The Capital Improvements Management Office (CIMO) has a (somewhat) long and distinguished history of providing an unnecessary level of bureaucracy in Kansas City and screwing with KC Finances just as haphazardly as any other City Department under the leadership of the current City Manager. Now, the big move to make CIMO a permanent fixture at City Hall is underway.
Currently, CIMO doesn't do much considering that there aren't a lot of capital improvement dollars to go around. Nevertheless, AWESOME TKC TIPSTERS are saying:
THE MOVE TO MAKE CIMO A CITY DEPARTMENT IS NOTHING MORE THAN AN EFFORT FOR CITY MANAGER WAYNE CAUTHEN TO HIRE MORE CRONIES!!!
Awhile back KC Tribune offered a preview of this move and my (EXCLUSIVE!!!) part of the story is to reveal that it's happening right now.
Very recently, Oscar Tshibanda, the guy who helped to start CIMO testified at City Hall regarding the benefits of making the operation a City Department despite the fact that it was initially conceived as a way to train regular City employees in the mystic art of capital improvements funding. Funny: Tshibanda was openly hostile to Council Dude Russ Johnson while stepping all over his questions and didn't give the MENSA member even a modicum of respect.
The move to make the office into a department is being fronted by Terry Riley and I'm sure he can probably argue that it will save some cash. Nevertheless, what will transpire is that even more Friends of Wayne will have yet another feeding frenzy.
Already, the job to head the department is in play . . .
So far, the candidates or the names that are being considered for the job:
Ruth Turner . . . Who might conveniently hop, skip and jump from Tetra Tech right into City Hall.
Mike Musgrave . . . A guy who has already earned some hefty consulting fees from Kansas City.
Still, the most pressing question here: After a controversial round of layoffs and with Kansas City going broke . . . Why does KC need another department?
Whatever Cauthen and Riley come up with is going to have a major impact on the Kansas City Combined Sewer Overflow Project which is worth millions and it just doesn't make sense to pack the place with Cauthen acolytes.
Still . . . From what most people can tell . . . Currently . . . KC IS A "CITY THAT WORKS" FOR WAYNE CAUTHEN!!!
And this rather needless move is just another example of a powerless Mayor, so many hapless City Council folk and a City Manager who is much better and finding funds for his political connections than meeting the goals of this cowtown.
Big deal. So things are still screwed up. Nothing new to see here.
ReplyDeleteHey. How about changing the charter to establish democracy? We could elect our leader rather than letting a plurality of village whores select one.
ReplyDeleteOh, hopefully next year will see the removal of many of these municipal vermin.
ReplyDeleteBrilliantly astute, Anon 7:41. Things are a mess, so we just keep on the same path? Hopefully, you're in the minority and people will demand Cauthen be removed. Until he is, this town will never move forward.
ReplyDeletePeople will demand cauthen will be removed?
ReplyDeleteYou gotta be kidding!
Your wrong about the future director, Terry Riley as already chosen him and he is not on your list!
ReplyDeleteHey, another waste at City Hall, why replace G. Mary Temple? This position never existed before. This is a general fund position and a waste. Give the duties back to Troy.
Let's have a history lesson about CIMO. Everyone know why it was created? Incompetence by several employees. One got promoted. One is acting director, one left city government, and one is also in CIMO. WTF?
ReplyDeleteThe CIMO consultant hired by Wayne said the staff was incompetent. Oscar comes in and says, "This is what you need to do." Wayne, of course, did it. But it didn't work then and it doesn't work now. Now Oscar is back and saying make CIMO its own dept. and we're going to listen to this yayhoo? A guy that got paid nearly $3million bucks over the last FIVE YEARS!!! Being a Friend of Wayne... nice (lucrative) work...if you can get it.
ReplyDeleteThe improvements to North Oak were bid in Summer 2005... more than four years ago... and the project, a CIMO project, is still not done. The Paseo Bridge was awarded in November 2007 and may be done the end of next year... three years for an entire freaking bridge and nearly three miles of interstate! 87th Street has been under construction since September2005 and that series of projects is still under construction. Guess which one of these projects was not a CIMO project?
ReplyDeleteCIMO is a failure. And now, we are going to pay big bucks to fund a new position for a lousy deparment that doesn't work!
Aw, if Mr. Riley, a gentleman and a scholar, has selected the next director, he is probably a very fine person.
ReplyDeleteRiley a gentleman and a scholar? Get real. He's a crook along with his buddy Wayne.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking today how much progress was done on the new Paseo bridge and how the dumbasses in this city, when tasked with something like North Oak Trfy, can't get that done in a timely fashion and they're about 1/100th the project of the new bridge.
ReplyDeleteSounds like if you want something to cost way more than the budget, and where everyone gets rich of the taxpayer, you have city government take care of it.
CIMO is better than anything else going on in City Hall. You might as well build from it.
ReplyDeleteBesides, anything that Councilman Johnson doesn't like can't be all bad.
God, I thank you for not living in Kansas City/Jackson County.
ReplyDeleteIs 87th Street ever going to be done?
ReplyDeleteIt hasn't been open for 5 years now so why did anyone think that it needed to be widened?
John Sharp killed the Wizards and Cerner deal so why have anything going on down there. If the Mayor can't keep a home-grown company like Cerner to stay in KCMO, what makes anyone think KCMO will recruite anyone from outside the area?
Hey LP, check out the City Manager's project update on 87th Street to get an update on what's going on!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kcmo.org/CKCMO/Depts/CityManagersOffice/CityImprovementsManagementOffice/ProjectMilestones/ProjectMilestones-87thStreet/index.htm
There's nothing on that site that gives any update???
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't hold my breath for progress from John Sharp. Just sayin.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what is wrong with this city council. Several of them are very dedicated and hard working. Deb Hermann, Cindy Circo, Jan Marcason, stand out as trying to do the right thing. Unfortunately, their support of Cauthen, keeping him here for three years, will take them down. They will be remembered for his failures. Why don't they see it?
ReplyDeleteWhat these elected officials don't realize is that Funk won the election by the City Hall vote. Employee's knew he didn't like Cauthen, so they voted him in. Yes, Jan, Cindy, and other Cauthen supporters, good luck in the next election. They will remember your support of Cauthen!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMike Musgrave isn't he one of the guys who was in on some little talked about deals in Denver. Ask the Pitch their sister publication was jumped on for investigating him.
ReplyDeleteAny time that a person says anything about him the lawyers start rattling their swords.
Anon 2:13 -- Uh, Deb Hermann did not support the contract for Wayne, spoke out against it, and voted against it.
ReplyDeleteAnon 2:13 -- Uh, Deb Hermann did not support the contract for Wayne, spoke out against it, and voted against it.
ReplyDeletethey would have to fired half of the employee since they were retired employees when they were hired by cimo
ReplyDeleteI don't mean to get off subject, but did anyone see the concern for the American Airlines folks who will loose their job by the City Council? The Council doesn't give a rats ass about 15-20 years of service City Hall employees who loose their jobs. In fact, they get absolutely giddy when they fire people.
ReplyDeleteCIMO moves projects much faster than any other city department. It works. It's a good idea. All of you who don't like Wayne don't really know what he's doing. He has done quite a lot for this city. You're free to have your opinions, but you should know that a lot of people do not agree with you.
ReplyDeleteWell, the bell curve distribution would suggest that most people are stupid, 8:39.
ReplyDelete