Stupid Agenda Tricks
Bopped by City Hall this morning and took a gander at the agenda for Monday's meeting. A lotof stuff has been switched around. I am not sure what the mayor is up to, but the agenda goes something like:
Call meeting to order, roll call, pledge, et all
Executive Session (what?!)
Usual meeting stuff such as City Clerk report, business licensces, new ordinances.
Residents comments (again I say, what?!)
There are two major issues with this reworking. The most obvious and will bring the most ire of the residents is that our comments are being pushed to the end. I can only assume this is so Knode, Owensby and Sellers can leave early and not be bothered with them. After all, Knode already has set precedent in this matter at the 9/11/2006 meeting.
Then there is the Executive Session in the middle of the meeting. Nothing will run folks off (which I am sure is her intention) than to have the entire city council leave for an hour or so in the middle of the meeting. This hardly plays into Ann's "We need to get these business licensces approved" harping from the 9/11/2006 meeting. I propose that we use this time, when we are all gathered to semi-strategize on our moves. Mind you that mindless ORTians will still be lurking. But, I think nothing says "backfire" like the citizens gathering to speak out (even if just to each other) on all of the issues plaguing our city and working toward a plan to ride the ORT out on a rail.
Call meeting to order, roll call, pledge, et all
Executive Session (what?!)
Usual meeting stuff such as City Clerk report, business licensces, new ordinances.
Residents comments (again I say, what?!)
There are two major issues with this reworking. The most obvious and will bring the most ire of the residents is that our comments are being pushed to the end. I can only assume this is so Knode, Owensby and Sellers can leave early and not be bothered with them. After all, Knode already has set precedent in this matter at the 9/11/2006 meeting.
Then there is the Executive Session in the middle of the meeting. Nothing will run folks off (which I am sure is her intention) than to have the entire city council leave for an hour or so in the middle of the meeting. This hardly plays into Ann's "We need to get these business licensces approved" harping from the 9/11/2006 meeting. I propose that we use this time, when we are all gathered to semi-strategize on our moves. Mind you that mindless ORTians will still be lurking. But, I think nothing says "backfire" like the citizens gathering to speak out (even if just to each other) on all of the issues plaguing our city and working toward a plan to ride the ORT out on a rail.
posted by suzyjax at 5:49 AM
11 Comments:
And exactly what is so important that Executive Session is held at the BEGINNING of the meeting?
Exec Sessions are only for certain topics. Included are certain real estate concerns, personnel items, legal matters, and perhaps one more category that escapes me.
If there's a topic falling under one of those categories, I bet it's Lawsuits by the ACLU.
Imagine an Exec session going in two different extremes: First, the majority move to adjourn early for lack of relevance or legality; or Second, they argue so long into the night that the actual meeting has insufficient time to survive.
Extremely Critical Issue:
Will the meeting be adjourned before Residents Comments, or after?
Placing Residents Comments at the end of the meeting is like having attendance prizes... all the more incentive to stick around.
Additionally, by the time our meeting through, Residents will all many more matters topics on which to gripe.
Owning or running a multi-million dollar business does not prove that one made a profit at all.
I don't take such a comment as being immodest or uncommon braggadocio.
Consider a manager at a restaurant. Annual sales are a million, but the owner might see $100,000 and the top manager half of that...before taxes.
Look at Alberici Constructors' website. Their corporation is divided wisely into segments for asset preservation, as many corporations do. Were Alberici to have all their own in-house workers doing every task, the risk exposure would be enormous. Were one of Alberici's subs found guilty in a lawsuit, Alberici and its other segments would be protected by the "corporate veil."
While Dody boasted about how Alberici's people did $700 million, it was mostly outside firms that profited to help the numbers add up so high.
However, somebody has to oversee such huge contracts.
Truth or Consequences, there's no reason to assume that an Exec Session is likely to exceed 15 minutes. Sometimes they do, but two hours is unlikely, imho.
"Hundreds of thousands of dollars" in projects to friends of Ann's?
We'd like to think that not a single dollar need be misspent, misplaced or misdirected. Knowing how delusionary ann purzner is, and how witless ken owensby is, Overland will suffer under this regime.
In April, I see MBC replacing Tom Sellers. Mr. knode is likely to be replaced, but I think the majority of the Council would function effectively in the absense of purzner and owensby.
If "Executive Session" is so important to happen first, why don't they start that at 6 PM. Then keep the remaining agenda the same.
Ann says she is concerned about the business coming to town, yet its her actions that have prevented regular business in a timely manner--this stunt included!
Nazrudin, what in those topics you mentioned (real estate, personnel, legal) is so important that it has to happen BEFORE residents comments and other city business.
My thoughts are that it is real estate in nature as in Wild Acres. But, that's just my educated guess.
T or C,
I think you misunderstood Schneider. His statement was in the context of budget proceedings and the ORT was telling him that he only had 2 months governmental experience. His reply is that he ran a company with just as large a budget as this city.
Although, during the debate I found all Ward 4 candidates a bit on the cocky side. However, I don't believe that statement was meant as cocky, more as a reflection of experience.
T or C, we all need to vent, and we share the common frustration.
Your comments "Screwing up our city, messing with the employees" hit the bullseye. The "meetless" meeting was an abomination.
Reversing the order of the agenda balances quick business concerns with lengthy comment schedules. It's an ok idea with me.
As to which, if any Exec Session topic is so important, Suzy, I say none.
Should Exec Sessions need greater time, Suzy's idea of starting them earlier would be smart. Not every meeting has a need for Exec Sessions. Early Exec Sessions provide an excellent schmoozing opportunity. yippee.
Residents Comments are priceless.
I hope the Resident Comments change is permanent. By having Residents Comments as our "dessert", there should be scant or no time restriction.
I want to see Residents Comments being the larger portion of every meeting: regular, special, or committees. Also, Scribe Diane jots down Residents Comments, which were at least once posted on the Overlandmo.org website. Why not have them there as well as on TV?
Should Councilmen leave then?
Walking out is job abandonment.
I don't know if it is truly job abondonment, but it is a great reflection of how the ORT really feels about "the people"
The agenda is posted on the city website.
It is missing an item that was on the agenda posted outside city hall. I was gonna ask if anyone knew the details on the item, but it isn't on this agenda. Hmm....
Maybe I remembered it incorrectly?
Maybe they are trying to pull something?
Well, I am not as crazy as I think I am. On lunch today, I swung by City Hall and compared the agenda on website vs the posted one. There are discrepancies, all in the bills/ordinances category.
Where the online agenda stops at 47-2006, the posted agenda has two to three additional bills/proposed ordinances.
The first missing one is 48-2006 a "funding agreement with Freedom Enterprises II, LLC." This is the one I thought was odd. Is Freedom Enterprises a capital venture firm? Are we refinancing some city bonds? Are there outstanding muni bonds for the City of Overland?
Freedom Enterprises is owned by Ghlee T Cozad, Jr. In addition, he is the main principle of Cozad Commerical Real Estate and Cozad Property Management.
It's all odd when put in connection with The Queen's revolving door of appraisers, real estate agents, et al at the Wild Acres Property.
Cozad visited the Planning & Zoning Committee, I believe it was, expressing interest in the land North of Alberici and East of Quik Trip.
Cozad had invested in demographics that in Cozad's opinion justified it's efforts at drafting plans and drawings for retail developments on the property described.
As to Freedom Enterprises, that's a new one to me. If the council cannot say what Freedom Enterprises is, what is being Funded, and what it wants to do with Overland, the measure may deserve to be tabled until further information is made public, AND in writing from responsible sources.
Oh man! The Queen can even manage to ruin Chinese food!
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