Life22

Day 13,491(2) - Interview with Vernon Robinson Jr..m4a
Transcript
00:00:06 Kevin
Hey, gang, Kevin.
00:00:07 Kevin
Life 22 and we are just waiting on our guest in this is our first Zoom meeting. So I figured I'd get the introduction started before since the meeting started recording before our guest has arrived so.
00:00:25 Kevin
Yeah. So life 22 and we'll have we're having Vernon Robinson junior, the incumbent for Ward 6 on the show tonight and we'll expect him momentarily. And in the meantime.
00:00:40 Kevin
Thanks for joining us and thanks for hopefully being participating in our First Zoom interview.
00:00:49 Kevin
All right guys.
00:00:51 Kevin
Kevin, back here after the intro and I've got Vernon Robinson junior, the incumbent for Ward 6 for the city of Oleand.
00:01:01 Kevin
You.
00:01:02 Kevin
You can say hi.
00:01:03 Vernon
I like to say hi. How you doing, Erin?
00:01:06 Kevin
So.
00:01:09 Kevin
So I actually I pulled up here on my other.
00:01:12 Kevin
Here I've got your I got your Facebook posts from like your ward say.
00:01:17 Kevin
That's alright.
00:01:19 Kevin
So July of 2020, that's when.
00:01:24 Kevin
We.
00:01:24 Kevin
We had all the interviews for the after Rhonda Pollardo stepped down from the Common Council.
00:01:29 Kevin
I remember I was on the.
00:01:29 Vernon
How are you guys?
00:01:30 Kevin
I was on the board of three that like, brought your not the nominations to the Council so.
00:01:32 Vernon
Yes.
00:01:38 Kevin
But yeah, no, that was it was fun.
00:01:40 Kevin
Interviewed you, Luke Winky.
00:01:42 Kevin
I think your competitor in the last two two Alderman races and.
00:01:48 Vernon
Oh.
00:01:49 Vernon
I didn't know Luke Winky was 10.
00:01:51 Kevin
Yeah. No, he showed up in a.
00:01:53 Kevin
He showed up in a Paul Gonzales and the American both attest to this.
00:01:57 Kevin
Showed up in a leather.
00:01:59 Kevin
It looked like a biker jacket, but it was a suit and a tie with a black leather hat. Yeah.
00:02:03 Vernon
Nice, nice.
00:02:06 Vernon
He's starting. He's starting.
00:02:06 Kevin
Yeah, yeah.
00:02:07 Kevin
As you can tell, that's why he did not get picked as the Alderman.
00:02:09 Vernon
OK.
00:02:11 Vernon
Aunt teaches old, yeah.
00:02:12 Kevin
Right.
00:02:14 Kevin
So.
00:02:17 Kevin
What's? What's that?
00:02:17 Kevin
I mean obviously you you probably are Privy to more than I am on this particular race.
00:02:23 Kevin
Are are there any petitions that have been circulated for any other competitors for your race?
00:02:30 Vernon
I don't know yet.
00:02:31 Vernon
You know, like I said, when I first got on, you know, I said no one should be going on a pose. You know, I think we should have choices, you know, and I've never feared anyone going against me, you know, to me.
00:02:43 Vernon
It's not that kind of race or competition or anything. You know, people are gonna put in.
00:02:49 Vernon
Who they want, who they want to do things for them, you know, and I just go from there. But you know, I I appreciate Peterson running.
00:02:57 Vernon
The last two times because you know, if you if you're just a walk in, then you know, I don't know.
00:03:02 Vernon
You know, it's kind of what selection did anyone have, you know, for you to for you to get elected. So if someone runs, they runs. If they don't, then you know, then I'll go in and keep doing what I.
00:03:03 Vernon
Right.
00:03:13 Vernon
I think I've been doing a good job. I try.
00:03:18 Vernon
So I just go from there.
00:03:19 Kevin
You keep people on their.
00:03:20 Kevin
I I always hear grumblings after a Council meeting. So.
00:03:22 Vernon
Yeah, I know.
00:03:24 Vernon
As.
00:03:24 Vernon
Know here's the thing though, it's not intentional.
00:03:27 Vernon
Really, isn't I? I go in there.
00:03:31 Vernon
With a clean mindset, I have the ability to hit zero and reset every time, but when I go in, sometimes I hear things that I don't like and I respond.
00:03:41 Vernon
On, you know, and it's it's it's more of a responding at the moment and trying to save my piece or what I think others would want to say. And then I move from there.
00:03:50 Vernon
I literally, before I leave, I hit zero. I'm not offended.
00:03:54 Vernon
Not.
00:03:54 Vernon
I hope no one is upset with me, but I get it if they are.
00:03:57 Vernon
Mean it's a personality trait, so I roll with it, but I still.
00:04:01 Vernon
Smile, I still say hello to everyone. I have no disrespect to anyone.
00:04:03 Vernon
I.
00:04:07 Vernon
I.
00:04:08 Vernon
In all honesty, the respect is there.
00:04:11 Vernon
I I don't call the Mayor bill or William, you know, or, you know, by his last name. And I call the mayor 'cause. That's what he earned. Both the Chiefs, regardless of which chief has been in position, I've always called him Chief.
00:04:24 Kevin
Regardless, if they all share the same last name.
00:04:25 Vernon
Regardless, you know, you know. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, I.
00:04:31 Vernon
Rolled with.
00:04:31 Vernon
You know, I just try to stay respectful, even though I'm probably older than all of them guys anyway.
00:04:36 Vernon
You know, I just go with it.
00:04:38 Kevin
Right, right. I was gonna say.
00:04:41 Kevin
I would say Bill's always been pretty good. Like as I know you're, you're very particular on Vern.
00:04:46 Kevin
Like, that's the and I always make sure to make a point of making sure like I'll correct people like it's not Vern, it's Vernon.
00:04:46 Vernon
Yes, yes.
00:04:52 Vernon
Yeah, I can't smoke burn, you know.
00:04:52 Kevin
And yeah, and Linda Witt used to call you Vernon, Vern all the time. She was just.
00:04:57 Vernon
Yeah, yeah, I mean she.
00:05:00 Vernon
She was calling me Vern during the.
00:05:03 Vernon
The Charter committee too, there and I mean.
00:05:06 Kevin
Oh, she still does. It's.
00:05:08 Vernon
Yeah, I mean it's there.
00:05:10 Vernon
It's. I roll with it, but yeah, I don't like it.
00:05:13 Kevin
Yeah, the old politicians of Olean, man, that's.
00:05:16 Kevin
They're like a old Chicago song.
00:05:18 Kevin
Like they're a hard habit to break, you know.
00:05:22 Vernon
Yeah.
00:05:24 Vernon
So.
00:05:27 Kevin
Let's see.
00:05:29 Vernon
Whatever you want to talk about him.
00:05:30 Kevin
Yeah. Yeah, no.
00:05:33 Kevin
So like, I know that you're a big like you're like.
00:05:36 Kevin
So we're we're kindred spirits in this one. I'm, I'm huge on transparency, almost to my detriment like the.
00:05:40 Vernon
Hello.
00:05:43 Vernon
92 apparently.
00:05:44 Kevin
Yeah, I'm. Yeah, I'm always like 4 steps away from being fired from any position I've ever.
00:05:50 Kevin
So just because they're like, oh, Kevin's, Kevin's open in his mouth, he's talking his mind on something. And so.
00:05:57 Kevin
But no, I that was actually the one thing I always did appreciate.
00:06:00 Kevin
I'm like the all the notes from the Council meetings or like.
00:06:03 Vernon
It takes a lot of time to.
00:06:05 Vernon
I can't tell you how many times I've thought about stopping that, but it's something that I started at the very beginning that wanted to be different.
00:06:12 Vernon
Different from all the other.
00:06:15 Vernon
So when you know when I get back from the meeting, I'm.
00:06:17 Vernon
I'm tired from the whole day, you know, working and then doing the Council meetings. So I just sit down. I do.
00:06:23 Vernon
Takes about an hour, hour and a half to collect my thoughts.
00:06:25 Vernon
Everything written down.
00:06:27 Vernon
Lately, I haven't been proofreading, so I've been getting dinged on that by people.
00:06:32 Vernon
Yeah, it's there.
00:06:34 Vernon
I'm not gonna remove it.
00:06:36 Vernon
Not gonna do.
00:06:36 Vernon
I appreciate any feedback I get and you know when I get good stuff, you know, I try to share it so.
00:06:42 Kevin
I was gonna say like, have you ever thought of using like AI?
00:06:46 Kevin
You can just like drop a tape recorder and just let it record the meeting and then you could just put the transcript of the meeting up.
00:06:47 Vernon
Hello.
00:06:50 Vernon
No, no.
00:06:53 Vernon
Anytime I I forget something, I tend to go back to the YouTube video myself and I'll just listen to a couple of things and you know and go from there.
00:07:02 Kevin
Yeah, I'm. I'm glad that I'm glad the transparency survives in that one.
00:07:06 Kevin
I wish the school board would do something similar. They used to.
00:07:09 Vernon
Don't get me started on the school board.
00:07:13 Vernon
They need.
00:07:14 Vernon
They need to rewrite that.
00:07:15 Vernon
Think that's bull?
00:07:16 Vernon
That you have to write a letter in to get permission on what you're gonna write, what you wanna share, what you wanna discuss?
00:07:23 Vernon
And then there's a yay or nay at the end.
00:07:25 Vernon
There's no transparency there.
00:07:27 Vernon
Don't like that?
00:07:28 Vernon
I've I've wanted to speak on that, but a lot of times their meeting runs concurrent with ours.
00:07:32 Vernon
I just.
00:07:33 Vernon
You know, I have been able to make a couple of them here.
00:07:36 Vernon
'Cause, we only have one vehicle in New York right now, so you know we so we share back and forth 'cause the business is on the.
00:07:44 Vernon
She's one of the union.
00:07:46 Vernon
She's the Union VP, so oh, for their for their union.
00:07:50 Vernon
So yes, he's been in the meetings and then, like last night when I left the meeting, I limped my way down to the high school, and then she finally picked me up. So.
00:07:51 Kevin
Gotcha.
00:08:01 Kevin
Not sure.
00:08:02 Kevin
Yeah, though you couldn't get a lift from Bill.
00:08:04 Vernon
No bill was going to have its.
00:08:06 Vernon
I don't like putting people out of their.
00:08:07 Vernon
I actually got offered a ride by a couple of people, but I don't like to put people out of their way.
00:08:11 Vernon
I I my personality see this box around my that's my that's my world.
00:08:11 Kevin
It was nice out yesterday, wasn't horrible.
00:08:17 Vernon
It's a box.
00:08:19 Vernon
I don't.
00:08:19 Kevin
OK.
00:08:20 Vernon
I was walking down the leg fall off.
00:08:21 Kevin
Yeah, I mean.
00:08:22 Vernon
I take a ride from someone.
00:08:24 Kevin
Yeah, well.
00:08:28 Kevin
Yeah, the. So I'm not hearing any grumblings on the street.
00:08:33 Kevin
Put my ear to the ground.
00:08:34 Kevin
Don't.
00:08:34 Kevin
I don't hear. There's no.
00:08:36 Kevin
There's no clatter of horses, I.
00:08:37 Kevin
I don't hear anybody that's going to be running against you, so.
00:08:41 Kevin
You know if if you want to consistently come on the show and you know, talk about things that are coming up, that's always people.
00:08:48 Kevin
Know I always there's always an open invitation to people holding public office or just people in general.
00:08:54 Kevin
I, but yeah, I mean, I'm looking at the you know.
00:08:57 Kevin
Like.
00:08:59 Vernon
You might get two more people that'll watch this 'cause I'm on here. I don't think you're.
00:09:03 Vernon
Get many more.
00:09:04 Kevin
No. Well, it's.
00:09:06 Kevin
If well, if you know you know Alderman Ward six, once transparency at the school board meetings, I think, yeah, I think that's good.
00:09:06 Vernon
It's just.
00:09:14 Vernon
Absolutely, absolutely.
00:09:16 Kevin
Think that's going to drive people nuts?
00:09:18 Vernon
I mean when?
00:09:18 Vernon
I post it, I'm not going to shy away from that one.
00:09:21 Vernon
It it should be there. Yep.
00:09:21 Kevin
Yeah, I yeah, I used to watch it like, well, I say watch.
00:09:26 Kevin
Pop at my ear and I would listen to those.
00:09:28 Kevin
Council.
00:09:29 Kevin
I just. It was just like a regular podcast to me, and at least I would have my thoughts on it, you know.
00:09:33 Kevin
Knew what?
00:09:34 Kevin
Were talking about and some stuff.
00:09:36 Kevin
Like man, that's dumb.
00:09:38 Kevin
That's what I always get yelled at about too, is because it's like, man, I'll listen to the Council meetings and like, I'll cringe because it's like I know the answer to it, but I'm not there. I'm listening to a recording.
00:09:48 Kevin
It's, you know, what is this line item?
00:09:50 Kevin
Like I can tell you, nobody asked me what the line item was for before it went to budget.
00:09:54 Kevin
You know, so.
00:09:57 Kevin
But it's just and sometimes it's not even in my.
00:09:59 Kevin
It's just something I just know about because I was on the Council and I asked a question.
00:10:05 Kevin
Two years in a row, and then I finally it took so.
00:10:09 Vernon
You know, Kevin, one of the one of the things I could say, I don't care what anyone in Olean.
00:10:15 Vernon
Kevin has always had a knack for picking up on a whole lot of things, so you tend to be like a an encyclopedia.
00:10:25 Vernon
For for not the whole book, but just small portions of.
00:10:28 Vernon
So you you carry a lot of knowledge that I think a lot of people can pick your brain on.
00:10:32 Vernon
So I think you don't get enough credit for that.
00:10:35 Kevin
Oh, I appreciate that. Thanks. I'm.
00:10:39 Kevin
I got. I got yelled at by one of my coworkers because I wore a button that says. I think I have autism and because I would.
00:10:45 Vernon
Well, that's where you draw the line and.
00:10:47 Vernon
Where Kevin gets in trouble? Yeah.
00:10:48 Kevin
It is where Kevin gets in trouble.
00:10:51 Kevin
So.
00:10:52 Vernon
Yeah.
00:10:54 Kevin
So you've got some upcoming projects though, like Marcus Park.
00:10:59 Vernon
That one I'm very excited about and I I can't wait until it gets started.
00:11:05 Vernon
It's supposed to start this year, hopefully in September.
00:11:09 Vernon
I don't talk about a lot because it's in tandem and the cities project and I'm not one to, you know, not looking for glory or anything like that.
00:11:19 Vernon
Just want something to happen here.
00:11:21 Vernon
There's a park up in Buffalo that is very similar to what they're going to bring here, and it is truly.
00:11:28 Vernon
An inclusive part and you know you think about all the people at the rehab and all the kids and adults and things like that is it's gonna be for a little bit for everyone.
00:11:39 Vernon
I had mentioned initially about putting a dog park there and they're literally going to put a dog park there, so I kind of laugh.
00:11:45 Vernon
Was like, well, you know, if one comes and then you know how much more inclusive are you going to be?
00:11:49 Vernon
Know you.
00:11:50 Vernon
You can bring your child down.
00:11:52 Vernon
Let them play at the park.
00:11:54 Vernon
You can walk along the.
00:11:55 Vernon
You can get take your dog over to the park and let them play with other dogs.
00:11:59 Vernon
Know despite.
00:12:00 Vernon
A lot of people think about those parks.
00:12:01 Vernon
Know they're very popular in other cities.
00:12:04 Vernon
You always they get packed.
00:12:07 Vernon
Out in Arizona, where we go visit all the time.
00:12:10 Vernon
So yeah, I can't wait.
00:12:13 Vernon
There's a lot of equipment that's going to come that's going to allow kids with disabilities to be able to do things that they've never been able to do before unless they've been to that park up in Buffalo so.
00:12:22 Kevin
Like a like sensory stuff is what?
00:12:24 Kevin
Hear.
00:12:24 Vernon
Yes, there's going to be sensory.
00:12:26 Vernon
There's going to be an ability for them to put their wheelchairs in and lock them in.
00:12:31 Vernon
Should be.
00:12:32 Vernon
I don't know the actual names, but there should be some way for them to.
00:12:36 Vernon
Be able to rock.
00:12:37 Vernon
Not a merry go round, but some type of way and.
00:12:40 Kevin
Like this, the thing that makes most kids sick, right?
00:12:43 Vernon
Yes, exactly.
00:12:43 Kevin
Expensive, fast and they throw up. And yeah, I've.
00:12:46 Vernon
They will be able to get that experience so they never had that experience.
00:12:49 Vernon
Something they'll be able to do, and you know I'm excited for it.
00:12:52 Vernon
Can't wait.
00:12:53 Vernon
And they're.
00:12:53 Vernon
They're gonna put in all kinds of.
00:12:57 Vernon
I don't wanna throw too much out there, but you know I said that's their.
00:12:58 Kevin
Sure.
00:13:00 Vernon
I can't wait and hopefully they get to start this year. They are going to involve the community.
00:13:06 Vernon
They want to have a community day, so I hope that there's a great turn out and a lot of people come down and help, you know, put a shovel in the ground and help out. You know, I think it's going to be great.
00:13:14 Kevin
I remember when we did that with was it Kings Kingston Park.
00:13:18 Kevin
King Street.
00:13:19 Kevin
Yeah. Yeah, I remember when we did that one that was, that was good.
00:13:20 Vernon
Yes.
00:13:25 Kevin
It was nice to see everybody come together and.
00:13:27 Vernon
Um.
00:13:28 Kevin
Yeah, I was gonna say I haven't heard too many negative things about.
00:13:31 Kevin
Obviously people lump a project like that in with the why are we spending money on that when we have roads that need done and you know, it just goes to.
00:13:40 Vernon
There's a lot of misunderstanding out there and you know, I try to explain things the best I can without being drawn out, because if you put something up, it's just too worried people are going to look at it and say that's too much to read and they're just.
00:13:51 Vernon
Going to go right through it, I mean, and in all honesty, some of the stuff is probably.
00:13:55 Vernon
But when I'm breaking down each segment of what happened, I'm trying to just give a little bit of each one.
00:14:01 Vernon
Sometimes it ends up being a lot to read, but you know, I just hope that people read some of the summaries. I mean, you can go back.
00:14:08 Vernon
It's it's like an encyclopedia, you know, you can go back and read all of that stuff from the very beginning on on the park and and any other project. And I give the information and then I go to some websites like 14760, you know.
00:14:22 Vernon
A member on there and I see a lot of the stuff on there, you know, and it's like I I like when some people go on there and defend.
00:14:29 Vernon
And put.
00:14:30 Vernon
Truth on there, you know, some people are just very opinionated and you know, they just want to crap on it.
00:14:35 Vernon
Like you know.
00:14:35 Vernon
You can't really argue or fight that you know, you just kind of read it.
00:14:40 Vernon
Move on you.
00:14:41 Vernon
Well, eventually they'll like it. You know the circles.
00:14:43 Vernon
Circles.
00:14:45 Vernon
Yeah, there's too many.
00:14:47 Vernon
Some of them they.
00:14:48 Vernon
You know, they the way they were designed and and if Olean would just admit, hey, we messed up on these circles, but we promised to fix the ones that were going to bring in that would be great.
00:14:57 Vernon
Think people, would you know, come around to it and then later on when we can get things caught up, maybe go back?
00:15:04 Vernon
And fix the issues.
00:15:05 Kevin
Of the old.
00:15:05 Vernon
Ones we just put in the one at at Barry and I'm not happy with that.
00:15:09 Vernon
It's like a ski slope that it angles it's too high off the ground and even if we put down new blacktop, it's still too high.
00:15:16 Vernon
I think it was built incorrectly and I voiced that during the meeting.
00:15:20 Vernon
You know.
00:15:21 Kevin
Falls odafiers.
00:15:21 Vernon
One more.
00:15:22 Vernon
Yeah, what more can I do, you know?
00:15:24 Kevin
You're.
00:15:25 Kevin
And actually, if you're heading eastbound after you leave the main circle, you'll notice right where parking ends.
00:15:28 Vernon
Mm.
00:15:32 Kevin
A whole bunch of potholes and it's like.
00:15:35 Vernon
Yeah, you run right into him. Yep.
00:15:36 Kevin
Oh.
00:15:36 Kevin
And it's, you know, and I've heard I.
00:15:39 Kevin
Actually, I know I started noticing and after I saw the gripes on.
00:15:41 Kevin
And you think, I think to myself, like, man, this is what happens when governments pick the low bidder.
00:15:45 Kevin
Like we want a little bitter because we want the better, we want the better price better, you know. But the problem is you don't get the bang for your buck because you can.
00:15:54 Kevin
But it's not all the time you get.
00:15:56 Kevin
You pay for.
00:15:57 Vernon
I think a lot of it the the complexity in that is you know, knowing that New York is a prevailing wage, right. And with that, you know that that that forces you to go with a little better because you can't necessarily afford to pay three times the amount.
00:15:58 Kevin
And.
00:16:14 Vernon
Someone.
00:16:15 Vernon
To me, the whole concept is just.
00:16:17 Vernon
I wish the state would just wake up and change it, but it it's it's not gonna.
00:16:21 Vernon
Is a. This is a pro Union state.
00:16:23 Vernon
That's the way it is.
00:16:25 Vernon
So with that, you got to pay the extra cost for things so and that's why the taxes just.
00:16:28 Kevin
Oh yeah.
00:16:31 Vernon
Going up.
00:16:32 Kevin
Yeah. And I remember when I.
00:16:34 Kevin
I remember they fixed was at Fire Station 1.
00:16:36 Kevin
Had this little square.
00:16:38 Kevin
And Fire Chief Bell brought it in at the time, and it was this little square of just roofing.
00:16:43 Kevin
It was rubber roof and he was like, this is the part that, you know, the contractor cut off the roof and it it was like.
00:16:50 Kevin
What did that cost?
00:16:51 Kevin
They were like, oh, like $7000 to.
00:16:53 Kevin
I'm like I got the I got the stuff in the back of my truck, right?
00:16:58 Kevin
I will run over there and do that like and that's what I learned about union grievances. And well, you can't do that because you're a Councilman and it's like.
00:17:06 Vernon
Yeah.
00:17:06 Kevin
For 7000 bucks, nobody was going to do it in house, you know.
00:17:10 Vernon
Listen, they talked about the dog park up at Oak Hill when I first got on the council and they were talking about that and the equipment and stuff like that. And when I looked it up, I think it was like.
00:17:21 Vernon
Grand and I remember stating I would pay for the equipment.
00:17:25 Vernon
Will pay for the equipment out of my.
00:17:27 Vernon
Give it to the city and then they you know, because you know the city paid a pretty penny for that equipment, you know? And it's like, I just think there's a robbery going on there.
00:17:37 Vernon
Again, you know that is the policies and procedures that the follow the state rules, so there's.
00:17:41 Kevin
And.
00:17:42 Kevin
And it's similar to the school board that everyone, because that like. And I've been talking about this recently. Everybody goes. I want to get on the school board.
00:17:49 Kevin
Want to make a change and it's like all the changes that you can make in the things that you have issues with are at the state level.
00:17:55 Kevin
Well above that, like there's a lot you more you can do as an Alderman to get things done at the local level.
00:18:01 Vernon
Mm.
00:18:01 Kevin
But you're still, like, handcuffed by the state on a lot of those?
00:18:04 Vernon
Absolutely, absolutely so.
00:18:08 Kevin
Yeah, I I.
00:18:09 Kevin
I I don't think the general public understands that.
00:18:11 Kevin
Just like talking about Marcus Park for.
00:18:13 Kevin
We're trying to explain to people why you're doing something at Marcus Park when there's roads that need to be.
00:18:18 Kevin
I think a lot of people miss the point and they, you know, because they don't understand how the whole system works.
00:18:22 Kevin
Yeah, if if you're not going to wrap your head around the whole system.
00:18:26 Kevin
You're only going to be able to look at the little bullet points like if they were really interested in the Marcus Park project, they would read your bullet point, but like you know what, I'm.
00:18:33 Kevin
That and then you know, they can probably follow your bullet points and get roughly to the right area in chronological order and watch that section and be like, oh, now I'm up to speed on it, you know, and and watch each meeting and dig in. But most people.
00:18:47 Kevin
Want to do that?
00:18:47 Vernon
Yeah, you know, I just did a post the other day and it's I think it was the third one, third time that I posted that if the city of Olean got X amount of followers and maybe you know how many, I think they said it was a th.
00:18:59 Vernon
Then it would be free for the city.
00:19:01 Vernon
But yet.
00:19:02 Vernon
They can't seem to break that barrier.
00:19:04 Kevin
But yet what is? Yeah.
00:19:06 Vernon
The dumbest things on social media and and leave it there. You know, just put it in the pocket and leave it.
00:19:13 Vernon
Follow subscribe to the city of Olean website and then put it in the pocket.
00:19:18 Vernon
Put it aside and don't worry about it.
00:19:20 Vernon
Turn off.
00:19:21 Vernon
The alerts and everything, but just do it and then once it's free then that's another. Whatever costs for. I can't remember the exact cost, but I remember Polson a couple of times and I just posted again here last week.
00:19:33 Vernon
Week before, right along with the.
00:19:36 Vernon
The stamp thing once we found out.
00:19:38 Vernon
How much they're paying for postage for the water and sewer bill is just.
00:19:42 Kevin
Oh yeah, what is it?
00:19:44 Kevin
Is it 3000 bucks a month or something like that?
00:19:45 Vernon
Yes, 3000 a month.
00:19:47 Vernon
That's.
00:19:48 Vernon
You know, just just switch it over and tell people, OK, we're gonna start sending it to your e-mail and and save that.
00:19:56 Vernon
You know, sometimes we just go about things the hard way instead of just doing it because of the sake of, oh, we come up with all these excuses and it's like.
00:20:05 Kevin
Well, the, but there's the silent majority out there, like and then you heard it at the with the people that were there to gripe at the Council meeting.
00:20:06 Vernon
Less.
00:20:14 Kevin
Like a month ago, they were anyways, what a month.
00:20:17 Kevin
Weeks.
00:20:18 Kevin
Three weeks ago, you guys were talking about that and they came to the Council meeting and they were like, well, we're here to talk about sewage discharge. But to that point, there are a lot of seniors and it's like, OK, but.
00:20:31 Kevin
Like my mom.
00:20:33 Kevin
My mom's a week away from being seen.
00:20:33 Vernon
A lot of smooth everywhere.
00:20:35 Vernon
Yeah, there are a lot of seniors.
00:20:37 Vernon
I'm a senior here in another year or two, so I.
00:20:40 Kevin
Mean, right? But you get your e-mail.
00:20:43 Vernon
It's I've been reading them for.
00:20:45 Vernon
You know, there's a lot of people that have.
00:20:46 Vernon
Think I.
00:20:47 Vernon
We when we start saying seniors, we start dumbing them down and it's like we're not giving the seniors credit.
00:20:54 Vernon
It's like they understand and know how technology works. You know, a lot of them do. And the ones that don't, even the mayor stated that, you know, some of them have caregivers and things of that nature.
00:21:04 Vernon
There's someone around.
00:21:06 Vernon
That can.
00:21:07 Vernon
I don't think they're completely.
00:21:10 Vernon
For lack of better term, handicapped to a specific way of living, these people have help you know? So I I don't think we're hurting them. I think we're helping them with advance in the technology.
00:21:22 Vernon
Mean. And then you got the other side.
00:21:24 Vernon
Why waste a tree?
00:21:26 Vernon
I mean, I've complained before about the the Council papers that we get and they're single sided, it's.
00:21:31 Vernon
Let's double side this double side. This paper and let's save some paper here to at the city, you know.
00:21:35 Kevin
Right, I.
00:21:37 Kevin
I yeah, I.
00:21:38 Kevin
I do that in my own.
00:21:39 Kevin
I do that for my rentals and then even like when I'm at the city like I if it's like, hey, you need to print this report out and submit it like OK and I will print it and I will set stuff to duplex and like I think that.
00:21:40 Vernon
Excuse.
00:21:51 Kevin
The only because when people make.
00:21:52 Kevin
For me, they'll leave something in my box and it'll be like 4 sheets and it'll not be double sided and I'll think to myself like a lot of things are one page.
00:22:00 Kevin
For the most part, like.
00:22:02 Kevin
I always have all the settings on anything I do, no matter where I am at duplex. If I have to print it, but it's one of those like not everybody is on that page and like my neighbor, she was 97 years old before she passed away. But.
00:22:16 Vernon
Wow.
00:22:17 Kevin
She she sent like she was a sweet old.
00:22:19 Kevin
She used to play bridge with people in town it.
00:22:22 Kevin
It was Mary Eid. A lot of people knew her husband, Joe.
00:22:25 Kevin
Started home Hospice.
00:22:27 Vernon
Mm.
00:22:28 Kevin
He was a county ledge until he had an accident, and then it was one of those like. But since we moved into this House.
00:22:34 Kevin
She was always across the.
00:22:36 Kevin
She would always like we would bring her like I just made boiled dinner for.
00:22:40 Kevin
Pat's and I would have brought her over a canister for, you know, we would always just take care of Grandma Mary and she would send e-mail after e-mail.
00:22:48 Kevin
Kevin, I can't figure out why my TV is not working.
00:22:50 Kevin
You come help.
00:22:51 Kevin
And she would send me an e-mail to tell me because she would be at 4:00 in the morning.
00:22:54 Vernon
Hey.
00:22:55 Vernon
That's the way that was her best method.
00:22:57 Kevin
Yeah. And she would find nasty things on the Internet, like jokes that, like my friends, will send me, and she would send.
00:22:58 Vernon
It works.
00:23:04 Kevin
And I'm like Mary, it was a little inappropriate. And, you know, for Kevin Doherty to tell a 97 year old lady that the joke she sent was a little inappropriate.
00:23:13 Kevin
Tells you something, but.
00:23:15 Vernon
Hmm.
00:23:17 Kevin
But yeah, it's things like that.
00:23:19 Kevin
Those are great changes.
00:23:20 Kevin
I don't think you're gonna balance a budget with, you know, saving 3 grand a month.
00:23:25 Kevin
Not at what is it $19 million now just for the general fund?
00:23:30 Kevin
Like they say, it's 29,000,000 total, but they're.
00:23:33 Vernon
Is it that much?
00:23:34 Kevin
It's 19,000,000, but they say 29 million and then when they say those large numbers, I think they're including water and sewer, which the general public does understand like your water is one fund, your sewer's another fund and then the general fund is where your taxes.
00:23:48 Kevin
Sales tax.
00:23:50 Kevin
So like.
00:23:51 Vernon
I try to explain that too, but and I know I've explained it earlier in in my political career, but I I try to each time we get back in the budget, I kind of touch on it a little in the very first or second post and then from.
00:24:06 Vernon
It's kind of like I'm hoping that the.
00:24:08 Vernon
That.
00:24:08 Vernon
Following understand where I'm coming from. When I instead of writing.
00:24:12 Vernon
Over and over.
00:24:12 Kevin
Sure.
00:24:13 Kevin
Like and especially 'cause, you're not gonna.
00:24:15 Kevin
You'll balance for saving 3 grand a month on water and sewer bills like you're saving $1500 a month for two separate funds that have nothing to do with people's.
00:24:24 Kevin
Right. Like that's that's going to save a potential price increase right on the water bill, right?
00:24:29 Vernon
More.
00:24:30 Vernon
Signage.
00:24:32 Kevin
It on the water bill alone like.
00:24:35 Kevin
Like 'cause I I mean you got the spending the reasons.
00:24:39 Vernon
It's it's.
00:24:40 Vernon
It's not healthy is we'd like it, but it's good.
00:24:42 Vernon
The sewer is the one that's the healthiest and that one we're doing fine with that one, the general fund.
00:24:49 Vernon
Yeah, that bad boy needs some CPR and.
00:24:52 Vernon
We're we're we're trying to find. You know, we started last year.
00:24:56 Vernon
We started trying to find ways of of.
00:24:59 Vernon
Save more money putting more money into capital funds for.
00:25:02 Vernon
We wanted to do, especially with water and sewer stuff like that, and try and just put money.
00:25:08 Vernon
But you know, there's always something that comes up or there's the the items that come up that all of a sudden that was, you know, stuff just pops up on the council.
00:25:17 Vernon
Like oh, we have, I think was 7 trucks or 9 trucks. And we were like, where'd this come from?
00:25:25 Vernon
Know. So now we got to find a way of paying for it.
00:25:25 Kevin
Right.
00:25:28 Vernon
Mean.
00:25:29 Vernon
They found their way of paying for it, but you know who would?
00:25:32 Vernon
Didn't have to come to council, so apparently.
00:25:33 Vernon
Had the money somewhere.
00:25:35 Vernon
So we were like, hey, you know.
00:25:38 Vernon
It is what it is.
00:25:39 Kevin
And and it there is that there.
00:25:39 Vernon
I just need.
00:25:41 Kevin
That chain of command.
00:25:42 Kevin
So there's always that thing like the low level guy might point out something and then he kicks up to his boss and he kicks it up to his boss and his and before it ever gets to like the council, you know what I mean? It might have been.
00:25:53 Kevin
Like we're going to have to budget into that next.
00:25:56 Kevin
And so a lot of times you guys never get to see the full.
00:25:59 Kevin
You know, openness of it like all the way down to the bottom. And I think it's healthy for every couple of years like I we used to request this when I was on the Council.
00:26:09 Kevin
And and I know that I've had discussions with councilmember for like, hey, you know like.
00:26:15 Kevin
It's just like the judicial that, you know, the judicial, the legislative branch in any form of government, you can walk through City Hall and stop.
00:26:23 Kevin
I remember when I first got on the Council, it was like I would walk through to pay my water bill and people would talk to me and then I'd find out that they would get yelled at for, you know.
00:26:32 Kevin
Conversating, you know, and it was like, oh, and then it's like, well, who's my boss, right.
00:26:37 Kevin
I know that, like Linda, Linda used to do that.
00:26:41 Kevin
Used to go in and kind of like.
00:26:44 Kevin
Act like she stole that mentality, that she was the mayor and a lot of older city employees would like what she used to be my boss and they they forgot that the hat has changed. And I.
00:26:54 Vernon
Know during during the Charter Commission we discussed it and it.
00:26:58 Vernon
Much came back that all of the city employees are all of our employees, but.
00:27:03 Vernon
I think we respect the mayor and we leave it at, you know, where it is right now. You know, he he says that they're his employees.
00:27:10 Vernon
We go with that.
00:27:11 Vernon
Right. And we stick with our aspect of what we're required to do.
00:27:15 Vernon
But yeah, I don't.
00:27:17 Vernon
I try my best not to bother.
00:27:19 Vernon
I mean, that's just my personal. Anyway, if I see someone I know or something like that, you know, I'll, I'll speak or whatever. But you know, if I have to go to the city, bill and I go from point A to point B.
00:27:29 Vernon
You know, if I do see Tiffany, you know, I'll, I'll.
00:27:32 Vernon
Drop my head and standing with me to call. You know, if I see her as I'm walking by, I'll stop and.
00:27:32 Kevin
Hey, how you doing?
00:27:37 Vernon
You know, I don't want to be rude or anything, but yeah, I just go from point A to point B. Go do what I need to do, and then I walk out.
00:27:43 Vernon
I do use my ID so I can swipe in the back door though 'cause. It's so much easier so.
00:27:47 Vernon
I take it I take advantage of that little perk, but other than that, you know.
00:27:51 Kevin
Right, yeah.
00:27:51 Kevin
And it's it's just one of.
00:27:53 Kevin
It's one of those things, like, if you're going to determine, I guess it comes down to.
00:27:58 Kevin
Ideology, right?
00:27:59 Kevin
If you're.
00:28:00 Kevin
If it's, if it's your job to like manage the funds, right, you're going to say, hey, we're we're, you know, you're presented with a budget every year by the by the executive branch, and then you guys review it and approve it.
00:28:13 Kevin
Might turn around and say well like, but you guys can always move line item to line.
00:28:18 Kevin
You can say, well, you know, we passed the budget, but at any point throughout the year you can.
00:28:22 Kevin
Just say, hey, we're going to remove this entire line item and put it over here and that's always something that can happen.
00:28:28 Kevin
It's like if you if you have that kind of control over the purse strings, it's like.
00:28:31 Kevin
You'd think that there would be, like you said, I mean, you guys do it out of respect, but it's one of those like you're always you should be allowed to just kind of go observe where the funding is going.
00:28:42 Vernon
Sure, it's our responsibility.
00:28:44 Vernon
Yeah.
00:28:44 Vernon
Yeah. And I you know, I I think the Council, I think this Council.
00:28:52 Vernon
They they they talk a lot and they communicate a lot about what they like to see things of that nature a little bit more than what the previous councils that I've been on. And I I think.
00:29:08 Vernon
I think we relay that perfectly to the mayor, to the city of what we're looking for.
00:29:14 Vernon
Do we always get what we're looking?
00:29:15 Vernon
No. Sometimes we have to ask again, which you know, it's hard to change for some.
00:29:22 Vernon
So we just, we just kind of roll with it. You know the object is to work together, you know and not ruffle feathers. And again like I said you know, sometimes I may say something.
00:29:34 Vernon
At a meeting I know last night.
00:29:36 Vernon
Apparently I must have made a face at something.
00:29:41 Vernon
Fire Chief said.
00:29:42 Vernon
And you know, and all the.
00:29:45 Vernon
McCall asked if I had something I wanted to say and I said no.
00:29:49 Vernon
Blood pressure's going up because there's there's just certain things.
00:29:52 Vernon
Just don't agree with.
00:29:54 Vernon
I've.
00:29:54 Vernon
Been in managements for so many years and I hear all the time about Taylor's law and you know.
00:30:01 Vernon
All the Union stuff, and I think people don't realize that I was in a union for years and now I'm in management of the same Union that I used to work for.
00:30:09 Vernon
Or. So now I'm on both.
00:30:12 Vernon
I've been on both sides now and and there's a lot of things you can do. The what the Union says is not gold.
00:30:19 Vernon
What the company says is was gold.
00:30:22 Vernon
So they have to work together though.
00:30:25 Vernon
So we make the rules the the company makes the rules, and the Union has to buy by them and provide the employees it's.
00:30:32 Vernon
Was that so?
00:30:34 Vernon
I think there's a disconnect there at the city where they just believe that everything the Union says goes and is, that's the part that frustrates.
00:30:42 Vernon
It's like there's a lot more that you can do, but it seems that no one wants to ruffle any feathers. And just like we're not ruffling feathers, we're doing what's best for the best interests of the city.
00:30:54 Vernon
That's what matters bottom.
00:30:55 Vernon
So if we're gonna go ahead and.
00:30:58 Vernon
That the you know the the Union, run it, then you're going to continue to see the city get less and less in their general fund because you know I've said it before and I'm say it again, when you look at the raises that everyone is getting and I.
00:31:12 Vernon
Against the raises, the raises should come as the economy goes up, the razor should go up.
00:31:16 Vernon
I'm perfectly fine with that.
00:31:18 Vernon
But we need to generate revenue and we're not generating any revenue, we can't even.
00:31:23 Vernon
Provide the numbers to even show where we're generating revenue in some lines, and that was disheartening last night to see that.
00:31:29 Vernon
I mean, there's so many little small things, and I say they're small because they're correctable.
00:31:34 Vernon
Is not the end of the world. Is not something that's gonna kill anything or or or make it where someone's gonna lose their job.
00:31:40 Vernon
Just small things and all those small things add up and that's the part.
00:31:44 Vernon
For.
00:31:45 Vernon
So I'm more vocal about it, you know? But like I said, once I leave there, I'm like, hey, have a good night.
00:31:50 Vernon
Know I'm I'm.
00:31:53 Vernon
Right, you know and.
00:31:53 Kevin
Right. Yeah, that's.
00:31:55 Vernon
I just hope there's no ill will.
00:31:56 Vernon
You know, it's it's funny that you mentioned that it was like, oh, people mad at me, OK.
00:32:01 Vernon
The other side of me says, Oh well, you know, I really don't worry about that part.
00:32:06 Vernon
Know if people got to let it go and be able.
00:32:08 Vernon
Work together.
00:32:09 Kevin
Right.
00:32:10 Kevin
No, I'm.
00:32:10 Kevin
I'm always the odd man out, right?
00:32:12 Kevin
I.
00:32:12 Kevin
I don't really like.
00:32:13 Kevin
Not a.
00:32:14 Kevin
I'm not a well I'm I am Kevin. But I'm also a I'm not a union guy, right?
00:32:18 Kevin
So I got.
00:32:19 Kevin
I get there and like there's the what?
00:32:22 Kevin
'S law.
00:32:23 Kevin
And that's where you so that was I.
00:32:23 Vernon
I've never heard of that one would love.
00:32:27 Kevin
Call it a.
00:32:27 Kevin
I think it's a decision. So it's where when you come to a place that is under a union bargaining like a, you know, a bargaining agreement, you don't. You're not just automatically a union employee.
00:32:34 Vernon
Mm.
00:32:39 Kevin
You don't have to pay union dues. You have the option to join the Union and so like.
00:32:44 Vernon
You're not at any place I've ever been.
00:32:46 Kevin
Yeah. Well, so I guess this happened in like 2018 or something like.
00:32:50 Kevin
So when I got there I they were like we can't ask you to join the Union.
00:32:54 Kevin
Union will present themselves to you and I just.
00:32:56 Kevin
Never joined because I don't believe like I believe that unions have their place. And I I'm OK with them in the private sector, public sector, I don't.
00:33:07 Kevin
And I'm I'm the odd man out at the city on that one.
00:33:10 Kevin
I don't make too many friends with the Union guys.
00:33:12 Kevin
Real gung ho.
00:33:13 Kevin
And there's other people that they don't know what the Union gives them other than I have to follow their contract. Like that's it. Like I I don't get a say in it.
00:33:19 Vernon
Right.
00:33:21 Kevin
Don't get to vote for.
00:33:22 Kevin
I don't get represented at the the negotiate the bargaining table but.
00:33:25 Kevin
Mm.
00:33:26 Kevin
It was one of those like.
00:33:27 Kevin
I I hear.
00:33:29 Kevin
I hear people's gripes about it, you know, through the halls. And it's like I don't.
00:33:33 Kevin
I usually try to.
00:33:34 Kevin
I have my opinion on it where I think that like I'm probably more in line with what the Council thinks.
00:33:41 Kevin
Hey my. My job here is to and I was explaining to somebody the other day it's.
00:33:46 Kevin
Like I've been people been trying to poach me since, like I got hired because it's like there's all these other companies out there in the private sector that can pay me double. But their health insurance isn't as good. And it's like, well, I'm taking that cut because I.
00:34:00 Kevin
Better health insurance.
00:34:02 Kevin
But then but but there's still a big gap.
00:34:06 Kevin
And people are like, well, that means the wage should go up. And I'm like, no, the gap is because I'm working for the city.
00:34:12 Kevin
With the idea that I'm giving.
00:34:15 Kevin
So that percentage that's missing health insurance and wage is still less than, you know, the lack of health insurance, the other ones offering in the private sector.
00:34:24 Kevin
That gap is made-up of what I'm giving back to my community because I'm a steward of the community.
00:34:29 Kevin
My job to do the best for my community, and that's what I tell people and they go.
00:34:34 Kevin
Watch out for your family. Charity starts at home and it's like, well, if that was the case, if I was worried about that and I couldn't make ends meet at home.
00:34:41 Kevin
I would go get a private sector job.
00:34:43 Vernon
Yeah, I hear what you're saying. I think there's a misconception in what you say.
00:34:48 Vernon
From from better not hearing.
00:34:49 Vernon
Yeah, you're saying that you're doing this for your community, but at the same time you are looking out for your family because you're looking out for the best interest of.
00:34:56 Vernon
By trying to get the best pay, the best benefits, things of that nature.
00:35:01 Vernon
You are looking at them first.
00:35:03 Vernon
And the other is secondary. But you know when it comes out your mouth, you say, listen, I'm doing this because of the city and what was great for the city.
00:35:10 Vernon
And again, and that's to me, that's just where people are talking and the other person's not listening.
00:35:17 Vernon
You know what I mean?
00:35:18 Vernon
Not they're.
00:35:19 Vernon
Understand your perception of what you're trying to say. Even though you just came out of your mouth and said I'm doing this for the city, it's a kid.
00:35:25 Vernon
He's obviously doing this for his.
00:35:27 Vernon
He's working. He's providing so and that part just kind of goes over the head.
00:35:32 Kevin
Right, like like Doctor Belecki, right?
00:35:33 Vernon
And.
00:35:37 Kevin
Nice.
00:35:37 Kevin
Have you met him?
00:35:39 Kevin
John.
00:35:39 Vernon
No, you're coming with your your examples here, so this is.
00:35:43 Kevin
Oh well, I mean, he he weeds the garden. He volunteers for the city.
00:35:44 Vernon
To be.
00:35:46 Kevin
Does the flowers and stuff like. Yeah, it's an actual person he Vol.
00:35:46 Vernon
OK, actual person, OK.
00:35:53 Kevin
He he weeds the garden for the city like all the flowerbeds and stuff.
00:35:56 Kevin
He tells people like, hey, this is what you need here.
00:35:59 Kevin
Is what you need.
00:36:00 Kevin
He's he's really good at gardening.
00:36:02 Kevin
And it's like he volunteers his free time because he's lived his life and he has his retirement or whatever source of income is right.
00:36:11 Kevin
Some people don't go and work for the city. You know they still like, they're not retired.
00:36:16 Kevin
Like, it's not every position of the city is like a mayor type position where like we're getting all these retired people that just come.
00:36:22 Kevin
Become the mayor and not pointing out anybody in particular. The last like 8 mayor's but.
00:36:30 Kevin
It's one of those things like when you, you know, you want to do something, there still has to be at least a bar of sustainable wage for those who don't, like, have a retirement to live off of, to do what they do, right.
00:36:41 Kevin
You don't go become a full time Alderman.
00:36:44 Vernon
Right.
00:36:45 Kevin
So but I I do understand that.
00:36:46 Vernon
A lot of people think we are full time.
00:36:50 Vernon
Yeah.
00:36:51 Vernon
I mean, I don't realize it's the.
00:36:53 Vernon
You get what you pay for, you know. And then I'm I'm full time employee with National Grid.
00:36:59 Vernon
My.
00:36:59 Vernon
That is my.
00:37:01 Vernon
That is what puts the food on my table. That's what pays my bills.
00:37:05 Vernon
The what is it, 3500 now the little 3500.
00:37:08 Vernon
Check that you get from the city does not pay my bills. Well, you know, I volunteer a lot of.
00:37:12 Vernon
Time I volunteer a lot.
00:37:15 Vernon
Of time to the.
00:37:16 Vernon
So I have to be able to provide for my family first so you know it's, you know, I get phone calls during the day.
00:37:24 Vernon
I'm in a meeting.
00:37:25 Vernon
You know, my phone has a special ring for the the bat phone.
00:37:29 Vernon
Call it the all.
00:37:31 Vernon
But when it does that special ring, I know you know it's a constituent.
00:37:35 Vernon
And you know, I want to answer it because I'm like, I don't want people to say, yeah, every time I call him, I get his.
00:37:40 Vernon
I don't want to be that guy, you know? So I always try to answer him. Always try to get back or if they leave a message, I always let him know. My apologies.
00:37:48 Vernon
Know I'm busy right now, but I promise to call you back later.
00:37:51 Vernon
You know, and I'll I'll talk to people and and actually one thing the mayor taught me when.
00:37:56 Vernon
Got on and I really appreciate him when he when he does, we had a little talk and he said a lot of times people just want to talk.
00:38:03 Kevin
Oh yeah.
00:38:04 Vernon
And that told that said something, you know, and a lot of times I get phone calls and I sit there and I'll be on the phone 1520 minutes, half hour with someone and a lot of them are, you know, elderly. And they just want to talk you.
00:38:17 Kevin
They just want it. They don't.
00:38:17 Vernon
They.
00:38:19 Vernon
Don't. They don't want to be.
00:38:20 Vernon
Yep. And I said I listen and they have things. Sometimes I'll I'll write it down, you know, and I'll say, well, you know, I had another constituent reach out about XY and Z, you know, and they'll mention it, you know, and it.
00:38:32 Vernon
I promised myself that that's what I would do and that's.
00:38:34 Vernon
I wanted to do so.
00:38:35 Kevin
Yeah, no, being an Alderman sometimes can be like being a bartender or a priest. Like people's come to you with their problems. You don't always have to have the answer.
00:38:44 Kevin
Could just listen so.
00:38:45 Vernon
Bartender or so you're a center and A and a, OK.
00:38:49 Kevin
Right.
00:38:51 Kevin
You just some people come in sometimes. If you're a bartender and I've bartended before, people will just come in and they will like.
00:38:57 Kevin
*** into their glass and you just do the good thing and you say, hey, man, what's the issue?
00:39:02 Kevin
And they'll talk to you and that's.
00:39:03 Kevin
And then they feel better just because they told you their problem.
00:39:07 Vernon
Talk. Yeah, talk it out.
00:39:07 Kevin
You didn't.
00:39:08 Kevin
You.
00:39:08 Kevin
Yeah, you didn't save their marriage, but you you made them feel a little bit better about the the crummy situation they're in.
00:39:14 Vernon
So that's why I like not solitude when I want to.
00:39:18 Vernon
Yeah, I come home and I just go to my basement and I just do my thing.
00:39:22 Vernon
I have to.
00:39:23 Vernon
I have to go sit in the corner.
00:39:25 Vernon
Download my thoughts replay everything that's happened and and then I'll start all over as long as I can do that, I'm good to go.
00:39:33 Vernon
I'm I'm good for starting over next day and literally no issues, no qualms or anything so.
00:39:39 Kevin
Yeah, no mental health is definitely a good is a good thing just to keep in check.
00:39:44 Kevin
Is cognizant of it anymore.
00:39:47 Kevin
So.
00:39:48 Kevin
Yeah.
00:39:50 Kevin
Just trying to think.
00:39:53 Kevin
The the Council, the I mean.
00:39:56 Kevin
The Charter Commission.
00:39:57 Kevin
Got.
00:39:58 Kevin
You know that's that's.
00:40:01 Kevin
How's that coming? I watched the meetings.
00:40:02 Vernon
Hey Cortana, we went through all the chapters.
00:40:06 Vernon
Everyone provided their input and we're pretty much getting to the point where we're wrapping up.
00:40:12 Vernon
We just handed it over to the lawyer.
00:40:15 Vernon
We gave him a bunch of notes, a lot of things, just minor details, wording, stuff like that.
00:40:21 Vernon
I can't recall any major changes.
00:40:23 Vernon
There's a lot of strike.
00:40:26 Vernon
Where we removed a lot of old language, a lot of the stuff that really just didn't pertain or anything that was pretty much redundant. We got rid of.
00:40:36 Vernon
We tried to streamline a little bit more, try to give more detail to some of the positions.
00:40:42 Vernon
Because, for instance, the city clerk's descriptions kind of went over into what the Council clerk does.
00:40:52 Vernon
So we had to specify what was what and and I think that worked out great. And yeah, it should be finishing up here soon.
00:41:02 Vernon
Have a meeting. I think the beginning of next month. I can't remember.
00:41:07 Kevin
And because then what happens is it gets sent to referendum.
00:41:07 Vernon
Well.
00:41:10 Vernon
Yes, yes. Once we get done and everything, then we're going to do that part and then hopefully people vote yes on it and moving forward, I don't in all honesty, I don't see a reason why they would not.
00:41:22 Vernon
As far as the salary aspect?
00:41:27 Vernon
I've always believed that that needed to go up because we need to try to find a way of enticing more people to get involved.
00:41:33 Vernon
Right now, the mayor's salary is set at a retirement.
00:41:36 Vernon
You know, for retirees, you know, it's 50 grand. When you looked at other compatible cities.
00:41:43 Vernon
With the same amount of council members with the same set up with roughly same population, plus or minus about 3 to 4000 people.
00:41:51 Vernon
That you're looking at Council members that were making rough.
00:41:55 Vernon
Mayors were making roughly 100 to 120 K if they didn't have a mayor, they had a city manager.
00:42:00 Vernon
Were making roughly the same.
00:42:01 Vernon
And you know, I think that the we've had so many administrations that have gone by that just said, you know what, we're not doing anything.
00:42:09 Vernon
Know what? We're not doing anything.
00:42:11 Vernon
And now we're behind and.
00:42:12 Kevin
Lack of competition.
00:42:14 Vernon
You know, now we're playing catch up from behind, you know.
00:42:18 Vernon
And we're doing it with a stressed out, you know, budget so.
00:42:23 Kevin
The rumor on the street was always that if you had a lower, if you kept it at the retiree age, you would kind of protect the people that wanted to run that were retirees, because if you wanted to poach somebody, making 100 grand a year at you.
00:42:23 Vernon
I I think.
00:42:37 Kevin
Cutco.
00:42:38 Kevin
Like I served with Brian George.
00:42:39 Kevin
Was.
00:42:40 Kevin
I don't think he ever would want to run for city mayor, but I think he would be a good candidate if he ran.
00:42:45 Kevin
A. He's a nice.
00:42:46 Kevin
He's everybody likes him and if he were to go to the owner of Cutco and say, hey, listen.
00:42:52 Kevin
I'm going to step down from my position.
00:42:54 Kevin
For four years to run and be the city mayor to give back to the community.
00:42:58 Kevin
I think that like when you get to that position in like in a company, I think that they would put a pin in it.
00:43:04 Kevin
What I.
00:43:04 Kevin
They would say, hey, you know you've done great work here.
00:43:07 Kevin
Think we?
00:43:07 Kevin
You know, whatever. You're never going to entice them to leave though.
00:43:11 Kevin
For half of their wage or less?
00:43:13 Kevin
You're gonna taste them to leave for a four year stint to give back to the community for a 20 grand hit, you know.
00:43:19 Vernon
You're absolutely.
00:43:21 Vernon
You know, I I don't think you're gonna get someone to just cut their wages in.
00:43:24 Vernon
You know, again, people have to take care of their family first, you know, and and then, you know, community service.
00:43:30 Vernon
So with that, you know, if you can, if you can raise the the wages, you know, even.
00:43:38 Vernon
Incrementally, I think it would do wonders for bringing someone out.
00:43:43 Vernon
Know.
00:43:44 Vernon
A lot of people that have great.
00:43:46 Vernon
There's a lot of people that would be interested, but the fact is a lot of people aren't willing to lose their job to come do it for 50 grand.
00:43:53 Vernon
And you know the mayor, he, he's he's done great while he's been there. You know, I don't.
00:43:59 Vernon
Don't have any.
00:44:00 Vernon
Bad things to say about them, but I think it's time for a new mayor.
00:44:06 Vernon
Ideas, fresh thoughts and.
00:44:08 Vernon
You just go from there, I mean, and if he wins, then he.
00:44:11 Vernon
I still have to work with him, but you know, there's there's. I don't think that any particular position should be dominated year after year after year, by the same person. But I mean, if he's the only person that's running.
00:44:23 Vernon
Again, then we need to entice more people to run, you know, and and at least.
00:44:29 Vernon
By having someone run against him, it would bring the best out of him because then now he has to explain and better perform and that he knows where the people are upset and he can work on those things and then he can get better results. I don't I.
00:44:42 Kevin
Comp healthy competition, that's that works in works in the private sector.
00:44:43 Vernon
Think anything is wrong with that at all?
00:44:46 Vernon
Absolutely.
00:44:49 Kevin
You know, like if you know if your if your price on something, if your cup of coffee is too expensive and you're the only coffee game in town, your price can be whatever it wants.
00:44:57 Kevin
Unless people are gonna make it at home, they're not gonna come out to.
00:45:00 Kevin
Timmy hoser. You know what I mean? Like.
00:45:04 Kevin
So, but you know.
00:45:04 Vernon
I don't mean, but I prefer my Starbucks.
00:45:06 Kevin
See, I can't stand.
00:45:08 Kevin
Miley drags me to Starbucks like twice a month usually, and I I just I'll I like, I like I like cream in mine.
00:45:16 Kevin
Every time I go, there's always a spritz of sugar, and it's almost almost.
00:45:20 Kevin
Like, I mean, I'll drink a black coffee.
00:45:22 Kevin
Don't.
00:45:22 Kevin
But you know, I do like some cream and I don't like sugar, and for some reason I always get a sugary black coffee and it's like I I just.
00:45:29 Kevin
Don't know.
00:45:29 Kevin
I feel like I'm beating my.
00:45:30 Vernon
And we'll probably brand.
00:45:30 Kevin
Against the wall with.
00:45:31 Vernon
You select it with sweet. It might be a sweet roast.
00:45:35 Kevin
Maybe that's what it is.
00:45:36 Vernon
Lot of lot of those roasts are either bold and have a sweetness to it.
00:45:40 Vernon
You need a different style.
00:45:42 Vernon
You definitely they have so many.
00:45:42 Kevin
Maybe that's what it is.
00:45:44 Vernon
You just kind of have to taste test to see which ones you like the best.
00:45:48 Kevin
Right, right.
00:45:49 Kevin
Like I used to have a coffee shop. So like, I'll tell them like a dark roast, but.
00:45:52 Kevin
Don't. Maybe they've got.
00:45:54 Kevin
Maybe that's how it.
00:45:55 Kevin
Maybe they got the sweetest that comes out in them.
00:45:57 Vernon
Starbucks. Yeah, they this Starbucks doesn't have everything.
00:46:00 Vernon
But you know the way the way they get behind. In all honesty, I don't think they need anything.
00:46:05 Vernon
I think they need to just focus on the the items that they have, because I think if they had any more selections they would get even further behind. So, but at least they try and I'm happy they're here. So I keep mine simple.
00:46:11 Kevin
Yeah, right.
00:46:15 Vernon
Just get a ice cream to your ice black tea.
00:46:19 Vernon
Once in a while I get a coffee but.
00:46:21 Vernon
But yeah, I think.
00:46:21 Kevin
You still? That's why I made a coffee today.
00:46:23 Kevin
Was I?
00:46:24 Kevin
I have homemade seltzer that's non alcoholic.
00:46:27 Kevin
Been.
00:46:28 Vernon
Yeah.
00:46:28 Kevin
Yeah, I've.
00:46:29 Kevin
I've been slowing down on drinking.
00:46:30 Kevin
I.
00:46:31 Kevin
I had a drink for.
00:46:33 Kevin
Patty's day. And then I haven't drank in, like, 2 months.
00:46:36 Kevin
So it's like I've been making all the homemade white claws, non alcoholic and the missus hates me for.
00:46:42 Kevin
But I I was like, I'm gonna make a coffee, cause Vernon will drink coffee 24 hours a day, seven days a week, if I remember correctly.
00:46:50 Vernon
Yep, I sure will.
00:46:51 Kevin
11:00 at night.
00:46:53 Vernon
I.
00:46:53 Vernon
And then go right to bed. No issues.
00:46:55 Kevin
Addition.
00:46:57 Kevin
Yeah, but yeah, so I mean hopefully, hopefully there's some competition for you, but I don't if if if I haven't heard any grumblings now, I doubt somebody's gonna come out of the woodwork.
00:46:57 Vernon
So.
00:47:07 Kevin
I think you're.
00:47:09 Vernon
Yeah, I'm still. I need to go get my signatures. Normally I am regimental and get everything done, but like I said the past two weeks have been.
00:47:19 Vernon
Stressful at?
00:47:21 Vernon
A lot of work that we need to get done, but I'm all caught up.
00:47:24 Vernon
So now I'm pretty much just employee Appreciation Month, so I'm trying to get out to all of my employees and take them all out to lunch and just give them an opportunity to just relax and. And so I've been on the road a lot and then coming back.
00:47:38 Vernon
Then we're doing 2 a week with the Council, and then, you know, got to spend time with the.
00:47:43 Vernon
You know.
00:47:44 Vernon
Like I said, I am.
00:47:46 Vernon
So you know, even though I come home to a beautiful wife, sometimes I just want to go to the basement and go collect my thoughts, sit by myself, think.
00:47:54 Kevin
Get a punching bag down there or a speed bag.
00:47:55 Vernon
So yeah.
00:47:58 Vernon
I have a full gym down.
00:48:00 Vernon
Full living room, full everything. I'm actually sitting at A at a booth type dining room table and we had that.
00:48:07 Kevin
Oh, OK.
00:48:08 Vernon
Had our last house, but yeah, it's it's stacked out down here.
00:48:12 Vernon
Don't have a punching bag, but I got weights, bench, elliptical.
00:48:17 Vernon
Bike. Treadmill.
00:48:22 Vernon
Oh, AB coaster.
00:48:24 Vernon
I got mats.
00:48:25 Vernon
I got yoga stuff over there.
00:48:28 Vernon
Got small weights.
00:48:31 Vernon
I got all kinds of stuff over there, but.
00:48:32 Vernon
Oh.
00:48:33 Kevin
There you.
00:48:34 Kevin
You can go defend. Go defend John at the the next basketball game.
00:48:39 Vernon
No, I'm just.
00:48:40 Kevin
I just.
00:48:41 Vernon
Yeah, I don't.
00:48:41 Kevin
I had to pepper that reference in there, I guess.
00:48:43 Vernon
Even like.
00:48:44 Vernon
But yeah, I'm pretty sure when he watches this, he'll appreciate that one.
00:48:47 Vernon
Yeah, right.
00:48:50 Kevin
So I guess the only other topic I really wanted to touch on was what did.
00:48:56 Kevin
What are?
00:48:56 Kevin
What is your take on like?
00:48:59 Kevin
So we talked about the budget.
00:49:00 Kevin
And we talked about like, you know, your guys's oversight of it.
00:49:03 Kevin
Don't want any.
00:49:04 Kevin
I don't want there to be a misconception out there that, like the budget, is just fraught with, like with, you know, overspending and and corruption here and there.
00:49:13 Kevin
Like I don't want anybody to get that take away because but like there's and you mentioned there was a healthy sewer budget.
00:49:22 Kevin
But I still don't think that this healthy sewer or water budget is going to be able to put a drop.
00:49:28 Kevin
In like replacing infrastructure.
00:49:30 Kevin
Structure and like and you have these giant mobs that come to the Council as of late that are like.
00:49:38 Kevin
Coming at us for the throat, you know, so that one.
00:49:42 Vernon
So just just to tackle, I mean.
00:49:46 Vernon
To go back on your last plane, you know.
00:49:48 Kevin
I gave you a lot, sorry.
00:49:50 Vernon
Yeah, they.
00:49:50 Vernon
A lot that they feel that they want to discuss and try to correct or wrong, and I don't blame them. But at the same time that's not overnighter, and I know a lot of majority of people that been talking to you know, I've been saying.
00:50:05 Vernon
Same thing over and over.
00:50:06 Vernon
Over you can't put the cart before the horse, so in order to fix the problem we have to fix a lot of smaller problems.
00:50:14 Vernon
Going back to just the sewer itself, the infrastructure is old as hell.
00:50:20 Vernon
It has.
00:50:20 Vernon
It's been neglected as a whole. I'm gonna say it hasn't been neglected because the city is always working on something different and that's that can be shown.
00:50:31 Vernon
There's millions and millions of dollars that have been spent each year.
00:50:35 Vernon
On different parts of the city.
00:50:37 Vernon
City and its infrastructure there is a huge misconception out there that the city isn't doing anything.
00:50:42 Vernon
I think the what I've tried to explain in my words. I don't know if it resonated so I can explain it here now.
00:50:51 Vernon
The city.
00:50:53 Vernon
The mayor, initially after with the second big dumping that they did in the Allegheny River.
00:51:02 Vernon
The mayor came and basically requested to do get an engineering study on our lines.
00:51:10 Vernon
Because we wanted to see all of these different things, we wanted to check all these different things around the city with every residential and every downtown.
00:51:20 Vernon
Come to find out, we had one.
00:51:22 Vernon
And once the Council learned that we had one and we were saying, well, how much of this stuff has been done? And the answer was, I don't know, to maybe some that the Council completely flipped and said well.
00:51:24 Vernon
Head.
00:51:36 Vernon
Why would we pay for another study when we have one that we previously had that wasn't?
00:51:42 Vernon
Even implemented we we didn't go out and try to implement some of the things that the results showed in that study.
00:51:50 Vernon
So when they came back and they were talking about the the houses being connected, I know I brought that up. The houses that are being connected.
00:51:59 Vernon
And still going into the ground may or may not be going directly into the sewer line.
00:52:04 Vernon
Some may be going to the storm.
00:52:08 Vernon
So we said, OK.
00:52:09 Vernon
Well, maybe we should check that then.
00:52:13 Vernon
Jr. Aluminian mentioned that OK.
00:52:16 Vernon
Let's say if they are, we pull them all out.
00:52:20 Vernon
Take every house in the city.
00:52:22 Vernon
Right. And take all of their spouts and put them out into the yard. When you have all of those, go out into the yard. Guess what?
00:52:28 Vernon
They're going into the street.
00:52:31 Vernon
There.
00:52:31 Vernon
I can't remember the total number, but there were a numerous amount of catch basins that were tied to the sewer system and storm system.
00:52:39 Vernon
Sure.
00:52:41 Kevin
Because yeah, our system was put in.
00:52:43 Vernon
So.
00:52:43 Vernon
Yes, exactly.
00:52:45 Kevin
Prior to prior to storm right, they just had sanitary.
00:52:47 Vernon
So.
00:52:49 Vernon
And so when you look at that theory and you say, OK, no, we're not rocket scientists.
00:52:53 Vernon
Isn't our profession.
00:52:54 Vernon
All each.
00:52:55 Vernon
Each Alderman has a different genre or their occupation, right?
00:53:00 Vernon
So when you look at that and you say, OK, well, even if we disconnect every house, every business, every building and have everybody put theirs right into the street.
00:53:08 Vernon
There no ones going into the wrong pipe in the ground.
00:53:11 Vernon
Guess.
00:53:12 Vernon
We have all these catch basins that are still going to the sewer plant and not to the storm. So that's where the Council is saying, why don't we take that old list before we start spending money on a new study?
00:53:24 Vernon
Take that old list.
00:53:26 Vernon
Go out and fix all of those catch basins or check to see if they were fixed. All of the catch basins that need to be done that are connected to the sewer line. There's some that are going to be inexpensive that we can do and I can't remember.
00:53:38 Vernon
They did, but.
00:53:39 Vernon
They did quite a few last.
00:53:41 Vernon
Summer and then then after that, we'll tackle the larger ones and that's what we're gonna have to budget for.
00:53:49 Vernon
That's what we've been we've been putting money.
00:53:51 Vernon
So we're saying, OK, now we can take and attack these one at a time and prioritize them, but again.
00:53:57 Vernon
That's for the city to do. The Council has already said this is what we like to see with this money. It's up to the city.
00:54:04 Vernon
Go do it.
00:54:05 Vernon
Right.
00:54:05 Vernon
Well, now we move that to the side.
00:54:10 Vernon
Alderman Crawford, being myself and the mayor, we got together and we went to discuss ways of moving forward.
00:54:19 Vernon
The consensus was that we would look into, we would look into getting a study done.
00:54:26 Vernon
To get the oh, what is the name of the pump station looked at?
00:54:32 Vernon
And the two Martha Ave.
00:54:35 Vernon
No.
00:54:36 Vernon
4th.
00:54:36 Vernon
I can't see a third one there, but there's a third one.
00:54:40 Vernon
Have those look that try to find out whether or not they have the capacity to be able to do what we needed to do and so that is something that's going to be coming to the forefront. We're going to look at doing that. But other than that.
00:54:53 Vernon
Government doesn't move any faster, I mean.
00:54:55 Vernon
They're doing the things that they need to do, albeit they're not doing it fast enough, and that's where I can side and say, listen, you guys need to make this a priority.
00:55:06 Vernon
But things are being worked on. I know I I feel the same sentiment.
00:55:12 Vernon
Know us parts per million.
00:55:14 Vernon
I learned that I did water purification in the military.
00:55:17 Vernon
So I understand the parts per million ideal, but when you are actually the recipient and you're the one that's living down the river, I think there has to be some type of a.
00:55:29 Vernon
Empathy. When you, when you, when that person says, listen, I can't go into my backyard because there's a damn turd coming down here or there's sediment that 'cause that can happen. There is sediment at the bottom of of this.
00:55:45 Vernon
Is literally sitting.
00:55:46 Vernon
So I think we should take the concerns seriously, but at the same time we.
00:55:51 Vernon
What the city can do.
00:55:54 Vernon
Staying within the limits of what Dec wants us to do, as long as we're staying within those parameters, I think we're fine, but we just need to work as fast as we can at it.
00:56:03 Vernon
Right.
00:56:05 Vernon
Know 'cause who wants a ****** *** neighbor.
00:56:07 Vernon
Shouldn't have a ****** ***.
00:56:09 Vernon
And yes, we should be working with.
00:56:10 Vernon
We should have been working with them from day one.
00:56:14 Vernon
I don't know why you wouldn't, so I think in that regard, you know I.
00:56:17 Vernon
I don't know who dropped the ball there, but we should be working with Seneca. They have the ability.
00:56:23 Vernon
We have to pay three times them up.
00:56:25 Vernon
So if they can help us and they're willing to pay and we pay them back whatever way we figure it out, do something, you know, and. And that's where I'm at with that.
00:56:31 Kevin
Great.
00:56:34 Kevin
I've had conversations about this and I, you know, it was, you know, what struck me is funny about last, not yesterday's Council meeting, but the the well, the actual Council meeting.
00:56:43 Kevin
Yeah, where everybody showed.
00:56:46 Kevin
It's like, man, when I was on the Council, if we had an issue with some like if we had an issue with Portville or Allegheny or whatever.
00:56:52 Kevin
We would rifle off an.
00:56:54 Vernon
Mm.
00:56:54 Vernon
Like.
00:56:56 Kevin
Hey.
00:56:57 Kevin
Hey, Vernon. Hey, council.
00:56:59 Kevin
Hey, you know, whoever I'd like to sit down and meet with you.
00:57:03 Kevin
Know what I?
00:57:04 Kevin
Because we always heard. That's like when these discharges would happen. That Salomeka was angry and potentially could sue us and but we never heard a peep out of them.
00:57:12 Kevin
A council standpoint, I never got an e-mail, never got a phone call, no nothing.
00:57:16 Kevin
And the the Common Council, like when you guys have public comment that is like.
00:57:21 Kevin
A stone throwing venue that's like the guy who pitching, pitching at at the the target on a on a water, you know, on a dunking booth, right.
00:57:31 Kevin
It's like you don't go there to get things done and be heard you go there because.
00:57:37 Kevin
People either a aren't.
00:57:38 Kevin
They're not replying to your.
00:57:40 Kevin
They're not responding to your phone calls.
00:57:43 Kevin
And and they're there to get your attention by throwing rocks at you. And. And it's like, well, if they haven't called you in the 1st place, why are they coming straight out to the, you know, they kind of like they went to the the highest point of ES.
00:57:56 Kevin
And it's like.
00:57:56 Vernon
Well, I think.
00:58:00 Vernon
I can't speak for all the communications that the city received.
00:58:04 Vernon
Pretty confident that they didn't just pop.
00:58:06 Vernon
I'm pretty sure after all of these months, there's been communication sent.
00:58:12 Vernon
I know in some of the.
00:58:13 Vernon
That we've heard.
00:58:15 Vernon
Some of the conversations that we've heard between the mayor and the gentleman that always comes.
00:58:20 Vernon
Wall, Mr. Wall.
00:58:21 Kevin
Yeah. Go, Glen. Yeah.
00:58:23 Vernon
That that he is stated that he has talked to the mayor on numerous occasions or that he's talked to.
00:58:30 Vernon
Jesus. Yeah, it's.
00:58:31 Vernon
It's getting about that time he talked to.
00:58:35 Kevin
Brad.
00:58:36 Vernon
Water.
00:58:37 Vernon
Thank you, Brad camp.
00:58:37 Kevin
Yeah.
00:58:38 Vernon
So if they, if he's talked to Brad and he's talked to the mayor, there has been back and forth communication.
00:58:44 Vernon
What that communication is, we don't know.
00:58:47 Vernon
The Council did receive an e-mail once. I do recall having e-mail once from him.
00:58:53 Vernon
Uh.
00:58:54 Kevin
Right. But he's, but he's not even like you had a lot of, like, elected officials and people that are nominated amongst the Seneca Nation. And what was it, right?
00:58:55 Vernon
With a few things.
00:59:03 Vernon
Yes, we were there.
00:59:04 Kevin
Woman from the Salamanca Common Council like these are all elected.
00:59:08 Kevin
Are elected or somehow voted upon officials.
00:59:11 Kevin
In their capacity like, but I I haven't heard of one person receiving communication from them other than just to show up and read a proclamation from their president.
00:59:20 Vernon
Yeah. Well, I mean, his teacher's own each to me. You know each.
00:59:21 Kevin
You know.
00:59:28 Vernon
They are very proud nation, very proud people.
00:59:32 Vernon
They have their way of handling.
00:59:34 Vernon
It's not always going to be the same as the way I may handle it, or the way you may handle it.
00:59:40 Kevin
Right.
00:59:42 Vernon
There may I think, they accomplished their goal.
00:59:44 Vernon
They show that they were unified regardless if you were just the next door neighbor. If you were one of the politicians, or if you were a business owner.
00:59:53 Vernon
Think they show that regardless of where you are on the aisle in on their land.
01:00:00 Vernon
That they were unified, that we don't want your poop down here. So and and like I said, I I totally agree with that.
01:00:07 Vernon
Know. So with that, how do we make that change?
01:00:10 Vernon
And they chose to come and speak in a unified way.
01:00:16 Vernon
Now I I did not have any objections to the whole.
01:00:18 Vernon
I thought that we were going to cut the time to allow them all to speak in a timely manner, but after the grumblings John and I made a motion to.
01:00:27 Vernon
Basically canceled. You know, going in 3 minutes and left it at 5 minutes.
01:00:31 Vernon
I mean, I didn't have a.
01:00:32 Vernon
With that.
01:00:33 Vernon
Where I do have a problem though is.
01:00:37 Vernon
I I respect as big with me.
01:00:40 Vernon
I I have a lot of pride and I if I'm showing, I mean listen, we we had a.
01:00:47 Vernon
Small incident and yet here I am. You know, like I said, my reset button is Infinity.
01:00:55 Vernon
And if I can do that and talk to you.
01:00:58 Vernon
So with this is respect is big with me and when the gentleman that spoke and read off the letter of their president when he spoke.
01:01:08 Vernon
I I understand that he wanted to get to point out.
01:01:10 Vernon
Understand that he wanted to finish the letter.
01:01:12 Vernon
I understand that he had a message, but I still.
01:01:17 Vernon
Believe that as Council President, this is our House, when.
01:01:21 Vernon
The speaker, when the President of our House says you're done, you should be done.
01:01:28 Vernon
I'm not going to come to your house and talk to you and present my case for for anything and then try to out talk you in your house.
01:01:36 Vernon
Know what I mean?
01:01:38 Vernon
I don't expect to go down to Salamanca and talk to anyone down there and disrespect them.
01:01:44 Vernon
In their.
01:01:45 Vernon
I don't care how ****** you are.
01:01:46 Vernon
Don't care how big the issue.
01:01:48 Vernon
Respect is number one for me, so when that happens.
01:01:52 Vernon
I did set up in my chair because.
01:01:54 Vernon
I was getting upset by that, but at the same time, I also understand the perception.
01:01:58 Vernon
You know.
01:01:59 Vernon
It would have been bad if we would have reacted openly right there in front of the cameras.
01:02:05 Kevin
Right. Yeah. 'cause I.
01:02:06 Vernon
It would have been a bad image and it would have been a lot. Robinson did this, this and this so I'm not a Council President.
01:02:13 Vernon
I'm glad I wasn't because I know how I am with my personality.
01:02:17 Vernon
Unfortunately, John had to deal with that and you know, I applaud him for how he he tried to handle it, but.
01:02:21 Kevin
Right.
01:02:24 Vernon
You know, I I just go from.
01:02:26 Vernon
But again, you know, like I said, I do understand where they're coming from and I understand the whole concept and I and I agree with them.
01:02:32 Vernon
On that particular front there, I think that was handled inappropriately and and I wasn't.
01:02:37 Vernon
Happy about that at all.
01:02:38 Kevin
Yeah, I I just still think that like man like those, like, just afterwards like they're doing.
01:02:43 Kevin
I saw a post on Facebook the other day and it was like it's bring a friend night to next Tuesday's.
01:02:48 Kevin
Meeting and it's like.
01:02:50 Kevin
We'll bring a friend like, but in the meantime, in that interim, has anybody wanted to just sit down and talk with the Council?
01:02:58 Kevin
Know what I mean?
01:02:58 Vernon
The mayor, I think the mayor is scheduled to talk to them and there's frankly there's nothing that anyone needs to talk to the Council about.
01:02:58 Kevin
Just from.
01:03:05 Vernon
Already provided instructions to the city on what we're looking for.
01:03:09 Vernon
Have a study.
01:03:10 Vernon
Go ahead and take care of those items in the study with those means that we have the ability for the mayor already mentioned that we're going to get.
01:03:18 Vernon
Engineering service in for those 3 pumps and have someone look at those to find out if we need to in fact install some type of holding tank.
01:03:25 Vernon
Or or if we need to update the pumps, what have you?
01:03:28 Vernon
The purpose of that?
01:03:30 Vernon
There's nothing else we can do in the interim. Like I said, we can unhook every house there is in the city.
01:03:32 Vernon
Right.
01:03:36 Vernon
All we're doing is putting it right into the street, which could very well cause more problems, so we're better off to just go day-to-day.
01:03:40 Kevin
Go back into the catch basins, right?
01:03:46 Vernon
Hope that we don't get any substantial rains that cause another.
01:03:49 Vernon
I mean, the other day when we got the high winds, you know, I was like, oh, we're literally sitting here like we're going to have a flashback to last year and have something happen, you know.
01:03:57 Vernon
Everyone is on edge, you know.
01:03:59 Vernon
No one is sitting in the city.
01:04:02 Vernon
And saying, you know, we're good to go, you know. No, you.
01:04:04 Vernon
Everyone's on it.
01:04:04 Kevin
Right. Yeah, 'cause.
01:04:05 Vernon
One's.
01:04:06 Vernon
We don't want it to happen again.
01:04:08 Kevin
Right. Yeah. I don't think anybody.
01:04:10 Kevin
Anybody's intentionally pooping in the room.
01:04:11 Vernon
No, no.
01:04:13 Vernon
No, except the homeless that pitched her tents down there to.
01:04:17 Kevin
Yeah. Well, right.
01:04:18 Kevin
I'm sure that when the flood comes that their poop gets washed in the river.
01:04:21 Vernon
Along with the.
01:04:22 Kevin
10 along with the 10 we're tenting in the river.
01:04:25 Kevin
I.
01:04:25 Kevin
I don't wouldn't blame the city of Olean for that.
01:04:27 Kevin
The homeless task force? I blame they.
01:04:30 Kevin
They should handle it.
01:04:32 Vernon
I have not heard or seen anything there, but I I just hope that they're they're doing what they can to help some of the people. I I in all honesty, I believe it's the same.
01:04:44 Vernon
People over and over because I see the same people over and over, right?
01:04:49 Vernon
Haven't seen any any new.
01:04:51 Vernon
You know, it's literally the same, same individuals.
01:04:54 Kevin
Right, yeah.
01:04:55 Kevin
It's.
01:04:58 Kevin
It's hard to see it too, because there's a lot of people that just they, they whatever's wrong with them. They think that it's just OK.
01:05:04 Kevin
And I think that's the problem that needs to be.
01:05:07 Kevin
You don't. Just like they won't homeless if you get my house, but it's like, is that gonna solve it? 'cause at one point, they probably had a house. Somebody probably gave him a house.
01:05:13 Vernon
Yeah, and that's that's the tricky.
01:05:15 Vernon
I mean, if it was easy to fix, it would have been fixed a long time ago.
01:05:19 Vernon
I mean, look at. Oh, what's her name?
01:05:21 Vernon
I think her name.
01:05:23 Vernon
I think everyone in town knows her. The lady that sits down.
01:05:25 Kevin
The Oracle.
01:05:27 Kevin
She she reminds me of the lady from the Matrix, so I always follow the Oracle.
01:05:27 Vernon
I don't know about that.
01:05:33 Vernon
Oh my goodness. Yeah, so.
01:05:34 Kevin
Like.
01:05:36 Vernon
So.
01:05:37 Vernon
She you know, the word is that she does have an income that she prefers not to receive assistance from anyone.
01:05:45 Vernon
Know she's perfectly fine on her own and by herself. And she's proven that she's very resilient.
01:05:50 Vernon
In which he.
01:05:51 Vernon
And you know, I I think she does have a property or she stays somewhere in East Olean. I've seen her frequenting that way, going across the bridge and and walking up State Street.
01:06:03 Kevin
She used to live.
01:06:03 Vernon
I think she's looking.
01:06:04 Kevin
She used to live at Anderson Shore, Tel.
01:06:07 Vernon
Bernard. Yes, before I had to fire, yeah.
01:06:09 Kevin
Before it had the fire, I was at the tax auction that day with the Andersons.
01:06:13 Kevin
It was.
01:06:13 Kevin
They were sitting behind.
01:06:14 Kevin
They're like, hey, our our shop is on fire and they all left and it was when they still owned it and then.
01:06:20 Kevin
When I got when I was on the Council, I think was my second term, I was running and I was going door to door and I got into the only in House, which is a tough feat to do if you're in Ward 4 to get your to get.
01:06:30 Kevin
Foot into the door at the Olean house, and then you you also there's.
01:06:34 Kevin
There's a little trick to the alien house is like 'cause. The residents will come up to you and be like, do you want to borrow this?
01:06:39 Kevin
They'll hand you a bottle of like rubbing ALCO.
01:06:42 Kevin
The spray on yourself because it keeps bed bugs down.
01:06:45 Kevin
And so it's one of those. Like I remember, I remember getting handed by a bunch of different people like different.
01:06:50 Kevin
You want to spray before you leave.
01:06:52 Kevin
Why? What's going?
01:06:53 Kevin
But she was one of the doors, and she slammed the door in my face.
01:06:59 Kevin
I well, I knocked on the door and she just was like, I know you.
01:07:03 Kevin
I like you and I'm like, oh, thanks.
01:07:05 Kevin
She goes. Are you Republican or Democrat?
01:07:08 Kevin
Could never.
01:07:08 Kevin
And I was like, oh, I'm a.
01:07:10 Kevin
And she boom slammed the door on my face.
01:07:11 Kevin
Get out of.
01:07:12 Kevin
Before I go get a gun and I'm thinking to myself, I don't.
01:07:15 Kevin
Has a gun but.
01:07:16 Kevin
I'm gonna leave.
01:07:18 Vernon
You know, interestingly, since you brought that point up, I my first year, so I was appointed and then I had to run the next year.
01:07:27 Vernon
So and I'm I'm I'm I'm anti going door to.
01:07:32 Vernon
I don't want to go knocking on people's doors and bothering.
01:07:35 Vernon
People want to live their lives and not be bothered by me soliciting myself.
01:07:40 Kevin
It's worse than Texas.
01:07:42 Vernon
Yes. Yeah, so, but what I did do was I bought a bunch of magnets.
01:07:48 Vernon
And I I went around with my business card, the Alderman card, and I the city business.
01:07:54 Vernon
So I went around to all the residents in Ward 6 and I knocked on everyone's door to introduce myself, to let them know that under city Alderman and if they needed anything or they wanted to just talk or whatever.
01:08:09 Vernon
Magnets so they can put it up on their fridge and then I gave them my card so they can put it wherever, you know, wherever you you want to put it.
01:08:15 Vernon
I wanted to let them know that I was their oldest.
01:08:17 Vernon
You know, and I got a lot of positive feedback from that and surprisingly a lot of people had said they read my posting or thing and I did not realize that it was that popular, you know, and I did get to one house.
01:08:32 Vernon
On the South side, on the later streets, I'm not going to say the street, but I got to this gentleman's.
01:08:38 Vernon
He was sitting out front and I walked up to give him the card and everything and the first thing he said was, you know, he was grumpy. And he said, are you Democrat Republican?
01:08:48 Vernon
And I said.
01:08:50 Vernon
Why does that matter? He.
01:08:51 Vernon
Because you, Democrat or Republican? And I said if you have a problem.
01:08:57 Vernon
With the city or you need something taken care of.
01:08:59 Vernon
I ask.
01:09:00 Vernon
Are you Democrat or Republican? Before I help you, you know, I said I'm independent. And he said all right.
01:09:07 Vernon
Then he took my card. But that that resonated with me because I heard people do that and.
01:09:12 Vernon
I just.
01:09:13 Vernon
I'm so anti that I don't.
01:09:14 Vernon
Don't like that you know.
01:09:16 Kevin
Because there's a lot of people that they take sides and it's like, you know, it's it's if you want.
01:09:21 Vernon
There's.
01:09:21 Kevin
Take a side.
01:09:21 Vernon
Yeah, there's.
01:09:22 Vernon
There's not that big deal.
01:09:24 Vernon
There's no reason why anyone should be.
01:09:28 Vernon
Carrying themselves in that type of way with a party, the party is the party is just your belief is your belief.
01:09:35 Vernon
I mean, we all should respect each others beliefs and period, but when it comes to something like that, if I'm coming to you and I'm letting you know, hey, I'm your Alderman. I'm the one that's going to help you with anything that you need. And you're more concer.
01:09:46 Vernon
My party.
01:09:47 Vernon
Bruh, my party is independent.
01:09:48 Vernon
What you know? So what does it matter?
01:09:50 Vernon
What? What, really?
01:09:51 Vernon
What does it matter, you know.
01:09:52 Kevin
Right, you know.
01:09:52 Vernon
And.
01:09:53 Vernon
That's where I was at with him. You know, I was kind of at that.
01:09:55 Vernon
Think that was the first time I ever got frustrated with a constituent because.
01:09:58 Vernon
You know, that was the way he carried.
01:10:00 Vernon
But I mean, I don't know if he's called me since I don't know his name.
01:10:03 Vernon
Just remember the.
01:10:05 Vernon
Street. And then I was like, well, you know, if he ever needed me, I'd, I'd help him regardless. But you know.
01:10:09 Kevin
Right. I I've I there's like a couple little old ladies that they would never ask me what my party was, but they would always like. It was always.
01:10:16 Kevin
It always fell on a presidential year because I remember like one lady in particular, she's like 3 houses.
01:10:22 Kevin
She's 3 houses on the next block from my house, and I remember going to her door and every year she'd ask me how what I she's like.
01:10:29 Kevin
Why do you think?
01:10:30 Kevin
Is going to do this year and I'm thinking myself like, well, if you don't, Kevin, Kevin's not really a Bernie guy.
01:10:37 Kevin
I'm not a Bernie bro, but I was like, I just look at her. I.
01:10:41 Kevin
Just I think he's getting a little old. A lot of these politicians. She's like, you know what they he is getting old. And it was like that, you know, ever and every time she would ask me how what I thought about Bernie again. And I was like I.
01:10:53 Kevin
Have an issue with it like I'll give her my opinion on Bernie.
01:10:56 Kevin
And she.
01:10:57 Kevin
Seem to care what party I was.
01:10:58 Kevin
It's just she just assumed because I was knocking on her door that I was there because I knocked on everybody's door.
01:11:03 Vernon
Bernie has some good memes, that's for sure.
01:11:07 Kevin
He does.
01:11:09 Kevin
Good memes, memes.
01:11:09 Kevin
I hear it's beautiful in Russia this time of year.
01:11:12 Kevin
For ani.
01:11:12 Vernon
Yeah.
01:11:14 Vernon
Yeah.
01:11:17 Kevin
But yeah, no, it's.
01:11:20 Kevin
I mean, you got anything else that you can think of that you want to touch on?
01:11:23 Vernon
I mean, no, I didn't know where we were going to go, so I I didn't know if we were going to start on my personal or if we just do politics.
01:11:30 Vernon
Mean I I like I said I'm an open.
01:11:33 Vernon
I don't really hide a whole lot, so I mean I have a whole book out there so.
01:11:37 Kevin
Yeah, you got to get it on audible.
01:11:40 Vernon
I want to.
01:11:41 Vernon
Because.
01:11:41 Vernon
I want to I I want to do it and I want to use my voice but I think I need to retire first.
01:11:47 Vernon
Have way too much going on.
01:11:49 Kevin
To try to sit down and read your book.
01:11:52 Vernon
To to. Yeah, to yeah. To sit and read my own book and get it recorded. And everything. I mean, you know, a lot of people don't realize.
01:11:59 Vernon
I I always try to explain to people, so I I.
01:12:03 Vernon
Work for national.
01:12:04 Vernon
And I myself and one other supervisor, we run the entire West.
01:12:10 Vernon
And when I say the entire WI am referring to Rochester heading West.
01:12:16 Vernon
So when you take Rochester.
01:12:17 Kevin
So the New York order.
01:12:19 Vernon
Yet to the PA border, yes.
01:12:21 Kevin
Oh, the P. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:12:23 Vernon
All the way to Erie.
01:12:23 Vernon
So we have.
01:12:25 Vernon
All of the counties, I can't even remember how many counties it covers, but I have.
01:12:29 Vernon
Of.
01:12:29 Vernon
North North area all down Wellsville goes over to Whitesville all the way to Erie and all the way up to Niagara Falls.
01:12:40 Vernon
Region. So I have a huge territory and I have 8 employees that work for me and they cover certain regions and you know it with you know I was joking with the mayor to one day and I told him I said.
01:12:56 Vernon
Mary, you're complaining that you only have, what, 28?
01:12:58 Vernon
$1,000,000 budget.
01:13:00 Vernon
Is that me and my?
01:13:01 Vernon
We our budget is 43 to 46,000,000 so.
01:13:05 Vernon
You know.
01:13:05 Kevin
You're the you're the library budget.
01:13:08 Vernon
You have a huge budget and you know I I do a lot.
01:13:13 Vernon
A lot and and you know it.
01:13:16 Vernon
It's draining and I I do get tired. Like I said, the the introvert part of me, you know, you get drained right off the bat soon as I get done with this.
01:13:25 Vernon
Dude, I'm gonna close this thing, and I'm gonna go upstairs and I'm just gonna throw my head back, and I'm just gonna need to download all over again.
01:13:32 Vernon
And but yeah, that's that's burning in a.
01:13:35 Vernon
Every day I do this and then when weekend comes, you know you make these plans.
01:13:40 Vernon
Like. Yeah, I'm gonna go do.
01:13:41 Vernon
I'm gonna do that and I cancel half of them.
01:13:43 Vernon
Don't wanna do nothing, you know.
01:13:45 Kevin
Right and.
01:13:45 Vernon
And then I'll go.
01:13:47 Vernon
Go to dinner every now and then.
01:13:50 Vernon
But yeah, once in a while make an appearance outside.
01:13:53 Vernon
If I'm not with the message, then I'm out doing my own thing in the yard or out for a walk or something anymore.
01:13:59 Vernon
Can't walk, but yeah, it's just getting old.
01:14:03 Kevin
Yeah, I I've been getting fat and I've been being made fun of by a lot of 'cause. I'm getting old.
01:14:08 Kevin
Hitting that point where I stopped.
01:14:10 Kevin
I was like, man, I'm gonna lose weight.
01:14:11 Kevin
Gaining weight.
01:14:12 Kevin
I'm like, what am I gonna do?
01:14:14 Kevin
I'm gonna have to get a gym in my basement.
01:14:17 Vernon
Welcome to the.
01:14:17 Vernon
Yeah. I mean, the gym, the gym in the basement helps.
01:14:21 Vernon
It makes it easier for you to go do it when you're feeling that urge. I know this. I can tell you there's a lot of times I've made the way down the stairs.
01:14:27 Vernon
Come down here.
01:14:29 Vernon
I'll put my shoes on.
01:14:30 Vernon
Get myself.
01:14:31 Vernon
I'll turn on the.
01:14:32 Vernon
Put on a nice show and then the next thing.
01:14:34 Vernon
Know I kick the rec.
01:14:36 Kevin
And you fall.
01:14:39 Vernon
And I'm just watching.
01:14:41 Kevin
I've been trying to make a habit of it, like getting up at. I've been trying to go to bed early, which is my which is my downfall because I don't end up doing it.
01:14:47 Kevin
Ends up being like 10 or 11:00 at night and then I, but I've been getting up at like 4:00 in the morning so that I can just.
01:14:56 Kevin
Get a kettlebell workout.
01:14:57 Kevin
Do some stretching and then do a you know a 15 minute to sometimes 45 Minute podcast and just get it done once a day like a journal. And I'm like alright, now I'm done.
01:15:07 Kevin
Got it all out of the way.
01:15:08 Kevin
Get some paperwork done.
01:15:10 Kevin
And then it's now it's time to get the kids ready for school.
01:15:12 Vernon
I was gonna tell you my personal.
01:15:16 Vernon
You should space your podcast out I think if you space them out then you leave people wanting to come back.
01:15:22 Vernon
Yeah, you know.
01:15:23 Vernon
If you're doing them back-to-back to back-to-back, now you're providing them information overload.
01:15:29 Kevin
Right.
01:15:30 Vernon
I think if you space them out every 2-3 days that way you know people are more like, hey, what's Kevin got to say, you know, and then they'll go quick on it.
01:15:36 Vernon
Just my thought.
01:15:37 Kevin
Yeah. No, I because originally I was gonna do it, like, Tuesday, Thursdays to start and then move it to like a Monday, Wednesday, Friday and do it like one to four interviews.
01:15:46 Kevin
A month and then it was like and then I got into it and I was like, you know, I'm just gonna do one every morning and just call the morning podcast and then.
01:15:54 Kevin
I don't.
01:15:55 Kevin
I because I went because what will happen is I'll go a whole like I'll do like one podcast a month and then like and then it'll be a whole another month before I do another podcast.
01:16:04 Kevin
I'm like no, like all of a sudden you just you lose all the traction.
01:16:08 Kevin
Too far apart.
01:16:10 Vernon
Good afternoon.
01:16:10 Kevin
And then on the ADHD kids, so I.
01:16:15 Kevin
Just I just keep hitting it every.
01:16:16 Kevin
But maybe, yeah, maybe I should break it up a little bit like a Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
01:16:21 Kevin
I've been trying to pick a topic for each day like I'm doing motivational Monday.
01:16:24 Kevin
Now and just to kind of give just a break of the monotony, because sometimes I'm kind of guessing, I'm like, well, I haven't done enough research on this topic already posted something.
01:16:36 Vernon
Yeah, I you know, I.
01:16:41 Vernon
Yeah, I try my best to keep up on.
01:16:44 Vernon
I try and keep posts up but I try to keep everybody informed.
01:16:47 Vernon
Yeah, it.
01:16:48 Vernon
Sometimes it's too.
01:16:49 Vernon
I can't tell you how many times I thought about giving it up.
01:16:52 Vernon
I'm not a.
01:16:53 Vernon
So it's like, well, if someone beats me then, then fine, but I'm not going to quit. So I do need to go get my signatures though.
01:17:00 Vernon
This is the first time I procrastinated on that.
01:17:02 Vernon
I literally I don't want to go knocking on doors. I don't want to call people and bug them.
01:17:07 Vernon
You just. But I got to have someone go with.
01:17:09 Vernon
I got to have a Democrat go with me to sign, and if I I don't need anyone from the.
01:17:16 Vernon
Working family party to sign and yeah, the Republicans, they they said they were gonna they have a candidate actually.
01:17:25 Vernon
Letters probably sitting right here somewhere. I always keep the letters I have every last.
01:17:30 Kevin
Here we I haven't heard.
01:17:31 Kevin
It's.
01:17:32 Kevin
I sit on that committee and they, but they also, I don't know if you read any news articles about.
01:17:36 Vernon
Alright, I've seen that. I've seen that.
01:17:36 Kevin
But they.
01:17:39 Kevin
They don't.
01:17:39 Kevin
They don't tell me much so.
01:17:41 Vernon
Yeah, yeah.
01:17:43 Kevin
And yeah, so normally, but I normally have a pretty good ear to.
01:17:45 Kevin
But you know who knows?
01:17:48 Kevin
Your letter could just be BS from somebody who doesn't, you know.
01:17:52 Vernon
Yeah, I'm definitely.
01:17:52 Kevin
It is.
01:17:54 Vernon
I'm good at it.
01:17:54 Vernon
Yeah, I'm good at it.
01:17:55 Vernon
Either way, I'm good too.
01:17:57 Vernon
I I don't worry about those things.
01:17:58 Vernon
Can't control.
01:17:59 Vernon
That is one way I keep my stress levels down.
01:18:03 Vernon
I just don't worry about it all.
01:18:05 Vernon
They run some mighty fine, then that gives everybody an option and they can go from there so.
01:18:09 Kevin
Right. Yeah, it's healthy.
01:18:13 Kevin
So.
01:18:14 Kevin
But.
01:18:14 Vernon
They got my signs from years and years ago.
01:18:16 Vernon
Yeah.
01:18:18 Vernon
I.
01:18:18 Vernon
$500 worth of signs and.
01:18:22 Kevin
I got a garage full.
01:18:23 Vernon
Yeah, yeah.
01:18:25 Vernon
Can we can?
01:18:26 Vernon
Can we change the wording from Doherty to Robinson on there?
01:18:29 Vernon
Don't know if he can.
01:18:29 Kevin
We we could June, June had to do it for my county legislative race.
01:18:34 Kevin
She had.
01:18:35 Kevin
She had to make bumper stickers on her cricket machine that just said county legislator.
01:18:39 Kevin
She would put it over top of.
01:18:40 Kevin
4 Alderman she just put it over top of.
01:18:43 Kevin
So it was just Kevin Doherty, County legislator, and that was that race went like a.
01:18:50 Kevin
Republican primaries are a difficult thing. You get those.
01:18:54 Vernon
Yeah.
01:18:55 Kevin
Yeah, you get little ladies who like that guy sitting on his porch.
01:18:59 Kevin
Republican or a?
01:19:00 Kevin
Like you're gonna get that.
01:19:02 Kevin
But like a lot of them are.
01:19:04 Kevin
Mail in ballots.
01:19:05 Vernon
Yeah, I.
01:19:06 Kevin
Mail in.
01:19:07 Vernon
I have a lot of constituents in my ward that like what I do, that a Republican or conservative.
01:19:12 Vernon
And I appreciate them and their feedback. You know, I I thought about going to conservative route and that just kind of changed my mind and figure, you know what I'm, I'm just going to stay where I'm at the entire time I'm here.
01:19:25 Vernon
Mean I have contemplated it numerous times, but it's like you know.
01:19:29 Vernon
Just stay independent. Stay where I'm at and you know 'cause my views are all over the place.
01:19:34 Vernon
I'm not a stickler for anyone particular thing.
01:19:39 Vernon
So I just go with it.
01:19:40 Kevin
Yeah.
01:19:43 Vernon
Yeah, I like being neutral.
01:19:45 Kevin
Yeah, I was gonna say there's a lot of people, though, that like when they when.
01:19:49 Kevin
I remember like people like I'm independent.
01:19:51 Kevin
And then you you go and you're like.
01:19:54 Kevin
I have you on the independence list when that was an actual.
01:19:56 Kevin
There's a lot of people that were independents because they thought it was independent.
01:20:01 Kevin
Instead of a non party.
01:20:01 Vernon
Yeah.
01:20:03 Kevin
So that's a huge misconception out there.
01:20:03 Vernon
Yeah.
01:20:04 Vernon
Yes.
01:20:05 Vernon
We had New York and I read of that.
01:20:06 Kevin
So yeah, yeah. Didn't have a good enough candidate for the gubernatorial race.
01:20:11 Kevin
That's what threw him out so.
01:20:13 Vernon
Yeah. So all they have is all they have is the.
01:20:15 Kevin
Two, the two big ones and then the little the baby ones, the Conservatives.
01:20:16 Kevin
Yeah.
01:20:19 Vernon
Thank.
01:20:21 Vernon
Yeah, 2 little ones, yeah.
01:20:21 Kevin
Yeah. Is the Green Party back in? I can ever time.
01:20:24 Vernon
I that one I don't know.
01:20:26 Kevin
Ralph Nader. No, no, no.
01:20:30 Vernon
No, I don't.
01:20:31 Kevin
Yeah.
01:20:33 Vernon
Yeah.
01:20:36 Kevin
Yeah, this this was this was.
01:20:39 Kevin
It was fun, yeah.
01:20:40 Kevin
Yeah, we should.
01:20:41 Vernon
Yep.
01:20:42 Kevin
Hey, this might if you did this once a week, you might save some time on having to write your.
01:20:47 Vernon
Notes I've thought about doing some podcast, but yeah, I don't.
01:20:52 Vernon
Yeah, I 'cause this is what's gonna happen.
01:20:56 Vernon
Tomorrow.
01:20:57 Vernon
'Cause I am in the office tomorrow for a little.
01:20:59 Vernon
Tomorrow I will be in the office and I'm gonna take my little thing, and I'm gonna set up on the corner.
01:21:04 Vernon
And I'm gonna play life 22 and watch this, and I'm gonna go. Oh, my God. I made that face.
01:21:11 Vernon
Oh my God, why am I licking my lips so much?
01:21:13 Vernon
Am I looking over?
01:21:14 Vernon
I'm just gonna sit there and critique the hell out of.
01:21:17 Vernon
And then go.
01:21:18 Vernon
And turn it.
01:21:19 Vernon
So that's exactly why I can't.
01:21:21 Vernon
I can't do this.
01:21:22 Vernon
I can't.
01:21:24 Vernon
So or.
01:21:25 Kevin
You're gonna look at Kevin going. Wow. Kevin is actually being patient and letting other people finish sentences.
01:21:30 Kevin
He's doing really good for being an ADHD kid.
01:21:32 Vernon
I'm.
01:21:34 Kevin
I've been working on it.
01:21:34 Vernon
I am impressed you had.
01:21:35 Vernon
Now I get it 'cause I have a employee that every now and then I have to remind him. Let's stay focused.
01:21:43 Vernon
On, you know, and it's kind of comical because everyone always says you do so well with him.
01:21:47 Vernon
I was like, oh, I probably have to do that with.
01:21:50 Vernon
With. With you tonight. And no, I hadn't do that at all.
01:21:53 Kevin
So, right, well.
01:21:56 Vernon
Maybe this when people see this, some of the other people that you try to invite the politicians, whatever they don't do it.
01:22:01 Vernon
They'll see this and they'll say, you know what, maybe I will do that.
01:22:03 Kevin
Yeah. Well, I appreciate that.
01:22:05 Kevin
They.
01:22:06 Kevin
I remember being on the Council and and every year, Paul Gonzalez. I'm gonna come on your podcast and then at the 11th hour, he would always 'cause he was the one that always said 11th hour all the time.
01:22:15 Kevin
He would love saying the word 11th.
01:22:17 Kevin
He'd be like they're always coming to us on the 11th hour and then on the 11th hour he would come to me and be like I can't come on the show.
01:22:23 Kevin
Oh really?
01:22:23 Vernon
Yeah, I think Paul's an introvert too.
01:22:24 Kevin
Oh really?
01:22:26 Kevin
Right, yeah.
01:22:27 Vernon
I think he is.
01:22:28 Vernon
Think he is?
01:22:29 Vernon
Has.
01:22:29 Vernon
Some tendencies there.
01:22:31 Kevin
Yeah, but he would snap at people when he was the Council president. He used to snap.
01:22:36 Kevin
He wouldn't. What's up?
01:22:38 Vernon
Your second people, that's that's all.
01:22:40 Kevin
Is that what it is?
01:22:41 Vernon
Yeah, you get to a point where I stay patient.
01:22:45 Vernon
Stay calm. The best I can.
01:22:47 Vernon
Yeah, I'll snap. I'll snap.
01:22:49 Vernon
I mean it's it's common, especially with my birth.
01:22:52 Vernon
Personality. But I just try to show the patience and just keep going and I keep trying to explain it over and over and over and just go from there.
01:23:01 Vernon
Yeah, eventually. I've done it in the Council.
01:23:04 Vernon
You know before where I just now, I think I've sworn twice now on the floor.
01:23:08 Vernon
And.
01:23:10 Vernon
Never.
01:23:11 Vernon
I'm not gonna.
01:23:12 Vernon
So there's no need to.
01:23:14 Vernon
I don't believe in lie and I'm not.
01:23:15 Vernon
So apparently I said what I said for a reason.
01:23:20 Vernon
I just go. Yeah.
01:23:21 Vernon
Yeah.
01:23:23 Kevin
Yeah, that's. But yeah, no, if you.
01:23:25 Kevin
Yeah, if you ever want to start a podcast. If you're not doing the video side of it, you just want to record it.
01:23:31 Kevin
We can.
01:23:31 Kevin
We'll get you a starter pack. I we through our distribution hub. They allow us to have unlimited podcasts. So and then you can invite like a member to manage just one podcast.
01:23:33 Vernon
Yeah, yeah.
01:23:39 Vernon
OK.
01:23:43 Kevin
Like I could say, hey, here's the Vernon show.
01:23:46 Kevin
You can change it up however you want.
01:23:47 Kevin
Could.
01:23:48 Kevin
You know, call it, you know.
01:23:49 Vernon
The Vernon Show and then it'll say in the bottom corner, life 22 Point Studio Productions.
01:23:56 Kevin
It could it it could. It doesn't have.
01:23:58 Kevin
Technically, it could just go out on its own, and then we could help you set it up on SoundCloud.
01:24:04 Kevin
IHeartRadio Spotify. Apple podcast.
01:24:07 Vernon
I'm catching hell for us.
01:24:07 Kevin
Audible.
01:24:09 Vernon
I I can promise you, I'm gonna get some phone calls or texts and say oh, so you're going in with Dougherty on Lac 22.
01:24:16 Kevin
You don't have to go on with me. You just.
01:24:17 Vernon
But I don't care.
01:24:19 Kevin
Yeah, there you go.
01:24:22 Kevin
Yeah, I I 'cause I have a friend he wants to.
01:24:24 Kevin
Wants to do his own little podcast.
01:24:26 Kevin
You just have at it. They charged me 20 bucks a month for this service. So it's like they're charging me 20 bucks a month and I can have unlimited.
01:24:33 Kevin
It's like you.
01:24:34 Vernon
Yeah.
01:24:34 Kevin
I can just pass it off to whoever and it's like, man, if you if you do well at your podcast man, it's go for it, you know.
01:24:41 Vernon
Yeah, my my favorite is.
01:24:44 Vernon
So 9 times out of 10 it's either.
01:24:47 Kevin
I knew you were a Democrat.
01:24:48 Kevin
I'm just kidding.
01:24:49 Vernon
Yeah, yeah. Nine times out of 10, it's gonna be on guns.
01:24:53 Vernon
That's one of my faves so.
01:24:55 Kevin
Yeah.
01:24:56 Vernon
I I like to shoot like to go to range like to tinker, like to play around so.
01:25:01 Kevin
Pistol or long long gun.
01:25:03 Vernon
Both.
01:25:05 Vernon
Both.
01:25:05 Vernon
But I'm I.
01:25:08 Vernon
I haven't met one for bragging, but I'm pretty good with both.
01:25:11 Vernon
I've been blessed with it, so I roll with it.
01:25:13 Vernon
I'm very good with the pistol and every time I go out with a.
01:25:17 Vernon
And take someone with me. I always end up being the one, showing them how to correctly shoot and how to how to get the sideline mid side picture and and just go from there.
01:25:26 Vernon
Try to properly hold the gun.
01:25:30 Vernon
But yeah, I mean.
01:25:31 Vernon
Even when I had my shoulder done, I went out and went to the range and I had someone take the picture and I was holding the gun like out like.
01:25:40 Vernon
Like that.
01:25:42 Vernon
Incorrectly, but I was doing it because my arm couldn't hold the gun.
01:25:46 Vernon
But so I was kind of propping up, and so even I went shooting during that time frame, and I had some of my marine bud.
01:25:52 Vernon
On the picture, like you're holding that incorrectly, marine. But it was like I know you know, it's got a bum shoulder here.
01:25:59 Vernon
Do what I gotta do to pull the trigger here. So, but yeah, I I love shooting.
01:26:04 Vernon
I love.
01:26:05 Vernon
I don't mind.
01:26:06 Vernon
I'm a life member over at Eldridge.
01:26:09 Vernon
So I actually join only a rod and gun club last year, but I just recently cancelled here 2-3 weeks ago because I'd never go over there.
01:26:20 Vernon
Just too many.
01:26:22 Vernon
Steps to get going on the range. By the time you get there and set up and.
01:26:26 Vernon
So Eldred is a lot better once you get into the gate, you back up to the range, you pull all your stuff out. You can set up.
01:26:32 Vernon
Go put your targets.
01:26:33 Vernon
Go shoot, clean up and then head back.
01:26:36 Vernon
You know this way.
01:26:37 Vernon
Make sure.
01:26:37 Kevin
Speaker.
01:26:38 Kevin
Yeah, you know, it's got the steps out.
01:26:40 Kevin
Like just pull right in. You can even have the gun loaded in the car and.
01:26:44 Kevin
From the truck.
01:26:44 Vernon
I mean you.
01:26:45 Vernon
But yeah, not my style, yeah.
01:26:48 Kevin
That is.
01:26:48 Kevin
Is Western New York hunting right there?
01:26:52 Vernon
Yeah.
01:26:53 Kevin
I've seen it in action.
01:26:55 Vernon
Yeah.
01:26:56 Kevin
I try.
01:26:57 Kevin
I try not to be in the vehicle and and be a party of.
01:27:00 Kevin
So I I.
01:27:02 Kevin
Pick my hunting partners differently now than when I was younger.
01:27:05 Vernon
You got to be in the paper.
01:27:08 Kevin
Right. Yeah. Murdering the paper enough.
01:27:11 Vernon
Exactly. Give us something else to laugh about.
01:27:13 Kevin
Right. So yeah, no, this has been fun.
01:27:18 Kevin
More than.
01:27:19 Kevin
Let's you know, we should make a date for the.
01:27:22 Kevin
Just let me know when you got a when it comes down at work, maybe before November.
01:27:27 Vernon
Yep, I appreciate the invite. And yeah, I would do it again.
01:27:30 Vernon
And yeah, maybe come back on again before the election and see how things are going by then.
01:27:31 Kevin
Awesome.
01:27:34 Kevin
Yeah.
01:27:37 Kevin
Yeah. Well, what's the drag? The Council President onto one of these?
01:27:41 Vernon
That would be.
01:27:42 Vernon
That would be interesting. Yeah. Mr. Blue eyes himself.
01:27:43 Kevin
So.
01:27:46 Kevin
Yeah, right. Yeah.
01:27:50 Kevin
Stuart a.
01:27:51 Kevin
Court.
01:27:53 Kevin
22 references.
01:27:54 Kevin
One, I'm over doing it.
01:27:55 Vernon
No, we don't want to do that.
01:27:59 Kevin
All right.
01:28:00 Kevin
Well, hey, I appreciate you coming on and.
01:28:04 Kevin
Everybody out there in TV Land, don't forget to go out there, do your homework on your.
01:28:09 Kevin
Find out who they are. If you don't know who they are, find out who's running in your ward.
01:28:14 Kevin
Get a chance to stop by and meet your local introvert and then.
01:28:20 Kevin
Don't forget to like and subscribe and we'll catch you guys next time. Life 22.
01:28:23 Kevin
For coming Vernon.
01:28:25 Vernon
Yep, thank you. Have a good one.