Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Job well done

Today is the last day at LPD for five Public Service Officers who are being laid off as the City privatizes downtown parking enforcement.  These employees have served the City faithfully for many years in a job that is often unappreciated by the general public.  I am thankful that most have found other employment, and I wish them all well in their new careers and their future endeavors.

The Urban Development Department assumes the responsibility for downtown parking enforcement tomorrow, and has retained a private contractor to perform the job. They have been very busy nailing down the details, which are far more diverse and complicated than most people realize.  Saturday is Nebraska’s first home football game, and they'll have their hands full. 

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chief-Just curious. Did any of the PSO's get employed by the private contractor?

I was on I80 between Lincoln and Omaha yesterday. Traffic will be interesting on Saturday between lane closures and construction. I think I'd find a different route.

Best wishes to the PSO's.

256

Anonymous said...

One fellow got a job as a custodian for Lincoln Public Schools.
Good for him.
Nice to know that our tax money helps people in a positive and productive way!
As for myself and many hundreds of thousands of people, we are still looking.
Thanks Jeff.

Anonymous said...

You must have missed the many posts on KOLN and LJS sites, wherein citizens ripped your boss, the Mayor, for not giving the sack to some or all of his veritable squad of well-paid mayoral aides (aren't there about nine of them?), instead of pink-slipping those PSOs. However, political cronyism won out over public safety.

Cedric Satterfield said...

well, good luck guys/gals. Ive never had a bad run in with a PSO. A terse one every now and then, but never a negative experience.

Thanks guys, and Chief.

Anonymous said...

Chief-Traffic update. Westbound I-80 from Omaha to Lincoln was clean and easy today. Eastbound from Lincoln to Omaha there is a new lane closure (left lane) going over the Platte River. Clean other than that.Didn't want to leave your readers with bad info.

Good luck Saturday.

256

Anonymous said...

Best wishes to the PSO's in their new careers.

It is just a matter of time before it is realized by all just how much they did. Something tells me that when a motorcycle crashes, and one of the private parking people is nearby, they probably won't be going out of their way to direct traffic to protect the motorist until emergency responders arrive...or provide life-saving CPR...or use an AED. Just one of hundreds of scenarios where the citizens of Lincoln are not going to be provided the services that have been available for years. No matter how you twist it, the PSO's certainly played a role in providing public safety.

Theseus said...

Just remember, parking is not part of our core mission when officers are fielding the parking calls.