Inside Croydon is delighted to bring you yet another missive directly from the desk of Jon Rouse, Croydon Council‘s £248,000 per year chief executive.

Unfortunately, we find it offers some serious cause for concern. Inexplicably, Rouse appears to be almost friendless among his colleagues at the council.

The front line: don't get too worried, though, Jon - this is a real front line, from Sarajevo, rather than anywhere in your borough

Rouse posted on the council’s intraweb system before Christmas, asking for someone – anyone – among the staff to allow him to join them “out and about” for more “front line visits”.

Don’t you just love the way that Croydon’s six-figure salaried public servants choose military language that in effect compares Norbury, New Addington and Coulsdon with the mean streets of Sarajevo, Helmand or Basra?

We digress. It’s not as if Rouse was asking for much for his visits – just a chocolate bourbon and a cup of coffee, the witmeister joked hilariously!

And in these straitened times, with staff cuts everywhere (except, perhaps, in Taberner House, closest to the CEO’s office), Rouse was even offering to muck in for an hour or two. With Rouse being paid at a rate of something like £119 per hour, that’s surely the sort of valuable offer of help most of our hard-pressed council employees could really do with?

But since Rouse made his noble offer, only one member of the council staff appears to have taken him up on it by posting a comment. And even that was a suggestion involving outside contractors, rather than council employees. Maybe there just aren’t any council staff left any more?

We do hope others at Croydon Council have emailed Rouse directly – we’d hate to think he’s out there somewhere, on the Croydon “front line”, all on his own.

Here’s the message from the Croydon CEO:

Front line visits

I would very much like to get out and about again in the new year for more front line visits. If you would like me to come and meet you and colleagues so that I can see what you do first hand please let me know – I would very much value the opportunity.

Please email me directly with your suggestions/invitations. As always – I’m yours for a chocolate bourbon and a black coffee! And I don’t mind mucking in for an hour or two.

Posted by Jon Rouse on 05 December 2011 09:20:00 GMT #

Reply Re: Front line visits – RE:NEW
Comment from Gxxxxx Sxxxxx on 15 December 2011 17:33:01 GMT #
Hello Jon, As I’m sure you’re aware, the GLA-funded RE:NEW home energy efficiency programme is currently being rolled out to residents in Norbury and Upper Norwood. Although the home visits are not being delivered by council staff, I’m sure our delivery agent would be happy for you to accompany one of their energy assessors on a visit. Please get in touch if this is of interest.

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