City Government
Poop Plant Personnel Change
July 17, 2008 
There is sure to be a stink when you work with people and poop.
Boise City officials have made a personnel change at the Lander Street sewage treatment facility which on the face of it looks like a demotion for the former plant manager.
For more than two years the GUARDIAN–and other media outlets–have received complaints from insiders and obvious former employes claiming the former manager of the Lander Facility and the current manager of the West Boise treatment plant were conducting private business on city time.
At issue is a private sewage treatment consulting outfit known as Operations Management Consulting Services (OMCS) owned and operated by two city public works staffers. They do work for Avimor and Hidden Springs private developments among others.
The Daily Paper ran a story about their activities which prompted a response from the Public Works spokesman, Vince Trimboli.
Trimboli declared to the Idaho Statesman on behalf of the City, “We felt there was no conflict of interest. They have continually been reviewed. They are not going against city policy. It was discussed with legal and human resources.”
Trimboli was contacted Thursday and said he stands by his remarks as they pertain to events at the time he made the statement.
Looks like someone saw reason for changes…few people voluntarily take a $3,000 cut in pay a few months before retirement.
The City Council had previously told the men only to change their commercial web site to eliminate references to their city affiliation, but did nothing further, apparently believing their department head had washed the matter down the drain. Then documents from other government agencies were presented to a City Councilor who demanded an investigation.
Even though the conflict issue has been publicly debated, city personnel folks would offer only sparse details in response to a GUARDIAN inquiry calling it a “personnel matter.” Here is the poop:
–New plant manager is Glen Schwenke at an annual salary of $59,400.
–Former Manager Christopher Linder takes a $3,000 pay cut from $61,152 and is now a shift supervisor (special projects coordinator) at a salary of $58,164. The position was previously unfilled. He is eligible for retirement soon.
Word from the banks of the Boise River is most employees are happy to see the changes, finally.
Here is the original
GUARDIAN POST February 2006.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Jul 17, 2008, 5:12 pm
Guardian,
Thanks for birddogging (poopdogging?) all the poop at the poop farm and other poopy places in Boise. All those greedy turd wranglers now don’t have such a wide stance.
I feel much better now dropping the kids off at the pool every morning.
BTW, You Rock!
dog
Jul 17, 2008, 7:03 pm
Why does this look like the baboon said “Holy pooper scoopers! We need to make these changes pronto and just pray it blows over quickly!” Just how many times does this administration have to look “shady” before someone calls them to task?
I wonder who the councilperson was that asked for the investigation?
Poop problems, city equipment taken home,DUI’s,the now famous “dope and dogfood” comment, new parks that aren’t, whitewater wading pools for fewer than 50 (albeit influential) citizens, a bus system that is completely useless, a historic city icon (the depot) that the citizens have virtually no access to, the list goes on and on and on and on.
One heckuva way to run a railroad!
Jul 17, 2008, 10:40 pm
The West Boise Plant Manager has been abusing the employees and the system far longer than Mr. Linder. I am surprised that he has escaped the scythe.
In typical fashion the city refuses to do the right thing and fire these guys. If they did fire them it would have highlighted their preferential treatment of the good’ol boys that has been going on for ever.
Maybe the next time these bozo’s will be more careful with the paperwork that lead to the adjustment.
Jul 18, 2008, 5:51 am
Big, what kind of abuses are employees at West Boise suffering?? And what paperwork are you talking about???
Jul 18, 2008, 8:53 am
What’s with your pals at the Daily Paper? You quote them after thy jump on a G story and try to make you look like a amateur saying NO CONFLICT with the sewer guy.
Then when the city moves the dude out and demots him, the Statesman cuts THEIR WORDS out of YOUR post and doesen’t have the nads to say the PW dept. is wrong and the old sports announcer tried to spin them.
Face it, GUARDIAN got it right and Statesman wouldn’t even follow their own news story. No wonder they are going down hill.
Jul 18, 2008, 10:37 am
Cyclops…can’t you please drop the Baboon reference? It’s ok to be critical of someone…but couldn’t you just have a bit of common decency and respect about it? Name calling is so juvenile!
Respectful criticism is much better received than what you do…even tho you have good points sometimes, they are marred by your name-calling.
Jul 18, 2008, 11:20 am
Big – all levels of government are looking shady right now. It must be due to the trickle down theory. And we are doing NOTHING to stop it.
Well, we do blog a lot and Fraz lifts the carpet to show how it’s been covering the poop – thanks, Fraz. Wish there were more of you to go around. : )
Jul 18, 2008, 12:30 pm
DeadMeat is right about Cyclops. The Baboon comments are childish and rude. The blog can do just fine without them.
And, while we are at it. It is well know that this blog is monitored. That means the baboon comments are implicitly condoned by the Guardian. If Cyclops doesn’t stop the behavior, the Guardian needs to stop it for him.
EDITOR NOTE–Fair enough! At first it appeared to be a reference about Boise being the 700 lb gorilla. We got hit earlier on the CONTACT link with “censorship.” We don’t want to end up like the crowd at the Daily Paper. CYCLOPS–play nice or you get a time out.
Jul 18, 2008, 3:03 pm
Guardian, I am afraid I will have to take the time out! I have absolutely no respect for this man.
Respect is earned and He can’t even “ante up”! The reference is indeed toward the reputation Boise has of the 800 pound gorilla in the valley. As long as he keeps acting that way, the moniker will stick. So, I guess another independant thinker will bow to the threat that he is being “monitored”. Sad, but so be it! I would have thought better of you Dave.
Jul 18, 2008, 9:14 pm
So that makes you no better than the folks that you are calling names. Way to prove a point.
Jul 19, 2008, 10:04 pm
Big is correct… Both the Lander Street and West Boise plant managers have gotten away with rule by intimidation for years. The West Boise plant manager was hired into his position and later Linder was placed into the plant management position for Lander. The management style of both managers would be questionable under anyone’s standards, but obviously just what the Operations division manager wants.
These two managers have had their own side-line business together that has been repeatedly reported for its abuse of city time, tools and equipment through the years which has been repeatedly covered-up, justified and brushed aside.
When you look at the track record, there seems to be no limit to what Operations division can get away with.
That said, Glen Schwenke is a welcome and long overdue change for Lander Street. He comes with high standards is well liked, respected and qualified for the position. Glen is a great start to the kind of change that is needed.
Jul 20, 2008, 11:23 am
If people don’t like Cyclops posts why don’t they just skip over them, like one does with articles in the newspaper that don’t look interesting.
EDITOR NOTE–Actually, Cyclops has informed the GUARDIAN that his has visited the baboons at the zoo and THEY were offended by his remarks, not wanting to be compared to an elected official, so he will refrain from using the “B” word since he respects the primates more than politicos.