Speak Out 3/14/15

Kaplan trying

to sell utilities?

As an employee of the City of Poplar Bluff, who is proud to be serving our city, I have recently heard of our city council and the manager inquiring about the possibility of selling the Municipal Utilities Electric Department to Ozark Border. The only reason would be to access the reserves built up by the years of savings by MU. Municipal Utility writes off to close to a million dollars a year for buildings, street lights and operations for city hall and it would be short-sighted by our city council and manager to sell the only branch of our city government that can and does generate a profit for the security of our electric system.

The system is an asset making a profit regardless of the accounting tricks Mr. Kaplan uses and it can be proven.

To the citizens and businesses of Poplar Bluff, please replace this city council and city manager so anything done couldn't be recouped or be able to walk away from in the future.

Inquire about this from Heath Kaplan, Jack Rushin and Stanley Estes.

A $20M mistake by the city

"I think the city is about to make a $20 million mistake."

Let's hope our "new" city Council will do their due diligence as Jack Rushin said.

Summers proposes that the city spend 7.8 million more to meet future standard that may never be the future standards.

Summers never offered the information that a mechanical system as he proposes (vs the present Lagoon system) has higher initial cost but higher ongoing cost to maintain and run the plant. Who do you think will have to pay for the higher ongoing cost? The city will have to raise utility rates to pay for these cost.

Our "new" city council needs to ask a lot of questions, on this deal. I think Mr. Summers is just trying to get a contract for his firm not for the benefit of the city but for the benefit of himself! This engineering firm has one employee in Poplar Bluff, Bob Summers. This is a St. Louis firm not a local firm that employees people from our town and surrounding community.

Perks for a

business in PB

Yes, Speak Out, I have a question. I would like to start a business in Poplar Bluff, but I would like to not pay any taxes on my extension I'm gonna build just like the Mid-Continent Nail factory owned by Mexican company and I'd like to borrow $200,000 from somebody without paying it back like Mr. Becker did. Can you tell me who I could do that with?

What's with

all the studies?

What's the deal with Kaplan and the feasibility study of the existing city hall and police department?

A couple of weeks ago he told us that the city was going to build a new police department on Three Rivers Blvd. and he hoped to have it completed in 2016.

So which way is it?? Once again are we spending money on something that is already decided--sounds sort of like the new phone system--he told us that Municipal Utilities had to have a new phone system and it is still in the boxes and apparently will never be used because Kaplan is buying all new phone systems from his "buddy" in Michigan for millions of dollars and had to buy it in such a rush that there was no time for anyone to bid.