I remember, at one meeting, Orme tried to talk committee members into seeking compulsory trash service for everybody, but the consultant said they’d have to offer low-income subsidies. The process was questionable, by the time it was done, Nakamura had left Mark Orme in charge. The companies would vie for the right to serve us, and they’d have to pay the franchise fee – wake up Turnip Head, that means, YOU PAY IT. His solution was to limit trash haulers with a franchise agreement. I asked Nakamura for proof of those complaints, whether emails or letters, he ignored me. (McKinley, by the way, got the can without explanation not long after) Public works director Fritz McKinley told attendees of a morning committee meeting that the trucks were not only big, they were speeding. The city had permitted those big trucks, if you’ve lived in Chico more than 15 years you watched them go from the size of a small delivery truck to the behemoths that troll our streets today. Nakamura’s Howdy Doody solution? Well, we’ll just make the garbage companies pay for street repairs – after all, those big trucks are ripping up the streets! Nakamura also claimed he had numerous, steady complaints about “ all these garbage trucks on the streets” – as if it was a public safety concern. Funds went into arrears, and staff started telling us projects were years behind because there was no money. Behind closed doors he steadily increased payments to CalPERS, taking the money out of every department fund.

He told us we had about a $198,000,000 pension deficit, and that was tanking our credit rating and leading to all kinds of calamity. I left off with the Trash Tax, so that’s where I’ll pick up.īrian Nakamura came here not only to trim payroll, he came with plans to increase the city’s payments to CalPERS.

I choose to focus on actions that have raised the cost of living in Chico while lowering the quality of life. That means a lot of things to a lot of people, and that’s why the conversation isn’t really going anywhere. Last time I was talking about actions the city of Chico has taken over the past 10 or so years that have led us to the situation (I’m being nice) we’re in today.

Howdy duty bust bank