Dispatches from HQ: 101st Fighting Keyboardists
I suppose if the right wing can have fighting keyboardist, then so can we.
Blog for freedom.
Just a few notes about last night's Common Council Meeting.
First and foremost, I behaved myself. I didn't attend the public hearing portion of the meeting on either the CORP or the Downtown Master Plan. The temptation to be snarky and (ultimately) counter-productive would have been overwhelming.
There was a point in the meeting where I was tempted to stand up and cheer. When the Mayor called for comments from the public a man came up (I only caught his first name, Bob from Marshfield) and took the council to task for three things they did at their last meeting. I happened to agree with what he had to say about extending the terms of the Clerk and Mayor and had some sympathy for his position on the "Mainstreet Bills".
It didn't bother the council at all though. With only minor questioning from one Alderman, the first readings of both Charter Ordinances for Mayor and Clerk terms passed 9-0. In all fairness, the way a "charter" ordinance works, there will be 60 days to force the issue to a referendum and there is always the 2nd reading coming next month to slow things down a bit. The structure of government needs to be reviewed and changed. I say this only because the current structure diffuses leadership and (subsequently) accountability so much that its a wonder anything gets done at all. I'm a strong believer in strong leaders...and strict (and unmerciful) accountability.
The Downtown Master Plan passed 9-0 also. If you've been around City/Regional Planners for any length of time, you'll look at plans like the one presented last night and the words of the immortal Yogi Berra immediately come to mind: "It's deja vu all over again." I've seen so many of these things that I've become terribly jaded. I've seen so many "streetscapes" I can almost recreate them in my sleep. I've heard the buzzwords too many times. And, worst of all, I've seen the layers of dust that accumulate on plans like these as they languish on the shelf for years at a time.
I will probably suffer some punishment for this in the afterlife, but I took secret glee in watching our planner get caught flat-footed by an Alderman who pointed out that the plan to vacate a street would cut off access to the Police Department. I've been in that position and it is truly a chastening experience. It keeps you from getting too smug. Planners need that kind of experience once in a while.
But more to the point, I got the distinct feeling that the whole plan was simply a planning department exercise. What I didn't seen was masses of people storming the council chamber demanding that the City "do something" about Downtown. Until that happens I doubt there will be any meaningful improvement on the downtown. If and when that day happens, then the planners had better start thinking "outside the box" because consultant generated eye-wash and the most recent "buzzword de jour" aren't going to make it.
I've already turned this into something far more than I planned so I'll refrain from blessing you with my observations about the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP) and a few other observations about the Council proceedings.
Feel free to drop a comment in the box.
hizzhoner
