Do Any Services/Departments in Detroit Operate Efficiently?

**313WX** · December-28-12, 10:21 PM

Serious question. It seems like just about every service in which the city of Detroit has operates at a 3rd World Level...

Garbage Pick-Up = Sucks [[lately)
Mass TRansit = Sucks
Schools = Suck
Police Response = Sucks
Ambulance Response = Sucks
Fire Respose = Sucks
Tax/Revenue Deaprtment = Incompetent
Library = Incompetent

Water/Sewerage and Parking Enforcement are about the only things that operate at a reasonable level.

What say you?

Shollin · December-28-12, 10:25 PM

I think the schools are more a function of the students and parents. How can the schools educate students who don't show up? Denby high school has an attendance rate of 65%. State average is 95%.

**firstandten** · December-29-12, 01:59 AM

Parking has been one of the major cash cows the city has had. Over time it has been well run and relatively scandal free. The director made it thru CAY, Archer and Kwame retiring during Kwame's second term [[ before the stuff hit the fan).

**p69rrh51** · December-29-12, 03:11 AM

While the DPL has had its share of problems lately, I usually get great service from the staff of the libraries, except for one desk at the main library.

**Vic01** · December-29-12, 03:20 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

...Water/Sewerage and Parking Enforcement are about the only things that operate at a reasonable level.

"reasonable"? What about the over staffing and inability to stop all the water flowing out of the vacant/abandoned buildings?

**DetroitPlanner** · December-29-12, 07:45 AM

The water and serer department serves half of the State's population and has not had any major incidents of people getting sick off of drinking water. For as much as many complain about the cost of the service, it is remarkable that they can provide a gallon of quality treated water and sewer it back for less than a penny. Compare that to what Aquafina charges.

Regarding the abandoned buildings issue, it is up to people to report the water to the City. They do have people who will go out there and turn water off. Now whether they know its running is a different story.

**mccarch** · December-29-12, 09:14 AM

I would disagree about garbage pickup. I live in Woodbridge, and I think garbage pickup here works great. The Courville containers are ugly and ungainly to operate, but they do the trick: they keep the garbage contained and make pickup easy. The trucks always come on the designated day - the only problem is when they come too early and catch me unawares. If only the rest of the city worked this well.

**Gannon** · December-29-12, 09:47 AM

I think that security detail on the Spirit of Detroit statue is pretty efficient.

**Honky Tonk** · December-29-12, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by Gannon

I think that security detail on the Spirit of Detroit statue is pretty efficient.

I think the Department Of Illgotten Procurement And Unnecessary Spending is top notch.

**Gannon** · December-29-12, 09:59 AM

The first rule of Illgotten Procurement and Unnecessary Spending is you do not talk about Illgotten Procurement and Unnesessary Spending.

**cla1945** · December-29-12, 10:16 AM

The DFD and DPD work with the resources that they have...which equals not much. Delapitated equipment, computers that don't work in police cars, not enough manpower, are all reasons for those departments not running efficiently.

Most of the City of Detroit Departments within the CAY are not running efficiently at all, and it's not because of lack of manpower. I have been retired for 20 years and have yet to receive a call back from Benefits Division after finally getting through to a mailbox of one of the employees down there.

IMHO, there is no accountability within the Detroit City Administration. There are no supervisors, bosses, commissioners, or anyone who holds their employees to a higher standard....unlike the period of 30 years I spend with DFD and you were asked to answer for your actions, or lack thereof.

As I have said thousands of times before, Bing needs to start at the top and trim the fat and get some people who will start managing these departments correctly. Maybe then the City can at least function half-way decent.

**evergreen** · December-29-12, 10:27 AM

I have to disagree about garbage pickup. Here in Northwest Detroit, it's usually pretty regular. Like much of the city however, there were delays this year in picking up grass, leaves etc.

All of the city's departments are incredibly understaffed. The city's employees are now down to less than 10,000. Computerization is nowhere near what it should or could be - this can be blamed on certain decisions made during the Archer administration as well as lack of money.

I have a lot of sympathy for the cops, but the department has been poorly managed for decades. There is an unbelievable amount of incompetence in the managerial ranks of the DPD. The shortage of troops just compounds the problems.

I wish they could bring in an intelligent, honest and innovative chief with experience in a major American city. [[Oliver doesn't count, Richmond VA is not comparable to Detroit.) The DPD needs to be reviewed by a set of fresh eyes. Great communication skills would help a lot too.

Given the city's financial instability however, it's hard to imagine this will be possible. The same problem, plus Bing's propensity to suddenly remove his managers, would scare away competent managerial talent for the other depts as well.

**Honky Tonk** · December-29-12, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by cla1945

The DFD and DPD work with the resources that they have...which equals not much. Delapitated equipment, computers that don't work in police cars, not enough manpower, are all reasons for those departments not running efficiently.

Most of the City of Detroit Departments within the CAY are not running efficiently at all, and it's not because of lack of manpower. I have been retired for 20 years and have yet to receive a call back from Benefits Division after finally getting through to a mailbox of one of the employees down there.

IMHO, there is no accountability within the Detroit City Administration. There are no supervisors, bosses, commissioners, or anyone who holds their employees to a higher standard....unlike the period of 30 years I spend with DFD and you were asked to answer for your actions, or lack thereof.

As I have said thousands of times before, Bing needs to start at the top and trim the fat and get some people who will start managing these departments correctly. Maybe then the City can at least function half-way decent.

All kidding aside, your post is dead on. I've worked in a variety of places in my lifetime, including DDWS, and I've never seen such complacency and lack of accountability anywhere. Until these issues are resolved, or the City hits the Megabux lottery so it can keep on keepin' on, there's little chance of it correcting it's current path.

serpico · December-29-12, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Vic01

"reasonable"? What about the over staffing and inability to stop all the water flowing out of the vacant/abandoned buildings?

Yep... visit what used to be the front entrance to the Packard Plant on E Grand Blvd to see the waste. Water is pouring out of the front entrance onto the street. Also about 1/3 of all vacant buildings in Detroit are leaking water. The fastest/easiest fix would be to shut off the water to these structures... but again.. we're talking about Detroit. Im sure a "committee" would need to be formed first to evaluate the "effect" before turning off the water to tens of thousands abandoned structures.... In the mean time... stray pit bulls love easy access to fresh water in the winter....

**Wesley Mouch** · December-29-12, 11:52 AM

My experience in dealing with City Hall from a business standpoint has pretty much been a disaster. But its not the staff. Its the system.

What's your experience with the system. Why are all city departments in trouble?

**poobert** · December-29-12, 03:09 PM

Garbage pickup is good. Here in EEV we also have curbside recycling, which is also very good. The only problem with garbage is the lack of bulk pickup, which results in so much illegal dumping.

The only other oddity I encountered with garbage pickup was that I managed to obliterate my courville. Shit happens, especially when you're an idiot, and I was willing to pay for it. The only way to get a new one was to mail in a money order [[come on!) and once they receive it they ship a new one. It didn't take too long, but the mailing in a money order struck me as both terribly out-of-date and rather ghetto.

I've also had good luck calling DPW about missing stop signs and street signs.

Everything else blows. Yes, the libraries are a mess.

DWSD sucks. I called them when I wasn't getting a water bill. They told me I didn't have a water meter. I told them I was staring right at it. They then had to send someone out to gaze upon my water meter [[in my basement, so I had to be home during some stupid hours) in order to verify it existed.

**313WX** · December-29-12, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by poobert

Garbage pickup is good. Here in EEV we also have curbside recycling, which is also very good. The only problem with garbage is the lack of bulk pickup, which results in so much illegal dumping.

The only other oddity I encountered with garbage pickup was that I managed to obliterate my courville. Shit happens, especially when you're an idiot, and I was willing to pay for it. The only way to get a new one was to mail in a money order [[come on!) and once they receive it they ship a new one. It didn't take too long, but the mailing in a money order struck me as both terribly out-of-date and rather ghetto.

I've also had good luck calling DPW about missing stop signs and street signs.

Everything else blows. Yes, the libraries are a mess.

DWSD sucks. I called them when I wasn't getting a water bill. They told me I didn't have a water meter. I told them I was staring right at it. They then had to send someone out to gaze upon my water meter [[in my basement, so I had to be home during some stupid hours) in order to verify it existed.

Garbage Pick-Up is OK. Ultimately, my trash cans are dumped.

My beef is, if they don't show up on garbage day which has been happening lately, they show up very late in the evening.

**Wesley Mouch** · December-29-12, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by evergreen

...
I wish they could bring in an intelligent, honest and innovative chief with experience in a major American city. [[Oliver doesn't count, Richmond VA is not comparable to Detroit.) The DPD needs to be reviewed by a set of fresh eyes. Great communication skills would help a lot too.

Given the city's financial instability however, it's hard to imagine this will be possible. The same problem, plus Bing's propensity to suddenly remove his managers, would scare away competent managerial talent for the other depts as well.

Or perhaps it will attract competent managerial talent who see that he's cleaning out incompetent management. Seems to be a good sign to me.

Bing's so easy to criticize. Perhaps because he is shaking thigns up. More than anything else, shaking up the comfortable order brings out every criticism in the book. We should be careful what we listen to. Lots of political garbage is being tossed about. Maybe Bing's not great. But just don't underestimate the venom and lies that will masquerade as facts and good intentions. Many of them will be self-serving.

**evergreen** · December-29-12, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Or perhaps it will attract competent managerial talent who see that he's cleaning out incompetent management. Seems to be a good sign to me.

Bing's so easy to criticize. Perhaps because he is shaking thigns up. More than anything else, shaking up the comfortable order brings out every criticism in the book. We should be careful what we listen to. Lots of political garbage is being tossed about. Maybe Bing's not great. But just don't underestimate the venom and lies that will masquerade as facts and good intentions. Many of them will be self-serving.

The garbage being tossed is the garbage Bing hired. The revolving door in the Bing administration consists of people HE selected. His track record in the selection and retention of staff is without equal in recent city history. The instability that this creates along with the city's financial stresses accounts for the general perception that he is in way over his head.

**Zacha341** · December-30-12, 09:21 AM

Yes. THAT IS CRAZY! What a waste of our valuable resource.

Originally Posted by Vic01

"reasonable"? What about the over staffing and inability to stop all the water flowing out of the vacant/abandoned buildings?

**Zacha341** · December-30-12, 09:22 AM

Along with the window polishing on the first flow of the CAY building!

Originally Posted by Gannon

I think that security detail on the Spirit of Detroit statue is pretty efficient.

**Wesley Mouch** · December-30-12, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by evergreen

The garbage being tossed is the garbage Bing hired. The revolving door in the Bing administration consists of people HE selected. His track record in the selection and retention of staff is without equal in recent city history. The instability that this creates along with the city's financial stresses accounts for the general perception that he is in way over his head.

Fair enough. And good points.

I remain a contrarian and often see that 'general perceptions' are wrong. But it these are his own hires, it is a sign of either trouble or a willingness to admin failure. Churn by itself isn't meaningful -- especially when the bureaucracy is so entrenched and dysfunctional. But good point.