I will be unable to attend the Apple Valley City Council meeting this week due to a prior meeting commitment which unfortunately requires my undivided attention. So, I had to resort to the old school method of reading the upcoming agenda. Aside from the usual bullshit, they’re going to be talking about requiring uniform address identification on homes and the internal signage of Apple Valley Liquor Store #3 which cost taxpayers just over $25,300!
Being that I cannot attend Thursday’s meeting, I called in advance asking for the paperwork which would be made available for public viewing and the press to take with them as part of the three extremely eco-unfriendly press packets of which at least one is rarely used (unless I’m there to take it). I got a call back this afternoon and was politely told that I would be able to view them in person and also had the option of paying .25/page to take copies home with me. Honestly, I was a bit confused with this statement so I made sure I was clear with what I heard. The following is paraphrased from the discussion between myself and the Apple Valley clerk I spoke with today:
Clerk: You will need to pay .25/page for copies.
Bill: You are telling me that while you offer the members of the press, who might not be Apple Valley residents, copies of all documents free of charge, you are going to charge an Apple Valley resident (and taxpayer) .25/page?
Clerk: (pause) yes, I suppose that’s correct.
Now, I don’t know about you but I’m a little bit miffed by this entire process. First of all, there’s absolutely no reason that in 2009 I should have to pay for copies of any public document which will be available in paper format at upcoming City Council meetings. All public record paperwork of this type should be readily available on the Apple Valley website for all to view in PDF format alongside both the agendas and minutes. The Apple Valley City Council wants to be green? Well, let’s go the paperless route and actually do something that will impact the environment. Along with the switch from bottled water to water served in reusable glassware, you should certainly make all documents available in PDF on your website. I suggest you institute this by the next City Council meeting and if you don’t, the taxpayers of Apple Valley should expect detailed reasons why. Excuses that adding this to your website is not feasible or will take too much time to happen are bullshit. Download the open-source and freely available PDFCreator and let’s just get this done, ok? Let me be the first to welcome you to a much greener 2009.
Now, after that discussion I finally asked if I could avoid the printing fees by requesting this information via fax (I have it in PDF available here — see how easy that was to make available?) and after receiving it, I took a close look at the information provided. Honestly, there is only one true surprise for me and that was the fact that they had no signs telling potential thieves exactly where the safe was so that they could be in and out before the cops arrived minutes after the alarm was triggered.
Aside from the lack of signs pointing out the location of the now missing safe, there are plenty of other expensive signs listed including one to point out the phone, four to note that a particular register is closed, and three which allude to staff only areas. Those are quite reasonably priced and along with several other signs of the same caliber end up removing only about $1200 from the general fund. Unfortunately for the fine citizens of Apple Valley, the city’s desire to have a bunch of pointless signs advertising a “Beer Cave”, a “Tasting Bar”, and eighteen signs about the “wine stand” removed over $15,000 from the general fund. Remember my argument about the difference between “over $400,000″ and “$400,000 even”? Well, the $25,000 spent on this unnecessary interior signage would certainly have put any confusion between the two to rest.
Can someone please explain to me why the general fund had to suffer a $5,000 setback because the liquor store operations had to fund a sign that fucking reads, “BEER CAVE”? Honestly, I’d expect a sign like that in a gas station in backwoods Kentucky, not in a modern and eco-friendly $5 million shrine to alcoholism sponsored by the City of Apple Valley. How much electricity does that sign draw when it’s running all damn day? Does the “geo-thermal” HVAC system offset those costs?
The Apple Valley City Council again has disappointed the taxpayers of Apple Valley by even considering accepting a motion to pay $25,301.21 for signage in a liquor store they should not have built in the first place. They also have a lot of work to do to bring themselves up to speed on the whole “Green” initiative including starting with doing away with their distribution of unnecessary copies of documents on paper which should be freely available via their website in PDF format.
Are you an Apple Valley taxpayer? What do you think about my assertion that the interior signage for Apple Valley Liquor Store #3 is not only unnecessary but overly expensive and tacky? Do you agree that all supporting documentation for City Council meetings should be provided via the Apple Valley website in PDF rather than requiring taxpayers to fork over .25/page while the media receives a huge packet of information on dead trees for free? Whatever you feel, comment on, I’d love to hear what you have to say.
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February 10th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
“Can someone please explain to me why the general fund had to suffer a $5,000 setback because the liquor store operations had to fund a sign that fucking reads, “BEER CAVEâ€? Honestly, I’d expect a sign like that in a gas station in backwoods Kentucky, not in a modern and eco-friendly $5 million shrine to alcoholism sponsored by the City of Apple Valley. How much electricity does that sign draw when it’s running all damn day? Does the “geo-thermal†HVAC system offset those costs?”
Spot on, Bill. My sentiments exactly. Embarrassing.
February 10th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
It’s mind-boggling to see how far behind, technologically speaking, large institutions and government agencies are. The fact that they still rely so heavily on paper documents in Apple Valley screams waste and with everyone being asked to cut costs, “the man” should be no exception.
February 10th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Unfortunately it’s too late now, the signs have been purchased & installed. Now the City has to pay for them.
What would have been more appropriate was for the Council to choke on the original order and/or change order that called for $25,000 worth of signs. Who in their right mind could think that $25,000 for internal signage IN A LIQUOR STORE is reasonable?
That’s what happens with government projects, once the ball starts rolling, it can’t be stopped. I mean, God forbid you step back at some point and say “No, this is excessive, we don’t need this.”
February 10th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
I would have designed and produced all that signage for only $23K.
February 11th, 2009 at 7:18 am
Wow, I actually agree with you on this regarding the liquor store signs. I cannot believe they cost that much. Maybe they should’ve invested in a better security system or how about just save the money for something important? Ugh…
February 11th, 2009 at 7:24 am
All of those customers streaming in and always asking the employees where the beer is must have been SOOOO annoying.
February 11th, 2009 at 7:38 am
It’s easy to spend other people’s money.
February 11th, 2009 at 8:38 am
I drove by there at about 11:30 last night as was delighted to see that all the neon signs in the high windows were still on. Good thing, too.
Wanna be green? PUT THE DAMN NEONS ON A TIMER SO THEY DON’T RUN 24 HOURS A DAY!!
February 11th, 2009 at 9:04 am
I hope to god that as the Apple Valley staffers read this post (and others) throughout the day, they do what they can to change their silly ways.
February 11th, 2009 at 9:22 am
i don’t think they’ll change their ways until we vote them out the effing door! they have deep pockets to pick, ours.
dave, i’ll do it for 22k!
bb
February 11th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Damn Bill, what a slam on the Kentucky gas stations! Even they have better sense than to spend 25% of the worth of their entire home on worthless signage.
Seems to me if you go to a store that sells liquor, if you can’t find what you need all by yourself, it might be time to find AA.
Then again, it would probably cost AV tax payers another $25,000 for a sign with directions!
February 11th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
I’d be curious if someone could connect the dots between Steve Carpenter (owner of Archetype Signs), Jennifer Kruse (also on the invoice) and some high-ranking Apple Valley official.
Or at least see what the bid process was for this project.
February 11th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
They are already there, so you gotta pay the bill. This was a battle to fight about 6 months ago.
Also, shit costs a lot. Signs are a cost of doing business. Now I personally think it is too bad that my city is in the liquor business to begin with with. I think they should stick with…running the city ??? go figure.
February 12th, 2009 at 8:22 am
For future signs then, how about working with Dakota County Technical College graphic arts or applied visual arts students- just like the idea for the golf course clubhouse? Run it like a contest – AV could get some good (free) press out of the deal too, in addition to getting the signs at lower cost. Heck, the Dakota County jail is getting a mural painted by the inmates, why can’t the liquor store get signs painted by students?
February 12th, 2009 at 9:33 am
JP, I think Bill was fighting the battle 6 months ago too. Plus, it seems it isn’t until an invoice is presented that the specific costs become public.
You are right. It’s shameful that the city is in the liquor business. It’s even more shameful how poorly they run the business.
Signage is a cost of doing business (to meet basic code obligations), but a $5,000 Beer Cave sign is a despicable abuse of government’s responsibility of good stewardship of the citizens’ money. People are struggling to put food on the table — meanwhile, Apple Valley takes money out of your pocket to put up a $5,000 back-lit Beer Cave sign while whining out the other side of their mouth that they need to take more of your money to pay for the extra burden of code enforcement on so many foreclosed properties around town.
Ever since Bill posted this invoice and I’ve continued to ponder it, I’ve felt more and more angry about this. And I’m not even an Apple Valley resident.
February 12th, 2009 at 9:56 am
It’s pretty absurd that these liquor stores are being run by cities to begin with. The liquor laws in this state are draconian and ought to be repealed so that beer and wine can be sold in grocery stores and to a system that doesn’t allow municipalities to run liquor stores.
February 12th, 2009 at 9:57 am
I agree MSPD. Everytime I think about it, I get mad. And I *am* an AV resident. But I’m also pretty much discouraged at the city’s ability to listen to its residents. I don’t have any hope that my making my opinions known will do anything. They just don’t listen.
I’m anti-protest, because I don’t really think it does any good, but I almost want to go stand on Galaxie with the “Shame on you City of Apple Valley” people.