I received a Disconnect notice from the City. That notice was posted on my front door while at the same time the City was turning off my water. Where? I asked, does it state on my bill that there is a Disconnect Date? It doesn't! So why not just incur the late fee?
Watch out! your water may be turned off AND when you attempt to deal with the CIty you will get a lot of groveling from "The" supervisor in Rm 103 complaining "they only get paid to work 37.5 hours a week and no overtime". And don't expect to get into the City Adm. Bulding anywhere near 4:30 - I personally found out that they close and lock the doors EARLY!
So goes my latest battle with the Mayor, her City, her lackies, and this embarassing
situation about the Water bill ....I get a Disconnect Notice on my door, race to the CIty Offices to pay it the same day and find the Office doors locked at 4:22PM Although it is clearly printed on the door they are open until 4:30, We were standing outside at 4:22 PM facing locked doors when an employee exited as we slipped in and ran face to face into "The" Supervisor (heavy set woman with dirty blond hair) who demanded that it was 4:30 and the offices were officially "closed" (Our cell phones and watches told us it was now 4:28.). "The" supervisor tursely said "we go by CITY time" (is this different from Eastern Standard Time?) So we were not allowed to pay the water bill - which we didn't know in the first place that it was going to be disconnected that day UNTIL the Disconnect Notice appeared on the front door. Duh!
She "The" Supervisor, also suggested as a way to remedy the situation, that we "call the police" (like they have nothing better to do but take calls for Public Works from disgruntled citizens after 4:30), and pay $40 EXTRA for the pleasure of having the water turned back on.....I don't think so! So, we made the best of a bad situation and washed with bottled water and uncapped the old-fashioned chamber pot. Note, I actually DO own an authentic chamber pot that came from the Tilghman family of Tilghman Island - no kidding! No time like the present to christen it in Salisbury.
So, the next morning (Wednesday), at 8:45 AM I marched into Room 103 to pay "THE" Water bill once again. I asked the clerk for a copy of my bill and if she could point out where it states when the water will be turned off. She was civil and professional, but stated " there is none". So, now I am supposed to be clairvoyant and actually know that I am going to be without water .....
I asked the nice clerk "what time did you close last night?". The supervisor, standing near the rear of the room and overhearing my question, laughed out loud and said to the others working at desks around her, "Oh, it's those same people from last night".... then mumbled something sarcastic under her breath. They all laughed. Nice to know how much "The" supervisor in Rm 103 appreciates her job. I could tell she has a lot of humility and knows how to spread good will among the tax paying citizens of Salisbury who pay her salary. I wouldn't wish my humiliation and embarassment on anyone, however, on second thought, I WOULD suggest that she be fired for her be-sooted behavior, mockery of the situation -an unfortunate situation for which she is PAID to handle with diplomacy and professionalism, and for her inability to tell time and tell the truth. Perhaps then "The" supervisor will appreciate actually "having" a job.
Does her employment entitle her to despise working (and getting PAID) for 37.5 hours a week? Does this entitle her to CLOSE and LOCK doors BEFORE 4:30? Does her employment entitle her to make FUN of anyone coming into her department for ANY reason ? This Supervisor should be THANKFUL (especially in this economy and at this time of year) that she has a job. I do NOT believe this Supervisor deserves to be allowed to continue to berate the citizens and be paid for it. The Mayor should dismiss her from her duties. Oh, get real, this will never happen. Actually, someone should dismiss the Mayor from her duties.
The story continues. Adding insult to injury, upon paying of the water bill in full (and then some), the Supervisor promised the water would be turned ON no later than 12:30 that afternoon. Sounds great, Huh? Just like everythig else Salisbury government promises, all talk and no action.....as at 8:15 PM that night, still NO WATER! Could it be that this is YET ANOTHER SLUG FROM THE CITY because I have challenged the lack of good service from the Mayor and her cronies???? Could my water rights have been withheld intentionally to punish me for questioning the actions of a City employee or
its Mayor previously? For questioning the CIty's slack decision making, back-scratching with slum lords and operating with smoke and mirrors? and do I actually think "The" supervisor of Rm 103 (answering to the Mayor), would INTENTIONALLY deprive me of water at my home for more than 24 hours, just because she was caught sneaking out of work early and maybe not fulfulling her required 37.5 weekly hours? Of course I do.
I shared my tale of woe with my CIty Council Representative who was, frankly appalled,
truly sorry, and embarassed for the way the CIty treated me, and for the CIty's employee who was so irreverent and un-thankful to be employed for 37.5 hours each week.
I have seen too much of the too little care and concern for tax payers and especially property owners (other than those back-scratching slum lords gaining wealth by destroying nice neighborhoods with multi-family rooming houses the size of match boxes that attract renters by-the-week and some by-the-hour. These tenants wield guns in front of neighboring children, block traffic to chat about drugs-for-dollars or sex-for-hire, and drive away respectable homeowners thus turning good neighborhoods into For Sale By Owners.
Now, Twenty minutes after asking the Police to notify the Public Works person, he shows up like Johnny-on-the-spot. Meanwhile, I have placed 3 (count them), calls to the Mayor's home. By the way, Mayor Tilghman's home telephone number is 410-749-7361 - but you will only get a recording (like her administration, a recording, but no action.
I show the nice man from Public Works my paid receipt with the time stamp of 8:47AM. He is apologetic! he understands my frustrations! He says he has seen this happen time after time! As he turns the water on I feel that he is truly the only dignified City workerI have encountered (besides my Council Representative) in 24+ hours. Gosh, I hope the Mayor doesn't fire him for speaking honestly and being helpful. That would truly be a loss. It is now 10:30PM. The Mayor has NOT called me back. I can only guess that she did not like my comments about her administration (or lack thereof). Why should I be surprised, it only took the police 90 days to get a sketch artist for the lady by the lake.
So, I wish you all a joyous holiday season and hope that you can all continue flushing your toilets without incident, I wish the Mayor many happy Flushes as the CIty continues to go down the toilet. If anyone else has a similar incident they would like to share I will be going on radio soon and will be glad to speak up for you so that you will not become the CIty's next target for retalliation. Leave message on the Spy blog for Tilghman Chamberpot. Also, if you find yourself "in need", you may borrow my "real" Tilghman
chamber pot, I am also thinking of having it bronzed and engraved as a tribute to the Mayor when she (finally) leaves office. Your thoughts and comments welcome, always.
C H A M B E R P O T
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
36 comments:
Sounds like its going to be alot harder to clean up the city of Salisbury than that chamberpot you so recently used Joe
Just another example of why we are in the financial and moral dilemma that we are in this country today - no one wants to accept personal responsibility. Yes, if this story is accurate then the City employees behaved poorly and should look for work elsewhere. However, the overwhelming tone of the writer is one of having been victimized and screwed over by someone else. In fact, it was the WRITER who did not pay their bill on time. Why should failure to handle your affairs in a timely fashion constitute crisis management for someone else? So what if there was no disconnect date? I think it's a safe assumption that if you don't pay your car note, someone will come get your car. No cell phone bill, no service. Common sense. I bet you got into a mortgage way over your head and now feel like the government should help you out with that too. I am not condoning how you were treated, but take a look in the mirror. Accept the consequences of YOUR actions, and next time, pay your bill on time.
You will never get any responible person to help you in the admin city blding.However CHANGE IS COMING! THOSE IGNORANT SUPERVISORS BETTER GET THEIR ACT STR8.Isuggest you call Market St. Inn to contact the mayor.
This all could have been avoided if you would have just paid your bill ON TIME!!!!! DUH! I love how people want to complain so much and they are the ones in the wrong.
I love it even more when Barrie Tilghman, Lynn Cathcart, Mike Dunn and others sit on the outside heartless and attack someone who has just been treated poorly. Yeah, you see, I have my name on here like a real man should. I can't wait to be challened by any one of these people too because THEY KNOW I have a system that tels me who they are. Just ask Mike Dunn, he'll tell you, maybe?
Anyhow, they have mastered the Blogs better than anyone else out there and get al upset when I reject their comments because I know what they're up to. The game is over for them any more. I let a few through to prove my point and now I have gone public with it.
They, (of all people) should know how difficut it is for the majority of Americans to meet their monthly commitments now. Times are very tough and the City should be more compasionate than simply slaping a tag on the dor and cutting you off. The Gas & Electric company can't do it, so why should the City have a monopoly on being such a prick!
The only people that would make such statments are those in charge and or on the team of salvaging Barrie Tilghman's reputation in any way possible.
Joe 9:24 - you are missing the point; the writer says "why not just pay the late fee?" This was not about being down and out. This was about being lazy and late with bills. That's it. I was surprised by your defending such a cavalier attitude towards personal responsibility. Have you been talking to the Obama transition team? LOL. come on Joe, you're better than that.
The City of Fruitland is also going thru water cutoff's as well this week. Unlike Salisbury, the ladies of the Finance Department at Fruitland City Hall are very understanding and cordial. The office closes at 4:30,the same as Salisbury, but the door does not close until everyone is assisted. I guess that is what you get with small town pride.
Not living in the city I don't have to pay for that mess they call water. However, I do know that no utility cuts service without notice of termination of service. The supervisor in Rm 103 would be in the unemployment line simply because of the poor example she sets for those she supervises. She sounds like she went to the same school of leadership attended by Chiefs Webster, Gordy and See.
I agree the writer should have paid her bill timely but that does not warrant the treatment bestowed upon her by a city employee who's income is derived from taxes paid by this citizen. Just because this woman wanted to go home early is not reason enough for this woman to have to go without water. OFF WITH HER BLONDE HEAD!
130 Days until the nightmares of the city are OVER.
anonymous 9:55,
You must realy like your job with the City, eh?
Do you not have any compasion? She was late, BIG DEAL. It happens all the time. The notice was placed on her door immediately before they cut off the water. That's bulsh!t and you know it.
Hey, all--but remember how the landlords got all Barrie's attention and forebearance when late paying their registration fees? But for ordinary citizens, no consideration.
You guys are all acting as though the city of sby has rules to follow. No. They make them as they see the need. Water department, public works, all those dept. supervisors are power hungry.
I am not a lawyer, but there MUST be a due process that involves a threat to turn of water before actually turning off water.
Who isn't late with a bill at some point? If you didn't make a car payment and the next day they came and took your car, without all the notifications, etc., how would that be? Wrong, like this situation.
If the people who work for the city are more concerned about what they can do to feel powerful rather than what they can do to serve the public, they need to move on.
Months ago I was at a lab getting bloodwork done. The receptionist asked me to lock the outside door when the time was within 15 minutes of their closing. She said, "If we let people into the office right up until closing time, we're 20-30 minutes late leaving every day." Could that be the situation here?
The City of Fruitland also posts the cut-off date on the bill.
It is unfortunate that the water bill states that "penalties will apply after 45 days from the date of the bill". It does not say it will be subject to shutoff then. If that caveat were included (the shutoff penalty), there would be no problem. The issue with the city employees is another matter. Hopefully, when the current administration is defeated & displaced, a new attitude and atmosphere will prevail. It is up to the citizens of Salisbury to make sure it does!!
why did you not pay your bill on time? sounds like you are angry at someone else while you should make sure you set a schedule to pay your bills on time.
This is just another prime example of why the Public distrust Government. They allow people to represent them in a "screw you I work for the Government and you do what I say attitude". There is no such thing as I work for the Government as a Public servant any more. If you were in this situation you would think different on the handling of this situation. None of us know why the bill was late. Was it medical reasons, loss of job, elderly on SSI with a strict budget? The critical ones are a sick bunch of individuals that always think negative and are very self centered. Maybe you should walk in someone elses shoes for 6 months and get a taste of reality.
And Barrie can't even be bothered to contact the city taxpayer on this....typical. All Barrie wants to do is give out certificates--man she was acting jumpy doing that on Monday night!
There is no excuse for such poor customer service. So what if this person did not pay the water bill on time. She deserves respect just like anyone else. The ladies who handle the water bills should not get away with being so hateful to the residents. I know they have a hard job to do but they need to learn to be a little more diplomatic. This behavior should no longer be tolerated within the city.
Service Levels in Salisbury
25 Years ago -
From Business - You are my customer - I have a job because of my customers - "How may I help you"
From Government - You are the public - I am a public servent - "How may I help you"
Today -
From Business - You are bothering me - I have a job because it is owed to me - "If you don't like it, go someplace else"
From Government - You are trash - I am important- "You can't go anywhere else, so you have to put up with however I feel like treatin you."
I'll tell a short story about a GOOD water bill experience. I live in Fruitland, and as a lot of you know my wife and I aren't working right now. (she starts back at AGH in berlin on monday- yeah!) So when time came to pay our quarterly water bill, we were going to be a bit short. The bill stated that we would be cut off if we didn't pay by 12/10. with unemployment, we could afford to pay most of the bill, but not the whole thing by the 10th. I went in and talked to the ladies in the office about what was going on. I told them that I could pay the balance a few days after the 10th. she made a note of our conversation and took the payment I could make. Fortunately, we had miscalculated when the next unemployment check was coming and we got some help from another quarter, so we paid the balance a few days later.
Long story short- they never made me feel like I was a bother, they listened and were compassionate, and I felt like someone cared about me as a citizen of the City.
I know Fruitland taxes are a bit higher... by now maybe I know why.
I love my well!
Barrie sets the tone for City employees--this Supervisor embodies the tone set by Barrie.
There must be a change in City leadership as we have suffered under Barrie for far too long.
When I have gone into the water bill department, the overall attitude is awful.
Anybody ever meet that a$$ Gary Hales at SPW. Talking about a nasty cynical person that wraps them self in a blanket of fake religion. There is a lot of that going on at the city and it does trickle down.
We have all been late on our bills from time to time. Yes Joe is at fault for being late on the bill; however, with the mountains of paperwork that I receive it could have easily gotten misplaced and forgotten. I'm sure that the Mayor was happy to hear that your water was turned off. The point is that there was a supervisor that could have taken care of this, but instead left early and basically said f#@k you. What if it had been you that was trying to find a parking place downtown and had left your job early to take care of paying the bill and this had happened to you? He came back the next day and paid his penalties and fees. Then the fact that he had to call the police and have someone come and turn his water on at whatever time of the evening is insane. Talk about poor customer service. The supervisor indeed needs to be fired. The fact that she was a smart a$$ about it the next day too just burns me up. Get somebody in there to do the job and perform it to what he or she is expected to do. When you are in the service industry, you never know who you will be waiting on. Hopefully it costs this woman her job.
Anonymous 9:10-nice job but you need to find another line of work if you do not like to deal with people-btw,does the Mayor know you are online on the job?Or is she over your shoulder telling you what to write?
Regardless of HOW late the water bill was,this "supervisor" had no right to ridicule and disrespect the very taxpayer who pays her salary.The issue isnt the late payment of bills,its the sh*tty attitude of city employees.this person should be reprimanded for her inability to work with people and be courteous.That is what the point is here.
Joe,You know where all these comments about the late bill are coming from,dont you?North Division Street!
9:10AM--sounds like you're Barrie...or the Supervisor in question. Either one of you--you need to go.
The writer stated that his? City Council Rep was sympathetic and apologized for the poor behavior of the people encountered. Let me guess--Debbie Campbell or Terry Cohen is this person's rep!
move to Pittsville they are so damn unorganized you could go months without a disconnect or just be on the town council I here several of them never pay their town taxes or water bills...i purposely did not pay for a whole quarter....never got a late notice, disconnect notice or anything...no penalty no interest or nothing...just did it to see what would happen...NOTHING
What you you do is go out and turn the water back on, if they ask who turned it back on just tell them you don't know. How can they justify charging to turn it back on when they don't do anything?
Sounds like if you paid your bill by the "posted" due date, you wouldn't have had a problem. Perhaps the city forgot to "post" the due date on the bill, as well??
10:06 is dead on. 9:40 is nuts! Joe, after you turn on your water you should put your electric in a fictitious name. PAY YOUR BILLS!!
Hey axxhole, it's not my property, you Idiot.
How about when the city threatens to shut off your water when you don't pay the "trash disposal fee" that is included on your water bill.
joe, if it isnt your property, why does it seem that that post was "you". I didnt see anywhere, where you stated that it was someone else.
street sweeper packs it in early, also.
they were across the street, went up & down the same spot a half dozen times, and left before 3:30. time spent in the area was less than an hour.
maybe we could fine them for not sweeping. if they didn't wait so long, the leaves wouldn't be impacted and just maybe they could get by with one pass.
Once the water is shut off it is considered a condemed building. Supposed to be. If you don't think people turn their own water back on it is you that are nuts, I wouldn't, however it happens every day. Get your head out of the sand.
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