incompetence on the chiefs part, and in many eyes, hi did.
The PS Director position was created in a move by Mayor Sanford to weaken the authority and power of the police chief, whom he has had numerous issues with concerning his job performance. Important, meaningful issues dealing with citizen complaints not being addressed and officers not being investigated and disciplined. These issues got so bad, to the point the chief was terminated after repeated failures while in his position that never could seem to be corrected. The chief appealed to the civil service board who was sympathetic, for the chief has been with the department all his life. They looked past his incompetence and reinstated him. Enter, PS Director Dewey Mitchell, to oversee the chief and make sure citizen complaints are addressed and investigated properly and to handle the disciplinary actions taken against officers that are found to have violated orders/policies.
ReplyDeleteIt was the only option Mayor Sanford had to remedy these and many more problems in the department that he had addressed with the chief on numerous occasions throughout the years and given him plenty of opportunities to address his concerns. He felt he had proper grounds to terminate on insubordination for failing to follow his orders and plain incompetence on the chiefs part, and in many eyes, hi did.