Remarks by Les Simpson
96 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 4
- Play at 2:54:35
“So on the key issues that you're talking about, the safety part, what objective data do we have that shows a single source provider is safer than multiple providers operating under the same standards?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 2:54:54
“Yes. Because that's what I'm seeing here is that the first responder safety says single source is strongest, and I'm just trying to get a gauge for how do we determine what data shows that it's the strongest.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 2:55:34
“So we have data that says, it shows that single providers get the job done faster?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 2:55:48
“So we don't have data that, do we have data that quantifies that? I mean, and could a rotation actually have the potential to get people to the scene quicker than a single source?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 2:56:07
“I mean, all resources are not in town, but it could have the potential to get there quicker in some cases. Maybe single source would be some.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 2:57:43
“Got it. And so you mentioned kind of accountability. Could we achieve the same accountability with several qualified companies?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 2:58:09
“Well, I would just think, I mean, and I'm not saying the potential, I mean, to me, competition is probably the biggest thing to hold people accountable. That is, if there's competition for the business and they're not doing it, then they don't get the business anymore. Whereas if it's one person, I mean, there is a level of accountability, but they're not really, in this sense, since they're competing for the contract, but once they get it, they get it.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 2:59:17
“You mean how much time? You mean because we're under a deadline?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:00:22
“SO HOW MUCH, I MEAN, ARE WE TALKING Ten more people, five more people, two more people?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:00:30
“And it has to be that complex? I mean, is there ways?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:01:39
“And have we been using tow book in our operations?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:02:11
“But they've been running it for us. We can just monitor it. But what you're saying is that we would have our own, and everyone would come through us. Correct. I mean, has that got the potential to, I mean, does Tobook have the potential to help in a lot of these efficiencies that you're talking about? A lot of it, yes. Because as I was just trying to do some research, it looks like it has police rotation, electronic dispatching. I mean, has TOBA kind of demonstrated how a managed rotation might work in our case?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:03:28
“And then how long would this exclusive agreement last?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:03:45
“And so when would the checkpoint be on whether that one is meeting our standards?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:03:53
“So and then so and then if they're not meeting the standards on a quarterly basis, then we go back through this process again.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:04:08
“But if we had multiple providers. and somebody's not meeting the performance, we just boot them out and we keep on towing.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:04:27
“I mean, I just don't understand why it's that complicated, but I'll take your word for it. What is it? So when we get a... large event, whether it's flooding or snow, which doesn't come up that often. I mean, when we got a demand that our primary can't work, you know, how do we handle that in essence of safety and transparency for the citizens?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:05:29
“And do we currently have standards in the contract? Limited, but yes. And have they been met? Yes.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:05:38
“So the current contractor has met all the standards that we have in there? Yes. Okay. I think that's all I've got. Thank you.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:11:26
“I wouldn't mind seeing just a little bit more detail on exactly this administrative burden aspect. I mean, with technology and the way things can, you know, you can keep up with things, I would just think it would be easier than what we're talking about. But what I'm hearing you saying is we wouldn't be paying for it.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:11:47
“Okay. And then the other thing I would just say, and Council may not go into it, I just, to me, competition always beats a monopoly. And I would think the ability to have competition in this space would be the highest level of accountability, but especially with what you're talking about. So I mean, if the rest of council wants to go with a single source, then so be it. But I like the idea of competition. And I'm just wondering what we may be giving up here because of the competition.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:37:06
“So when we first went over to utility billing back in April or May, whenever it was, We had people that were reporting what they felt was abnormal for that month. In other words, they would go back and look at the entire last year and sometimes it was double or triple that. I mean, did you see some of that as well? Because I was hearing from people at the time.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:37:44
“Right, right. And then I guess, Andrea, this is part of what... Our $85,000 audit is going to come back and tell us how this was happening.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:38:00
“And then here's what I'm hearing now. I'm hearing people with the same scenario and sometimes different people that are saying, you know, I haven't changed my water settings. You know, I have a sprinkler system. I know there was more water used, but they're seeing a double or sometimes higher in August where the last three months are the same. Are we seeing some of those again?”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 3:38:33
“Yeah, well, and I can pass them along. I'm just wondering if you're seeing the same thing of this. I asked at one point, can we run a report, like when it first came out, of how many people saw record 12-month highs in April? I don't know if we ever were able to do that. But what people are saying, this is abnormal, even during the summer. And I've not changed my sprinkler system. I'm doing other things. And for some reason, I go from using 20,000, 25,000 to 60,000 gallons a month. And there's no explanation to it, I think is the frustrating part. Because at the end of the day, I don't know…”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026