Half a year after the West Wendover city council publicly lauded the accuracy and professionalism a “Community Needs Assessment Report” the city has taken the unprecedented step of quietly posted a revised report filled with significant revisions.
“Following a thorough review of this report by local citizens, inaccuracies were noted and additional information was provided that led to this revision. Special thanks to those who took the time read the report and forward their comments to the team. The information gathered in a community assessment comes primarily from the local residents through the listening sessions.” Reads the new fifth paragraph on the introduction page. “We, as outside observers, try to reflect what we have heard from those residents and not add our own perceptions. However as a team, we accept responsibility for the contents of this report and apologize for any problems that might have been caused as a result.”
click for complete original Needs Assessment Report: WW Final Report JUNE 2013
click for revised report: WW Final Report Revised 11-2013
The most major revision is that the lack of a hardware store that figured prominently in the first report is not mentioned at all. There is a very good reason for that revision, there not only is a hardware store in West Wendover it is also one of the largest building on Pueblo Boulevard in West Wendover’s city center.
“Maybe it is because we are so hard to find,” said A & I Hard Ware owner Arby Stone shortly after the report was released the first time around. “We are only a big building on Pueblo with a big sign that says ‘HARDWARE’.”
The fact that the report authors not only rewrote their report but also issued an apology is something of a minor miracle in and of itself. Shortly after the error was pointed out to lead writer George Kleeb, Kleeb said, that Wendover businesses omitted in the city’s need assessment should not expect any apologies or retractions from the reports authors and have not received any from the city itself.
“The report was accepted by the city council,” said George Kleeb, Small Business Development Center Specialist at Great Basin College. “It is up to them.”
The report was indeed submitted and accepted by the city and was characterized as a smashing success despite some rather glaring omissions, errors of fact and erroneous statements concerning just what was present or lacking in the Nevada/Utah border town.
The High Desert Advocate was not so effusive in its praise. In its editorial of July 11th, 2013:
One word came to mind when we read the Needs Assessment Report– morons.
We use it without disdain or contempt but as a clinical definition to describe people who after fours day in town do not notice that there is a hard ware store at one end and an auto parts store at the other.
Not noticing is bad enough but to write a whole report that frequently points out the absence of a hardware and auto parts store as pressing needs do indeed rise, better yet, sink to the level of the moronic.
What these morons did notice was in their opinion the Wendover Cinema could use an upgrade.
That’s nice. If we spent four days in a theatre those seats might get a little uncomfortable for us as well.
As for the city council and mayor who lauded the report and the locals who participated, we ask of them at no time during those four days of meetings, confabs and get togethers did anyone bring up the fact that the report was wrong?
Did anyone even read it?
Did anyone of city staff or the city council read it before this steaming pile of crap was accepted at the city council meeting?
Apologies are owed not only to Mr. Stone and to Mr. Crawford but to every business indeed every person in Wendover.
If we sent reporter on a four day mission and he came back with a story as factually wrong as this report, he would not only be fired but we would insist on recouping his expenses.
“The problem I have with this report is not that they didn’t see my business,” Stone said. “But if someone reads this report they might think it is a great idea to relocate to Wendover.”
Both the original and the revised report continue to suggest just that much to Stone’s consternation:
Again as with other services, it might be possible to speak to hardware and other business owners in Elko, and to an number of tradesmen, to see if they would be interested in traveling to West Wendover on a regular basis to provide services to that community. Of course, Elko businesses are extremely busy at this time with mining-generated business and may not have the spare capacity to go to West Wendover to provide additional services there.
In addition to inviting competing hardware stores the revised report still continues to insist that there are no auto parts stores in the community and few if any mechanics. While no retail auto parts stores exist in West Wendover, there is a franchise of the nation wide Car Quest Chain as well as a bevy of auto repair garages and even an auto body shop.
