Local business owner Genci Krasniqi is not holding back on City Hall. Nor should he. I remember talking to him the day Lampasas Beer Market opened and he gave me a huge earful about what morons the City were and how hard they made it to get anything done. I have also heard this sentiment echoed by other business owners in town – who I will not name, since I don’t want some butt-hurt City inspector to take out their wrath on them.
Suffice it to say, that they are also not happy about the City adopting the 2020 national electrical code – something that even Austin hasn’t done yet. According to my friend (who is a master electrician with 15 years under his belt) it is absolutely ludicrous for a town like Lampasas to be using the 2020 code, and most big cities are typically about six years behind (i.e. Austin would be on the 2014 code).
It adds MASSIVE cost, for one thing. For another, with the supply chain broken it is almost impossible to get some of these new (and MUCH more expensive) parts like breakers and switches.
For example: The 2020 code now requires GFCI outlets on clothes dryers. Those can be tripped by as little as 6 milliamps – and many appliances are just not up to those tolerances. He also told me that a formerly $10 breaker might now be $110.
Things like that add up. Quickly.
Morons who have worked in City government their entire lives and never owned a business or created anything of value don’t give a shit and will never understand any of that.
And you wonder why the Hostess House “facelift” is going to run around $1.4 million? That’s one reason.
A few other morons chided Genci for “airing dirty laundry” and “dumping on the town”. He is not dumping on the town or the citizens. He is dumping on City Hall and their ineptitude and red tape. Huge difference. I’m glad he is “airing is grievances” because maybe the average citizen will finally understand what small business is up against.
The LEDC/City likes to hand out free cash to undeserving businesses (*cough * Wool & Vine * cough *), waste millions on remodeling Old City Hall and the Hostess House and waste MILLIONS on an idiotic ‘business’ park but when it comes to making it easy on someone trying to open a new business, they fail spectacularly. This means their priorities are 100% backwards.
All this is no surprise to me. I have been railing on City Hall idiocy for almost four years now. I’m glad to see some much more public “airing of grievances” and a local business owner embarrassing City Hall.
Keep up the good work, Genci! I think I’ll go over to LBM today and spend some money on pizza and beer!!!