A New Larger Executive Board !
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Posts
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It never ceases to amaze me how naive and ill informed some of the comments are on this forum regarding the role of consultants and how everything should be done in house.
How many of you who continually whinge and rant on about the costs involved have visited a GP with a complaint or illness and have been referred to a hospital consultant who specialises in a particular field that covers your condition?
To continue…….
The reason? Because the consultant has a more specialised understanding of that particular condition. It is the same with Council staff who, from the dissenters amongst you are expected to be all singing and dancing creatures. Get real!
As regards varying conclusions being reached by different consultants employed, why is that to be considered unusual? How many times have people reached different conclusions when presented with the same basic facts… It happens daily in all walks of life… Peoples opinions vary…that is the nature of humans.
I despair sometimes at the the level of understanding displayed in some of the posts, after all, it’s not those that know the most that have the most to say.BenjaminM. When you are referred to a hospital consultant, you get one opinion. When the Council ask Consultants for an opinion, it is the opinions of many so called experts working in that company. To think that so many experts got it wrong in the case of Waterworld astounds me. The Property Services Department of the Council is full of engineers/surveyors on salary bands £40/£60k. Do you really believe that these people are incapable of doing their job description. You seem to despair at the level of understanding displayed in some posts. Me thinks you despair with anybody that has a different opinion than you.
To take up Jimbow’s points:
Quite correct when you state that when referred to a hospital consultant you get one opinion, but how often is a second opinion requested by the patient? More than a few times, I’m sure.
Your assertion that the consultants ‘got it wrong’ with Waterworld astounds me too. Let me remind you – the proposal put forward by those consultants was all set to be implemented but financial considerations prevented it from being the viable option. Ergo, an alternative strategy was sought. Both viable but one unaffordable, the other not, but both equally valid.
I agree that the PS Dept has surveyors/ engineers who are quite capable of fulfilling their day to day job description but where specialist advice is needed for something that is out of the ordinary or a one off, specialist advice is not only desirable but necessary. To use my original analogy: GP’s surgeries have doctors who are well versed on a broad spectrum of diseases/illnesses but lack the in depth knowledge to care for a patient with specific serious complaints, hence, they refer the patient to an expert.
I stand by what I said in my final paragraph wholeheartedly.So BenjaminM let’s look at the Public open space assessment which was awarded to a consultancy firm in Bury. Do you seriously think this firm is going to cover every square inch within the borough of wrexham looking for open space and be able to deliver the information within 4 months? Do you not think the most simple and cost effective method would be to ask the community councils to submit the public open space within their ward?
It’s not always about expertise, sometimes a bit of common sense is all that’s needed.
It is also about using information that is readily available as stated previously. In respect to open spaces they have already taken budget cut decisions not to cut the grass as often — does that mean they don’t know whose grass they are cutting.
BenjaminM – you have put a sting case forward for consultants but their are two end of the equation when the work of a consultant can become ineffective and certainly not value for money.
1. The Officers drawing up the specification dont really know what they are looking for so the tender becomes very woolly and does not bring the desired results.
2. If it is a report by experts then why are these often completely overlooked when assessed by the ‘inexperienced/lack of expertise officers’ and Council Members.
I accept your view about them being experts but without the knowledge to understand their reports internally within the Council they become worthless[quote quote=94845]To continue…….
The reason? Because the consultant has a more specialised understanding of that particular condition. It is the same with Council staff who, from the dissenters amongst you are expected to be all singing and dancing creatures. Get real!
[/quote]
Chief Executive who’s salary is between £109,000 and £125.000 per year.
3 directors who’s salary in 2012 ( unable to find an up to date amount) was between £90,00 and £96,000 per year.
8 heads of departments who’s salary in 2012 was between £73,000 and £83,000.
12 employees with salaries totalling over £1 million per year. I am amazed that we are paying these excessive salaries and yet they still need to use consultants as often as they do!
For that price they should be all singing all dancing!
“The principles of a free constitution are irrecoverably lost when the legislative power is nominated by the executive” (“Rise & Fall of the Roman Empire” E. Gibbon)
“Dictators ride two & fro upon tigers which they dare not dismount and the tigers are getting hungry” (Winston Churchill)
The “powers that be” on the Executive Board removed the three members that had enough integrity to stand up to their steamroller form of ‘debate’ by conveniently changing how the board is made up & then celebrated by finding £63,000 as a reward. But they could not find £50,000 for the “Splash” Leisure Centre which a courageous group of the community took on after they abandoned it, despite impassioned pleas by councillors who were truly representing the community. How much longer can a board of just 10 councillors, who are also supposed to represent the communities that elected them, have the power to ignore & override the other 42? perhaps they should take note of Winston Churchill’s words.
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