Hamburg Town Rec Dept

[FJB]

I was at my sons hockey game last night at the town ice rink. As I was walking around the building I once again noticed that the Sabres game was on a TV in three different locations. The town employee was watching along with several parents. I was a bit annoyed at the fact this was happening. First of all as a parent I'm there to watch my kid play, not the Sabres. What is the town thinking? Why are we tax payers paying for adelphia cable to this building? Why are we paying for some staff member to sit and watch a Sabres game? I also noticed that once again the pro-shop was closed. Why doesn't the town allow its rink staff to run the pro-shop. It's run by some clown who almost never is there. Wouldn't it make sense to have the staff run it and bring in the few extra dollars to offset the salary of the staff? It's just more town waste that has caused our taxes to go up. What do you think about this?

[WNYresident]

Why should the town, any town have a equipment shop on site? Isn't that competing with locally owned equipment shops?

FJB. how many employees does the rink employee? If they are the ONLY employee there while it's open and there's nothing to do what do you expect them to do. You do need someone to open the doors and lock the place up when it closes.

[FJB]

[QUOTE=WNYresident]Why should the town, any town have a equipment shop on site? Isn't that competing with locally owned equipment shops?/QUOTE]
Why not? The golf courses sell golf balls and stuff. Other towns have the pro-shops right there. Why can't Hamburg do the same thing. Besides it's better to have a pro-shop on site for those people who need immediate assistance. Lots of people need the skates sharpened at the last minute, or they realize they left the mouth guard at home and go get a new one. The problem here is the guy who is contracted to run the shop is hardly ever there and the staff are board all day. So doesn't it make sense to have the staff run the shop?

[Hockey1901]

FJB,

If I may be so informal. Let me provide you with some much needed information since I know of your lack of knowledge when it comes to hockey.

The pro shop at the rink is contracted out by a private entity. They sign a contract with the town that says they will pay them a stipulated sum at the end of the year. The owners of the proshop retain the rest of the revenue earned. It is a similar relationship to that of the snack stand at the golf course and at the beach.

Now with regards to just selling things like golf balls. Well running the proshop isn't as simple as just selling golf balls, and it would be against the contractural relationship for the town to sell items such as tape and mouthguards. Furthermore, since this proshop sells hockey items where as at the golf course they are selling food. The comparison between the ice rink and the golf course is in error.

The person working in the office is a town employee with the recreation department whose responsibility it is to hand out lockerroom keys and turnout the lights at the end of the night, along with other minor duties. Since the proshop is run by a private group it would not be possible for the person working in the office to also run the proshop. If they were an employee of the proshop they would not be able to work in the office and in the proshop at the same time.

And since it is a private entity running the proshop they can have it open anytime they want. Maybe if you were a little more organized you wouldn't have to wait until a 7 or 8 O'Clock game on a Sunday night to have your son's skates sharpened. In addition, if you were a little more knowledgeable with regards to hockey you would know that youth hockey players, especially of your son's caliber, should not have their skates sharpened right before a game. It will affect their skating ability. Their skates should be sharpened before practices so the player can become accustomed to the newly sharpened skates rather than trying to acclimate themselves in the middle of a game.

Finally, I am sure you work every minute at your job as a, what do you do now, and never have a minute of down time. So I guess you do have a right to criticize the town worker for sitting around watching the Sabres game.

[Ben There]

lack of knowlege you hit the ford on the head the only people that talk to him are the one's using him. in person a normal person would tell him a joke and walk away. i think he was in the wizard of oz but i can't remember which one he was guess?

[FJB]

FJB,

If I may be so informal. Let me provide you with some much needed information since I know of your lack of knowledge when it comes to hockey.

The pro shop at the rink is contracted out by a private entity. They sign a contract with the town that says they will pay them a stipulated sum at the end of the year. The owners of the proshop retain the rest of the revenue earned. It is a similar relationship to that of the snack stand at the golf course and at the beach.

Now with regards to just selling things like golf balls. Well running the proshop isn't as simple as just selling golf balls, and it would be against the contractural relationship for the town to sell items such as tape and mouthguards. Furthermore, since this proshop sells hockey items where as at the golf course they are selling food. The comparison between the ice rink and the golf course is in error.

The person working in the office is a town employee with the recreation department whose responsibility it is to hand out lockerroom keys and turnout the lights at the end of the night, along with other minor duties. Since the proshop is run by a private group it would not be possible for the person working in the office to also run the proshop. If they were an employee of the proshop they would not be able to work in the office and in the proshop at the same time.

And since it is a private entity running the proshop they can have it open anytime they want. Maybe if you were a little more organized you wouldn't have to wait until a 7 or 8 O'Clock game on a Sunday night to have your son's skates sharpened. In addition, if you were a little more knowledgeable with regards to hockey you would know that youth hockey players, especially of your son's caliber, should not have their skates sharpened right before a game. It will affect their skating ability. Their skates should be sharpened before practices so the player can become accustomed to the newly sharpened skates rather than trying to acclimate themselves in the middle of a game.

Finally, I am sure you work every minute at your job as a, what do you do now, and never have a minute of down time. So I guess you do have a right to criticize the town worker for sitting around watching the Sabres game.

Contracts end and job requirements can change. Why is it when anyone suggests a change, people like you run to the union contract to say we can't do it? I think it can be done, we just need people on the town board willing to make the change.

[bwilson]

I do know that Plazas require their tenants to be open certain hours or else they pay a fine...maybe the town should explore putting a clause into their contract with the pro shop. Any lawyers out there know anything about these types of arrangements?

And yeah that guy at the beach was never there when I was there

[WNYresident]

[quote=FJB]

Why should the town, any town have a equipment shop on site? Isn't that competing with locally owned equipment shops?/QUOTE]
Why not? The golf courses sell golf balls and stuff. Other towns have the pro-shops right there. Why can't Hamburg do the same thing. Besides it's better to have a pro-shop on site for those people who need immediate assistance. Lots of people need the skates sharpened at the last minute, or they realize they left the mouth guard at home and go get a new one. The problem here is the guy who is contracted to run the shop is hardly ever there and the staff are board all day. So doesn't it make sense to have the staff run the shop?

I would rather know why are the "local" governments running businesses that compete with the locals that sell equipment. I understand where your coming from but the "government" should be in business to compete with other businesses.

[FJB]

[QUOTE=WNYresident]

I would rather know why are the "local" governments running businesses that compete with the locals that sell equipment. I understand where your coming from but the "government" should be in business to compete with other businesses.

You're absolutely right. Government should only govern. In a perfect world, the town government wouldn't even have a recreation department. But where else would the board members stick all their patronage people?

[WNYresident]

OH so they are just renting out a spot to an acutal local business then? Not acutally running a business? Or are they a landlord basically?

[FJB]

OH so they are just renting out a spot to an acutal local business then? Not acutally running a business? Or are they a landlord basically?

Yes it is a seperate buisiness that the town doesn't run. It is seldom open. If the town employee's were to run the shop it would be open when the rink opens and closes the same time as well. Makes sense to me. But jack ass's like Mr. Hockey above who is willing to attack a 13 year old kid here who isn't as athletically inclined as others, apparently is threatened by the notion of change. I hope he isn't part of the organization my son plays for, but then again with people like him involved, maybe that's why my son, as well as others, struggle on the ice.

[FJB]

FJB. how many employees does the rink employee? If they are the ONLY employee there while it's open and there's nothing to do what do you expect them to do. You do need someone to open the doors and lock the place up when it closes.

According to the 2007 town budget, 193K is allocated to operation and maintenance staff of the ice rink. This is one of the few town departments that don't list the employee's hired at the rink and the hourly rate they make. I know that several of them work there in the winter and at the golf course in the summer.

[HamburgJoe]

Jobs are filled on a seasonal basis as needed. There are full time B&G personnel who work at the rink along with the patronage hires to fill out the budgeted amount. Names are not incuded because the board can decide midyear who fills the spots unlike other departments with full time employees.

[Hockey1901]

Mr. FJB,

There you go again attacking people when they give the facts. Never once did I criticize your son. I was criticizing you for being disorganized and not understanding that at the level your son skates at it is unreasonable to expect him to perform well in a game with newly sharpened skates.

The proshop is open most evenings during the week between 6 and 9. On weekends it is open almost always between 8:30 am and 4 or 5 pm. But I guess it is rarely ever open when you are there, so they must have to change things, to make it convenient for you.

Let's see they are open when the rink is the busiest. Sounds reasonable to me. But not to FJB. Unless it is his way, it is the wrong way.

I also heard a little twing of complaint against the people running the hockey organization. I know this isn't the proper thread but let me tell you all about that organization. It is run completely by volunteers, no town input at all. They provide a league and teaching for over 700 children from the surrounding area. I think FJB has a problem with that somehow. I have heard that he has done nothing but complain since his son joined the association.

FJB, maybe people would be more willing to work and listen to you if you stopped seeing things through that twisted prism of yours where everyone is always out to get you or make things more difficult in your life.

[Ben There]

As you can now see, with Ford it's me, me, me ,me! any candidate who accepts his support would have to agree with him and his friends. Beware! Beware!