Just less than an hour until the next city commission meeting.
There's not a whole lot of interest on the agenda, but then that is relative to what you are interested in.
The land north of Skyline that was annexed for the possible Lowe's deal is set to be de-annexed, as per the original agreement. They have to have a public hearing on this. I'd bet a quarter no one shows up. But it would be a good time to ask about the future of the city and directions that might be taken.
About the only other thing is the assessments for mowing of weeds.
They might talk about goals some. Also the golf course is going to come up at some point.
I was not able to make it to the worksession last night, and those are usually more interesting than the regular meeting.
So ... who will be there from the public ?
hmmmm
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
41 comments:
Well then you owe me a quarter. My guys will be there:} Good meeting last night from what I heard. Munchkin took 2 pages of notes.
sign me,
outside looking in
there was a decent crowd.
but no one spoke at the public hearing.
involvement is good.
i hate it when im the only non city employee in the audience.
send me your email addy
to jjordan@arkcity.net
Is it just my imagination, or is the city commission not taking on anything important lately?
I haven't seen anything of substance come up with the city commission since the Lowe's thing. At least there has been nothing in the newspaper. Are they just staying quiet until everyone forgets about the Lowe's issue? Are they not going to bring out the things they gave up the Lowe's for? Is there anything of substance going on?
Lowe's is gone, so be it. Bring on whatever you have and let's get the ball rolling. Sitting quietly and naming ponds is not going to move us into the future.
or is the city commission not taking on anything important lately?
>>>
THere has not been much on the agenda lately,
I think part of that is the time of year, more than anything else.
THey have been talking about more weighty stuff in worksessions, and that should be coming up soon.
Nope. You got it.
We've had the cathartic hillbilly hoe-down at Old Man Johnson's barn and everybody has gone home.
It is a shame that the public to Commission environment is as it is. It appears that the Commission is taking no proactive steps to make change, even though they see the need.
It is like a petulant teenager whose parents have told to get a job. He does only a half fast attempt and only then when the folks are riding him hard.
Should the public really have to ride the Commission to get them to do their job? How pathetic. Where is integrity?
All they have to do is direct the City Manager to start on a development plan and it will get done. I'm very confident of the skills and capabilities of the city employees.
On the other hand all of this can "stay in committee" forever, where it will remain just talk.
Manage. Delegate. Act. Git-er-done.
"...sitting quietly and naming ponds.."
I don't know, it depends on how you view progress.
2 work sessions ago, a group of guys showed up and presented clean up ideas to the city for Veteran's lake and also mentioned ideas for McLaughlin Pond.
Instead of laying it all at the city's feet to do, these men chose to at least start the work themselves. I am guessing the hope is that more will get involved.
Calls were made, nothing in the paper except an editorial and only 7 showed up to start clearing out a relatively small section next to the pond.
There is alot that still needs to be done and as I looked around out there, I seen HUGE potential.
There is unused land out there that could be cleared for campsites,another area that could be turned into an outdoor ampitheatre, more trash cans, more picnic tables and with the Lion's club finishing the pavillion. I see a good start in the making.
Even just cleaning up brush and trees takes approval from the city.
And sometimes THOSE wheels of progress move slowly, but....its a start and something I am committed to seeing happen.
I just wonder where everyone else is that keeps complaining that nothing happens, nothing changes, and all those that want to make changes...well... here is a good opportunity to give back to the community.
And also honoring those that died defending our freedom. I mean there is a reason the name was changed to Veteran's Lake.
Of the 20 or so people out there who were there just to walk, not one of them even offered to get involved. [but were right down there as soon as we were leaving, checking out what we had done]
[climbing off my soapbox now]
just,
outside looking in
Should the public really have to ride the Commission to get them to do their job?
>>>
Ya know, i think it is ..
of course, what is their job, is up for debate.
I thought the goal session they had was pretty good. Now if it gets shelved or doesn't move past the talk and study stage, I'd be very disappointed.
If thats what normally happens then that needs to change.
Why is there only one work session a month?
Getting a group together only twice a month to run a town makes no sense to me. [one evening to come together on something and another to present it to the public]
It makes as much sense as trying to run a company the same way.
Maybe I am too new and don't understand politics well, just an observation from what little I have seen.
"of course, what is their job, is up for debate."
They can passive-aggressive-ly deny that any of this discussion has ever happened, even though they have been directly involved, and pretend that they have no clue what anyone wants them to do.
Or they can quit acting like petulant teenagers and get on with the job. Trust me. They know exactly what is needed.
Trust me. They know exactly what is needed.
They are talking about important things at the worksessions.
THey say they are going to start taking action once they get things lined up.
Ill be watching, and will certainly let you know if it doesnt happen after a certain amount of time.
How much time i dont now.
Might depend on how much y'all rag on me about it :)
"Getting a group together only twice a month to run a town makes no sense to me."
It's clearly not their job to run the town. If they try, it stops progress. It is the City Manager's job to run the town. It is the Commission's job to point the direction the people want to go, and see that the city management is doing it.
Instead of trying to do "work" they should be delegating and managing.
They have two worksessions a month, and two meetings each month.
"Might depend on how much y'all rag on me about it :)"
Geez Louise now we have to ride you too! [;)
(keep up the good work)
It is not offensive that there are so many people missing the big picture. The strange irony is how it is never anyone from the past 20 or 30 years as well as any of the current naysayers who are responsible for getting this town to "broken" point where it is. All of the sudden, it is the new commission bearing all of the responsibility for past failures.
Truthfully, there are plenty of problems but the town is not that bad off in a lot of ways. But if you want to call it broken, and see the glass half empty then go for it. Keep living your pitiful non-changing life full of self-fulfilling failures. That seems to fit with your naysaying ways so no reason to expect that to change.
Let’s assume for a moment that within 1 year that a new commission is going to turn all of the failures of the past around. That is fairly near crazy. Of course, you could make the point that they have been doing just that and there is plenty of visible change. Just because the changes don’t suit you, don’t mean there aren’t any.
Nobody would rightly say that the change we have seen in the past year is enough. The momentum is a good start though. It is clear to me that those who complain about nothing going on either do not want to see progress, haven't been going to the meetings, or just prefer to complain because that is easier and more enjoyable to them. Fact is, ask James. Since he has been there, he has witnessed what is and has been happening. He has seen what gets play in the way of ideas. And, he claims to have even seen some evidence of a plan. Someone with who knows what idiot agenda will likely call having a plan a bad idea. They will say if a committee came up with it, then it won't be any good. Or, they will criticize it if it doesn't have all of the ideas on there that they agree with.
Fact is, as best as we can tell, we HAD NO PLAN previous to now. Now we are in the process of getting one. Quick, let’s complain some more before they come up with something. Even if it has some value, let’s shoot it down before it is even made public so that we can cast doubt on the credibility. Let’s call it worthless if any of the ideas share similarity to things we’ve seen elsewhere. Surely, that will produce results….the same ones we’ve always gotten.
Or, what if the City Manager and other staff people are tasked with they keys roles of providing traction for the plan. That is the proper role you are talking about. The commission sets the direction (as it seems they are in the process of doing), and the Staff will work the plan. The commission receives input and direction from citizens and other resources. If they didn’t incorporate your idea, maybe it wasn’t that good to begin with. Get over yourself and become one of the many who are pitching in to make the city better. The next steps will be to figure out the how's and the priorities of the plan parts.
Gosh!
Where did you get all of that?
The only risk here is that they will go back to sleep if we don't "rag" them.
There is a chance for something really good now. Let's let it (help make it) happen.
Up until a year ago things were changing for the better. Look at all of the businesses that have been improved and added on Summit. Pizza Hut, Sonic, Walgreen's, Super Wash, the new shopping center where US Cellular is, there was even a new shopping center for Lowe's. Downtown got the new street scape which was a huge improvement.
All of these things started over a year ago, before the elections. Since then what has happened? Nothing. Unless you want to count not allowing the Lowe's shopping center.
Thinking about plans, hasn't the city had goals every year before? Didn't they have meetings at the schools so they could hear what we want? I haven't heard that they have any interest in what we want this year. Is that the new plan? Don't listen to the people and do what they want?
There were a lot of things going on the last few years, but last year the most important thing going on was to stop any new growth and ignore the people. If we here the city wants public input before they make their goals I'd be completely surprised.
How I see it.
Let’s define the roles of the city. There needs to be a definite division between the “city” and city government. The “city” should be there to provide the functions to make life continue in our community, police, fire, ambulance, water, streets, sewer, and other basic needs of the city. I think we should let the city operate managed by the city manager and the supervisors of the different departments.
City Government or our elected officials should provide direction and goals for the entire community as a whole. They should rely upon information from the public, established boards, and people with experience in economic development. Use the information to help set some goals for the future. Quit trying to be cops and firemen, we have well trained people in place that provide excellent services to the community. Let them do their jobs!
City Government needs to be there to support the ideas of local investors and developers. Listen completely to their ideas; listen to those that have had great success with development. AC Industries were completely dismissed with very little consideration given to their record of success.
It is the community’s responsibility to make things happen, to invest in opportunities or to create opportunities and I believe they will if they do not face a circle firing squad commission. Support the community as a whole, not your personal agenda. Every time we get new commissioners the city workers have to cater to their personal pothole or bent sign they don’t like. City government should start looking at the BIG picture.
Why would anyone want public input from an idiot like you?
"Why would anyone want public input from an idiot like you?"
Must have hit a commissioner's nerve!
"Must have hit a commissioner's nerve!"
Too funny.
I am being optimistic and hoping the comment was meant to be sarcastic.
I don't think anyone would be sarcastic in this community! Thats sarcastic! I relate the issue of our elected city officials knowing their job to the investigation of steroids by the senate. What a total waste of time and effort by our elected officials. They should be working on the needs of the people they serve rather than grandstanding about the use of steroids by baseball players.
Same thing applies here quit worry about running the day to day operations and start working on long term goals and vision. If that makes me an idiot so be it! DEE Dee DEE!
I agree with the idiot! Defining the City Commission role should be a priority. Defining their goals and long term plans would be a positive step for our community. The tuff part is the ability to follow through. If the Commissions goals are to provide better streets and parks, pass that direction on to the city manager to direct the appropriate staff to follow through. The employees need to know the expectations or even better be a part of the planning. It appears to me the commission has very little understanding of the various city operations. Not saying that is such a bad thing but, if true they need to stay out of the operation phase and let the workers work. There are many ways to accomplish various tasks and it does not necessarily have to be accomplished the way a commissioner would do it. Let the workers with the knowledge use their skills and experience to get things done. In other words stop the micro management!
Why did the city commission get involved with an awning issue, there are already appeals boards and proper channels available to solve those issues. The process was completely negated be cause of personal agendas. Seemed like a complete waste of commission time, city attorney, city manager, and city staff to lease away some sidewalk. The responsibility to provide correct information fell upon the business owner. That is not the city commission’s job!
If it’s true that the retail development was in the works for several years, then the cycle of micro management will continue. Lay low, throw around lots of great buzz words like, goal setting, community involvement, planning sessions, before long new set of commissioners and were back to “potholes and bent signs.”
I’d vote for the idiot!
What a bunch of idiots. They all see the problem the same way.
Me too. I want to join the idiots. In fact I've been on the idiots' side all along. It is the only way to improve Ark City. That probably makes me a blithering idiot.
Blithering, but proud to be one.
We need a bond issue to make us smarter so we have fewer idiots!
You cannot wait for someone else whether it be the city commission or the local community group to make the town better. You have to take action yourself. If you don't know how then ask someone and if you don't have a good idea then come up with one.
The above was a good post from another blog string. If you haven't noticed by now, ranting about how things were or how things are doesn't progress make. It is the doing that gets things done. This isn't a particularly good forum for that with this just being bits of electronic datat that float around in the air and commit nobody to anything. How many have actually contacted James to express further interest or have started showing up at meetings instead of just talking about it? If you are interested in making a difference, then make it. Don't kid yourself that your blah, blah, blah on here counts.
Your right most of the bla bla bla doesn't count but it sure makes some of us feel good and a place to vent our frustration. Some of us are not allowed to speak up by policy or fear. Another example of the commission holding a thumb on the city workers. Proud to be an Idiot!
The discussions on this blog are no less important than sharing new ideas with friends over coffee. Much of that is blah, blah, blah.
Revolutions were made with less.
Don't sell it short, not quite yet.
speaking of revolutions over coffee. Most of the problems in this town are created in gossip in the coffee shops.
Important? Only in the way that it destroys our town.
The bigwigs are doing it, and they are proud of it!
You're right. Must initiate a restricted substance law to prohibit bigwigs from abusing coffee.
the role of the city is a good subject.
I think we need to pick out a few objectives and push the commission in that direction.
You can do that by showing up at meetings and speaking out.
:)
how about bigwigs creating and spreading rumors over coffee? it seems to be the most popular sport in town. and people just seem to want to believe their tripe. key words there - want to believe. most could be corrected with a simple question to the right people, but it is much more fun to believe a rumor and gossip. especially if it hurts.
I noticed one person who appeared to be a city work griping that they have been told they cannot talk, that they need to go through their change of command.
There is a reason for this and it is a good policy in many regards.
At the same time, that city worker is also still a citizen who should have every right to speak with a commissioner directly if they so wish. And, that should be allowed for.
The trouble comes in when you start hitting gray areas and a staff person is asking for something they shouldn't be and an standard grievance or hr issue becomes political in nature.
That seems like what city administration is trying to avoid. There is a happy medium. It all comes down to reasonableness and proper discretion.
What about all those nasty rumors about bigwigs. Don't bigwigs have rights too?
What it all comes down to is everyone has their opinion and there is freedom of speech. You're going to have an uphill battle if you say it is OK for your opinion, but bigwigs can't talk over coffee.
Ark City LOVES to tell their stories, from the millions of dollars the museum brings in, to people smuggling cocaine in shipping crates into their storefronts, to Ark City used to be a riverboat gambling town.
A whole lot of times the "stories" wind up in budgets, bond issues and the like. It sure would be nice if people would learn the difference between hype and fact.
If you've lived in Ark City long enough though, you can generally tell reality from horsefeathers.
A fast way to tell is when the story starts changing when it is scrutinized. When that happens regard it all as horsefeathers. The deeper you look, the more feathers you get.
but it is amazing how many people want to believe in horsefeathers
I wonder if we will see a big outcry if the bond issue fails. Will there be a recall petition of school board, superintendent, and the 30 citizens who put the proposal together?
If the majority declines to vote for the bond, does that mean these pro-bond peole didn't "listen to the people" and should be run out of town?
It is amazing how people start to make no sense at all when they are upset because someone disagrees with them.
It "appears" that the majority in town is FOR the bond issue because the proponents have waged the best campaign. Does anyone see the irony in this? Those who "shout the loudest" are not necessarily the majority. They just want to appear that they are.
If the bond issue fails and they are proven to not have been the majority, can we have a chance to vote again and those who wanted it can volunteer to pay for it? If the ranks of the proponents are close to 50%, gee, it will only be $70 per person per year because $35 per person per year can just be doubled. It would be very interesting to see who would "volunteer" to pay for that if 1/2 opt out. What is the big deal? It would only be 18 cents per day. It's for the Kids.
Is there a difference between everyone voting on it, and the decision being made for you?
I'll take an open vote any day of the week.
It is one thing to have outcry to guide a decion. There would only be an outcry after the fact if it was truly thought that there is or was a majority? Why cry so loud and so long if everyone you knew believed the same thing? There were people for and against. I think the problem was that the commissioners didn't care what the people thought.
I'll say it again, I'll take an open vote any day of the week. Maybe we can even get rid of the commission and bring everything to a popular vote.
bring everything to a popular vote.
>>>>>>>>>>
that could be done, but it brings up the whole debate over our system of government.
some people feel we are a republic more than a democracy, meaning representative government.
This means that the people we elect do make the decisions for us.
A true democracy would have popular votes on everything.
But not all that many people vote anyway ...
interesting topic ?
"That could be done, but it brings up the whole debate over our system of government.
some people feel we are a republic more than a democracy, meaning representative government.
This means that the people we elect do make the decisions for us.
A true democracy would have popular votes on everything."
We ARE a republic and not a democracy. That means not everything happens through popular vote because you have elected representives in many cases. There is a big difference between not agreeing with you and not listening to you. Also, you can be listened to (and probably were), but you are wrong to assume that only your voice counts. Shouting louder does not make your voice count more. Having a bunch of friends who agree with you does not mean you are a majority.
Your fanciful notions of a democracy are different than what the founders had in mind. You prefer mob rule. They preferred logic and reason.
BTW, that was an open vote in a public forum. There was no conspiracy. No closed room. If you dislike the results you say it is unfair. You do not know what unfair is. Unfair is people being persecuted for their faith. Unfair is poverty and genocide in Darfur. Unfair is children born into famine. Unfair is people who die before they have lived a full and natural life. Unfair is birth defects. Not getting a development is neither unfair nor unjust. Not only that, it is in the past. Make your trite comments, but it is very apparent you are not part of the solution.
The issue here is not the vote but the disregard of public input, including the disregard and subsequent destruction of a 400+ signature petition which is probably a violation of law.
Those who wanted it wanted a vote and those against it claim that "it is a foundation of our government and it is set up like Jefferson would have wanted it". Let's face it, the commission didn't give it a chance.
Jefferson wasn't there and I think he would have been p*##ed off too.
Totally different from a vote for / against the school bond.
Post a Comment