or this commenter thinks Trizna deserves our thanks!
See Update Below!
Original Text Begins Here
I intercepted this comment on 10/22/2012. It was was destined for: Da! So what’s the deal here? The reason for not allowing the comment to pass through was the comment was not about the subject at hand.
However, I decided to present the comment now, as a post, because I thought it enlightening, and that you might have fun reading this PRPD insider point of view.
The Intercepted Comment
| “Anonymous said... Thanks to Mr. Trizna for articulating the overarching fact that the Park District has always been in charge of this private club's staff and facilities. The City of Park Ridge gave 30 or 40 grand for awhile; everybody else gave lip service except for the dearly departed now and then, who gave goodly bequests. During the many years in which the Park District was laxly managed and therefore the Senior Center was staffed but essentially not managed, club members may have gotten the idea they were in charge. But a private group can say they run the Napoleonic Empire; that don't make it so. Any group depending on the largesse of all the taxpayers, any group whose membership dropped, per Mr. Butterly, from 1600 to 800 when the senior population is not only larger than in most towns but growing nationwide, is a poorly managed, unmanaged resource. That has changed since Ray Ochromowicz showed up, took one look and started making changes any real manager charged with obtaining results at a certain cost could have seen were needed far earlier. So be it. Time to move on. October 22, 2012 7:46 AM” |
I’ll hold off my opinion until you’ve had your say.
Update: 11-08-2012
Anon: October 22, 7:46 AM,
You wrote: “Thanks to Mr. Trizna for articulating the overarching fact that the Park District has always been in charge of this private club's staff and facilities.”
My response: And? I fail to see how the simple facts of building ownership and park district staff responsibility prior to January 2011 seems to fascinate some on the Park Board’s side, including Mr. Trizna. All of the “Senior Center” contracts made between PRPD and SSI clearly stipulate that working relationship.
You wrote: “The City of Park Ridge gave 30 or 40 grand for awhile; everybody else gave lip service except for the dearly departed now and then, who gave goodly bequests.”
My response: And? Over those same years Park Ridge gave on behalf of its citizens, tens-of-thousands-of-dollars to support many non-profit service organizations, for the good work they did.
I don’t understand your “everybody else gave lip service” comment, since, over the years many civic-minded individuals and organizations contributed to the Senior Center.
Others, mostly individuals, gave to PRSC by supporting various fund-raising activities; and yes, still others gave bequests, something current and future Park Ridge Park District budgeters will surely miss.
| Note: Most people do not contribute to entities that are not tax exempt. For example: the bequest made by Betty Kemnitz would not have been considered a tax free gift, which is the reason some people give their estates to charity. The PRRPD is not a charitable organization, though they now like to say they are fronted by their Parks Foundation. |
You wrote: “During the many years in which the Park District was laxly managed and therefore the Senior Center was staffed but essentially not managed, club members may have gotten the idea they were in charge.”
My response: First of all, I’m not sure I agree with you fully. I think PRPD has been lead poorly in the past. I think it’s being lead poorly now! However, I’m just not sure who you’re blaming!
| So Anon, are you blaming: Angelini, Barton, Berman, Brandt, Clark, Crowe, Franklin, Gentile, Grant, Greve, or Grodsky? Or: Hahn, Herman, Hunst, Jarog, Knouse, Lang, Lauderdale, Lucarz, Majewski, Malak, Maloney, Milissis, Mountcastle or Neumann? What about: O’Brien, Ochromowicz, Raspanti, Santee, Schaeffer, Schreiber, Somerman, Streff, Sues, Trizna, Van Thorre, Vile, Wilkening or Wolf, or Wynn-Ryan? |
Are any of these suspects, in your opinion, the incompetent Park District leaders since 2000 or were you thinking of someone else to blame for PRPD’s lax management?
You also went on to describe the pre-2011 Park Ridge Senior Center as a “club”.
Again I say; so what? The derogatory use of “club” in this case, or “club-house” or “club-member” is, in my opinion, a sign of childish envy; and a personal issue you need to resolve!
You wrote: “Any group depending on the largesse of all the taxpayers, any group whose membership dropped, per Mr. Butterly, from 1600 to 800 when the senior population is not only larger than in most towns but growing nationwide, is a poorly managed, unmanaged resource.”
My response: First of all, the pre-2011 Park Ridge Senior Center did not just depend “on the largesse of all the taxpayers”. That is incorrect – period. I strongly suggest you meander through this site. There, you will find imbedded official documents supporting my statement.
As to drop in membership, I must agree with you.
Senior’s did a poor job of marketing their center!
There was a time, in the later 1980’s when the Center grew to 1,600+ members. That membership peak was created through the efforts of younger “60ish” Senior Center members.
Many of those members have since moved on, so to speak.
When the OLD SENIOR CENTER was taken over by the 2011 Park Board, there were still 800+ dues paying members. Based on current information, the NEW PARK RIDGE PARK DISTRICT SENIOR CENTER has slightly over 650 dues paying members. Maybe you can find out why this is so and report back here!
The major issue supporting those then opposing the old “Senior Center” back in 2011, was the $160,000 projected deficit. Of course, PRPD’s decision to take over responsibility for the new Senior Center in 2011, has grown that deficit well beyond that projection.
It didn’t have to be that way of course. The new contract agreement would have diminished the deficit significantly.
Further, as has always been the case, Park Ridge leaders and management, could have rented out the space at 100 S. Western during post-senior activity times cutting the projected deficit considerably.
This they failed to do!
You wrote: “That has changed since Ray Ochromowicz showed up, took one look and started making changes any real manager charged with obtaining results at a certain cost could have seen were needed far earlier.”
My response: What changes are you talking about?
In 2008 the Board panicked.
In 2009 PRPD hired Ray “Mr. Profit Center” Ochromowicz to solve all their previously neglected financial problems. Rays idea was to run a taxpayer-funded public Park District in the manner of a private amusement park, with each amusement or activity paying its own way or making a profit.
What a cool idea the O’Brien Board and friends must have thought; and he (Ray) suggested PRPD could have a waterpark too!
By 2010 Ray targeted the Senior Center for cost reductions and offloaded the NEW CONTRACT NEGOTIATION RESPONSIBILITY to two subordinates, Ms. Lorie Knouse, Superintendent of Recreation and Ms. Teresa Grodsky, Manager of the Senior Center; both of whom had no previous negotiating experience.
In baseball terms, Ray sent in bat-boys as pinch-hitters, expecting a home-run and a World Series win!
Big Mistake In Judgment!
On August 26, 2010 9:03 AM, he wrote the following to Ms. Grodsky describing his thoughts on the matter:
| “My strategy was to throw a grenade into the status quo way of doing things. That's why 3 to 4 months ago, I gave a deadline to have the Senior Services agreement renegotiated by August, so we could budget appropriately for 2011. I suggested the radical Senior Services consume 99% of the full time staff time so they should pay 100% of their salaries and wages. I was hoping that would set people aflame. I was hoping it would cause them to not only think outside the box but drop the box and think of radically new approaches. I was hoping they'd spend the next few months research best practices from around the country, foundations, other senior centers and not-for-profits, etc, to come back with a unique counter proposal that would dramatically lower the District's subsidy.” He then went on to say: “None of that happened. I periodically inquired about the status of the agreement while growing increasingly concern about the outcome. But, I did not interfere. I let appropriate channels do their thing. What came back to me did not accomplish the objective. Nothing new, different or radical. Nothing that substantially changed the bottom line or would lead us to a better bottom in the future. I guess my long winded points are: |
| 1. You are on a team that overall has outperformed expectations in terms of quality, efficiency, finances and pulling together as a team. The Board and I recognize, applaud and are rewarding that. Feel good about it. Celebrate! 2. Lesson learned about my expectation for the renewal of the Senior Services agreement. Obviously, since we have never talked directly about this matter there was a breakdown somewhere. 3. It's not an individual or a ‘we' that is the problem. The problem is the outcome. We, the District, need a better outcome. It's required to avoid financial disaster in three years. 4. Change isn't always easy. The test is being able to look back three years from now and see that the action we took was consistent with the District's mission and in it' long term best interest.” |
Original Email
Mr. “O”, in my opinion, abandoned his direct responsibility as the chief negotiator for the Park District. The Park District Commissioners, with the responsibility of oversight, allowed, if not encouraged, Mr. “O” to do so, to the detriment of the Park District taxpayer; in my opinion.
I’m sure the ever watchful O’Brien/Biagi lead Board saw no problem with Mr. Ochromowicz’s lead from behind management style, since they gave him a much publicized July 15, 2010 bonus of $3,000 in recognition of his performance.
So much for “making changes any real manager charged with obtaining results at a certain cost could have seen were needed far earlier.”
You wrote: “So be it. Time to move on.”
My response: They’d love to, if only the Park Ridge Park District would keep its contractual agreement, cut the court crap and just pay up! Moses said it best: Let my people go!
Of course, it’s just my opinion.
