Who You Might Meet at City Hall: Compensation of Mayor and City Commissioners How to Get In and How It Works.

Recently  posted on the City website was the job opening listed below in blue type.  This writer found it an interesting glimpse into the qualifications and duties of  people on other side of the counter at City Hall. People who may answer the phone when you call or assist you in obtaining a license. While the date of the this particular  job posting has closed  other similar opportunities may come  available in the future.

The hourly rate of $16.00 an hour depending on qualifications means that a highly qualified applicant could earn in more in an afternoon than the Mayor makes in a year. The mayor is a member of city commission and all city commissioners are paid $5.00 a month,  in one annual lump some of $60.00.

The mayor and the city commissioners  are  the collective employers of all employed at City Hall . Regardless,  the elected enter the building  the same way you or I  would  and that is through the front door. Then they would commence  their visit, the same way you or I would, by approaching the counter. There they would be assisted by a person meeting many of the qualifications and attributes listed below.


Job Posting: Part-time Support Staff to the City Clerk
Reports To: City Clerk
Hourly Rate: $16.00 / DOQ
Schedule: 12:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Monday – Friday)
Closing Date: July 29, 2011
Summary


To perform a variety of responsible administrative and clerical duties for the City Clerk requiring substantial public contact and a high degree of accuracy.

Typical Duties

• An employee in this position may be called upon to do any or all of the following: (Does not include all tasks employee may be expected to perform.)
• Receptionist to greet, assist and appropriately direct all inquires at the City Hall administrative counter.
• Receptionist on phone system to direct calls or answer general municipal inquires.
• Administrative support duties for all departments in City Hall.
• Receive and review applications for various City licenses and permits.
• Prepare a variety of letters, memoranda, and reports.
• Update voter registration records and general municipal records.
• Assist the Clerk in conducting elections.
• Perform follow-up duties as a result of City Commission, Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals.
• Assist in assembling City Commission, Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals agenda packets.
• Administer annual business licensing.
• Administer annual waste hauler application process.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Possession of a high school diploma, or its equivalent, supplemented by college coursework in Business, English, or Administrative Support.
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office.
• Must be able to distinguish confidential material and apply department standards for security and privacy.
• Possess the ability to communicate, orally and in writing and work constructively with others and the general public.
• A minimum of 3 years of office experience with substantial public contact, municipal experience strongly preferred.

Other combinations of education and experience, which could provide the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job, may be considered.


Interested parties must submit a resume, professional references and an employment application to the City of Bloomfield Hills 45 E. Long Lake Road Bloomfield Hills MI 48304 by July 29, 2011 at 4:00pm. No telephone inquires please.

Troy Library Looks Forward to a Long Future

The City of Troy Michigan and the Troy Public Library are alive and well. The City of the future, has today, a future. Yesterday, August 2nd 2011 the Troy Library millage  passed by a vote of 12, 246 to 8799.  21045 people  or roughly a quarter of the city of Troy went to the polls. From the first returns the election was never in doubt.  The "58%  Yes to 42%  No" margin was  a landslide. 

Troy residents at www.savetroy.org ran a brilliant  campaign  that used creativity, and ingenuity to combat a sometimes nasty and often misleading politically charged opposition.

  The Detroit News  urged a no vote. Why ?  "Voters have already been asked twice for similar millages and rejected them. It's unfair to keep asking the same question." Maybe they the should tell that to the News telemarketers who call repeatedly with the same old offers. State law makes voluntary support for a public library  complicated.

The Troy Citizens United while stressing  their support of the Library asked  for a No vote saying  no millage was necessary because the money could be found elsewhere in the city's bloated budget.  This fairly tale surfaces frequently in Troy where Big Beaver is thought to be paved with gold. Even if there was some truth in it, no  mysterious  "money for library" funds have ever been found after a millage defeat.


SaveTroy  responded with an intelligent professionally polished campaign that asked residents to think and consider.  The above commercial drew international attention including the link from London England. On election day  in the City of Troy thought and consideration won in a landslide over the other alternatives. That is good news for all of us where ever we may happen to be.

The Future of the Troy Library Decided Today

Polls open 7am to  8pm. A No vote closes the library Friday. A Yes vote keeps the library open.

Homer, the famous Greek poet wrote an  epic poem about  a ten year war that resulted in destruction of a city in Asia Minor called Troy. His work called The Illiad, probably was what the gave the City of Troy in Oakland  County it's name. It also gave us many other expressions like Trojan Horse, Achilles Heel. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts, and the face that launched a thousnd ships.

The City of  Troy likes to call itself   "The City of Tomorrow"...Today. If what is happening in Troy today is our future  I shudder to think of it. Thomas Wolfe, the author of You Can't Go Home Again, and Look Homeward Angel wrote that "Single selfishness and compulsive greed" would be our downfall. That is what  is   happening   in Troy. There is a leadership problem and  those who should lead decline to  or  are choosing to add fuel to the fire. Groups  that claim to represent the residents publish lists of presumably over paid city employees and say there is no need to pass a millage because there are millions of dollars in "saving costs" for  the city just waiting to be found.. The "No" vote requested by such groups  is a "Trojan Horse". The only way for the library to continue is for the millage to pass. If it fails nobody will asking what money if "found" might be possibly used to restore the library. The  City Council doesn't care . The allegedly  overpaid officials don't care.. The  information allegedly "being withheld until after the election"  will never revealed because what would be the point ? As in all confrontations where such pettiness and divisiveness dominate there are no winners.  Just losers and the people lose the most.

 As recently as five years ago , in 2006 the  Troy Library was voted in the top ten nationally.  Despite budget cuts, staff cuts, and reduced hours, the  facility in many  respects it has no equal in Oakland County. Unlike the Baldwin Library in Birmingham, the Troy Public Library is not cramped and there is plenty of front door parking. The Friends Gift shop is three times that of the a Bloomfield Township Library Gift Shop and The Cup at Chaucer Cafe in Troy easily out does Bloomfield Township's slightly out of the way, tables by vending machines cafe. The Troy Library's collection of  foriegn films shelved  by country will probably never be equalled. What should be a source of pride for the City and the Citizens of Troy  has become thanks the single selfishness and compulsive greed of city officials and  quarrelling citizens groups a  resource to be squander.

Author's Troy Library Card.

Why are you reading  this in a blog titled The City of Bloomfield Hills ? Why should this writer, a resident of the above mentioned city care ? Don't under estimate yourself, Troy. The whole world is watching.Maybe only a smattering internationally. Much more nationally where the closing of libraries, newspapers, and even bookstores is followed quite closely. You can read it on web. Right now you can read almost everything on the web. Will that always be the case ? Or as other avenues of information close will the web become  more expensive and restrictive ? Already we live a "broad band age." If you don't don't have access a computer or have email your chances of finding a job becomes much more difficult. For some the local library is their only source of computing  and only a library is willing to teach you the basics necessary to compute.

I also have a personal interest in the Troy Library. Thanks to my city and The Troy  library, I have had a Troy library card since 2003.  The Troy Public Library has  many friends in the City of Bloomfield Hills.

Today I hope the  Troy voters give the Library the money it needs too stay open.  Many libraries are closing or restricting non resident access.   If it stays open, The Troy Library with it convenient location and easy freeway access could draw support and the necessary monies from other communities countywide. The library is too important of resource to allow petty squabbles to shut it's doors.

A Warm Fuzzy Story about the Troy Library for City of Bloomfield Hills Residents

I tried my hardest to think of a story that would give everyone the warm fuzzies about the Troy Library but this  is the only one I could think of. It happened during my last visit.

The librarian at the counter kept clucking her tongue  and asking "How could something like this happen."

Oh it was easy. It tried to explain but whenever  I started the librarian lady would "cluck" again and look upward as though God  Almighty  might shed some light on the situation. She had my drivers license, library card, and my overdue DVD between us on the counter. The line in back of us was doubling and then quadrupling at  a geometric rate. "Bloomfield Hills " she said without expression fingering the license.. I nodded and said I was one of the people who came over on the boat.  I thought a little levity might help. I was wrong.  "Is Ruth here today, "she asked an adjacent librarian  who  processing cards, scanning numbers of books as fast she  could.. No Ruth was not there that day. "I just don't understand how something like this could happen," my librarian said again.

It was really very simple.  Just as we were  about to leave on vacation, a DVD I had borrowed from the Troy Library that I had forgotten about turned up. It was already four days overdue. I could tell the wife we had to make a mad dash to the Troy Library before going to the Airport but I am not suicidal, and besides I knew what would happen. She would call her  brother who lives in Troy and tell him he had to pick up the DVD and return it to the Troy Library immediately. It had already been four days overdue and soon it would be five and they charged a dollar a day. Then I would never hear the end of it. There had to be other options and I considered them.The movie had escaped me at the Detroit Institute of Arts, stayed only a day or so at the Maple, and would never ever turn up at Block Buster.  To see it in the theatre would be seven dollars at the very least. If  I bought the movie(assuming that I could find it)  that would be $20.00. 

Returning it after vacation seemed like the ideal $14 compromise. If I just returned movie  to the Troy library without watching it I would have been out $4 with nothing to show for it. If you figured the " minus four dollars for nothing factor" my total investment would be ten dollars.They also charge $5 to park  at the DIA. Figure that in and the difference between dumping the movie immediately  and taking on Vacation was $1 That I could afford. I could also watch the movie unlimited times while on vacation.

What I  had not calculated on was librarian who would have my best interests at heart.."You should

 have called," the librarian said. "we might have been able to work something out." When I asked,  she said the $14 was on the high end but not a record. "Would you like me to speak to someone on your behalf ?" I thanked her but declined. I had it all figured out and I made the rules.  Besides  the Troy Library needed the money more than I did. "Bloomfield Hills. " she said again picking up the license and writing some numbers on a check I had just written her. I hope they get the money the need.  They  seem  very nice and it's a pleasure now to  to speak on their behalf.