Randall Town Board members to get chance to air grievances with Western Kenosha County transit

This Google Streetview shows the old Bassett fire station where Western Kenosha County transit buses are stored.

This Google Streetview shows the old Bassett fire station where Western Kenosha County transit buses are stored.

Note: Western Kenosha County Transit is westofthei.com sponsor. — DH

Randall Town Board members frustrated with some aspects of an arrangement that houses Western Kenosha County Transit buses in the old Randall Fire Station in Bassett will get their chance to air their grievances with transit officials at the Feb. 26 Town Board meeting.

Supervisor Lauren Fox said Thursday that representatives of the service will be at the meeting.

Last month, Supervisor Randy Kaskin blasted the transit service’s drivers for a number of offenses, including washing their private vehicles inside the town facility, leaving the bay door open after leaving while heat is on in the building and parking personal vehicles inside the building.

“I’ve really had it up to here with the transit buses,” Kaskin said. “They’re taking advantage of us.”

Supervisor Robert Gehring used the discussion around Kaskin’s comments to renew his long held position that the transit service should pay the town rent for using the facility.

Town Chairman Robert Stoll pointed out that housing the buses in Randall’s building saves time and money from the buses having to be stored at the Kenosha Achievement Center facility along Sheridan Road in Kenosha. The transit agency also stores a bus at the Twin Lakes Public Works facility.

Stoll suggested that in light of the recent concerns, perhaps a more formal agreement needs to be in place between the town and the transit agency.

Fox said she was bothered by the complaints, but also saw value in having the service.

“My personal opinion is that if those buses are getting people to work, I want to keep them there,” Fox said. “Those things serve a purpose.”

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2 Comments

  1. Just put up a Sign says:

    Just from reading this story I see one supervisor who doesn’t really care what goes on in regards to cost and another who does but can’t seem to figure out what to do about it.

    As owners of the building the Town should ‘Simply’ put up a sign with a list of rules.

    1. Keep doors closed at all times except when entering and leaving.
    2. No personal vehicles allowed inside of building at any time.
    (This is a liability issue if something happens to that vehicle such as it catching on fire, aside from the fact that they (the bus drivers) and their personal vehicles have no claim to the building by ownership or employment.)
    3. No washing or working on vehicles not owned by the county or town on town property. (Can you imagine the claim if someone slipped and fell on soapy water on TOWN Property while washing their personal car?)

    I am still not sure why the building should be heated in the first place. Whether it’s for parking buses or any town vehicle, why do they need to be kept warm? If they are diesel, isn’t just parking them inside out of the cold wind enough? Are they able to be plugged in? Driving them daily and being parked inside (and plugged in if they are diesel) should be enough to allow them to start even in the deep cold of the winter.

    And Yes the county should pay rent!

    “charging it (the county) a fee is really transferring money from one pocket to another pocket.”
    Tell that to your Local tax payers Chairman Bob. Oh that’s right, you did back in August of 2012. (See WestoftheI story attached above)

    The county is obviously saving money on the cost of moving the buses back and forth as it is. They surely can put a dollar figure on those cost savings. Come on people, do a little math here.

    And if you still want to heat the building, divide the square feet used by the buses and make them pay that amount of gas bill.

  2. Jeff S says:

    So Lauren if your so worried about people driving to work, drive thru Nipperink after a snow event.You could also check out the condition of Fox park.

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