Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Cox takes cell phones from 64 city workers

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 04 Jun 2003 01:30:06 -0400

Cox takes cell phones from 64 city workers
By CHRISTOPHER SCOTT, Sun Staff

LOWELL Sixty-four city workers have handed in their cell phones as the city looks to revamp a policy that caused cell-phone expenses to soar to more than $130,000 last year.
"There will be a big reduction in the number of cell phones when all is said and done," City Manager John Cox said this week.

So far, Cox has rescinded the cell-phone privileges of more than a third of the 170 city employees who were given city-paid phones over the past year. The crackdown came after it was revealed publicly that costs for phones had soared from $67,881 in 2000 to $132,367 last fiscal year.
Cox has also changed the policy for awarding cell phones. Previously, phones were given out by telecommunications manager Sue LeMay at the request of department managers.
Now, all requests must by approved by the city manager.

"It's something that got by me once," said Cox. "It's not going to get by me twice."
Cox eliminated 23 of the 46 cell phones used by the police department; 13 of the health department's 14; and 12 of 17 from public works. Additionally, the parks and fire departments lost six phones each, cutting their allotments by more than half.
Cox also took the cell phone used by LeMay, who is also chief assessor and a member of the city emergency planning committee.

"He told me I have a pager and I didn't need a cell phone," LeMay said yesterday. "Now I just don't know how I'm going to call back the office when I get paged."
Cox also snatched the Verizon cell phone used by Parks and Recreation Commissioner Thomas Bellegarde, who also uses a Nextel two-way phone and a truck radio.
"I guess we'll just to have to communicate through the Nextels and (truck) radios," said Bellegarde.

In the Health Department, Director Frank Singleton is the only employee left with a Nextel, which also has regular cell-phone capabilities.
"Times are tough, and when times are tough you've got to cut out the fat," said acting Police Superintendent Dennis Cormier.

Cox is scheduled to meet today with at least four departments inspectional services, planning, water and wastewater which between them have 53 cell phones.
But one department schools has no intention of cutting back on the 105 cell phones it uses.
"There are no steps being taken in that regard," said Business Manager Steve Fortado. "That doesn't mean there won't be any, however."

Many of the phones were handed out to improve security following the Columbine shooting incident in Colorado several years ago. Nearly half of the department's cell phones are used at the middle school level by principals and assistant principals.
"There's a lot of middle schools and they're large buildings," said Assistant Business Manager Michael Cassidy. "Electronic communication in those buildings is a necessity."
Another 15 phones are used in the high school, while the balance are used by the administrative and support staff. Final approval of who gets a phone comes from either Fortado or Superintendent Karla Brooks Baehr.

Cox, who has been at loggerheads with school officials over next year's budget, criticized the administration for not examining its cell-phone policy despite the safety issues.
"It would have been the prudent thing to do," said Cox. "They could have at least looked at it."
http://www.lowellsun.com/Stories/0,1413,105~4746~1432430,00.html

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