Multiple Choice Quiz

Apparently there are several of these floating around the interwebs:

Please check the multiple choice answer that seems most accurate. There may be more than one correct answer.

 

1. What ever happened to the police officer who was filmed allegedly snoozing in a church parking lot? He told the student who was filming him that it was against the law in a video that went viral. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCLqV-Z4cyQ Recently a police officer in Chicago who was caught napping was suspended for five days.

 

            a. Interim chief Jeff Grubbs made sure that a speedy inquiry and disciplinary actions were carried out with full public disclosure

 

            b. Interim Chief Jeff Grubbs said that it was a “personnel matter” and that the Fraternal Order of Police (who endorsed him for Chief) would have to look over the matter

 

            c. nothing

 

2. Marion and Carbondale received a grant to build pool and other facilities on the same day- October 4, 2011. http://thesouthern.com/news/local/carbondale-marion-will-build-pools-with-grants/article_4ea6c9d6-ee44-11e0-be3c-001cc4c03286.html

 

In the meantime Marion has completed the “Hub”, a year round facility,  but Carbondale’s Park District is saddled with a hole in the ground that may no longer be funded. Marion’s facility had had some issues with the floors costing maybe $46K, but the center has practically sold out its membership. Carbondale planned to open its pool this May for its 4 month yearly run - a critical part of the financing will be ticket receipts. Now it will go another year without ticket sales. What happened?

 

            a. Marion’s Mayor for Life Bob Butler bulldozed the project forward undemocratically taking money from highway funds and other sources. Meanwhile Carbondale carefully raised money through bake sales and puppet shows that took longer but more deeply engaged the community.

 

            b. Marion quickly put together a plan and raised the funds. While Carbondale barely raised money from the public relying instead on other taxing units like the City of Carbondale to make their “match” with state funds. Carbondale park District has actually lost even some of those funds such as the tourism grants, raising the question if the Splash Park will ever be built.

 

            c. Nothing of importance. Nothing to see here. Kathy Renfro of the Carbondale Park District one of the Southern’s Leaders of the Year.

 

3. Why is it taking so long for City Manager Kevin Baity to advertise for the Police Chief’s job?

 

            a. Baity is extra careful with this decision since the last chief worked out so poorly.

 

            b. The choice of Mayor Henry is interim Chief Jeff Grubbs. Grubbs lives outside the city limits while city residency is required. Grubbs will get an apartment in the city of Carbondale and claim it as his home address. At that point Baity will announce that he is the Chief.

 

            c. It’s extremely hard to fill Chief of Police jobs in the wake of Ferguson, Staten island and Baltimore, especially if the goal is someone who will represent undeserved minorities.

 

4. The Downtown Advisory Committee was essentially put out of business by City Manager Kevin Baity. This in spite of 9 extremely well attended meetings with citizens and 19 people on the panel who each made presentations on various issues facing the city. Also, the all volunteer DAC cost almost no money. From the DAC has come an America’s Best Cities award, an RFP for downtown high speed free wifi, and a renewed sense that Carbondale was on the move. Why did Baity decide to ditch it without any consultation with the committee or Council?

 

            1. “Staff” knows better than citizens how to get Carbondale moving. The evidence is everywhere. 

 

            2. The DAC was getting out of hand as it came to the actual charge to the development consultants. This is the point where the real estate interests in the city come to bear and average citizens are a real hindrance.

 

            3. The DAC was a clown show that didn’t really get to the bottom of the issues plaguing the “Strip”.