agenda potpourri

To all you MOTHERS out there in cyberspace; Have a great Mother's Day

 Today I had planned to dedicate my blog to an in depth analysis of  Monday's Council Agenda.After reviewing the material in the library I could find nothing to add to yesterday's blog. However there are still some unanswered questions  of "why".

Why did the review board (2 people; the "City Engineer' who supposedly drew up the specifications and the City's Purchasing Agent) award the South Ave. Contract in the  first place to a bidder who did not plan to meet the specifications?  Who called the "City Engineer's" attention to the deficiency? If the next lowest bidder was not eligible because the plan to use the same non-compliance subcontractor, why was the contract not awarded to the next lowest bidder who was only $612.80 greater than #2?  The other bidders were out of line but the  lowest 3 were: $1.038.267.00, $1,098.000.00, and $1,098,612.80. 

Obviously they all were in the same range, so we should know why #3 was not accepted. Are the specs for the new request for bids being changed? If so why?

My other concern is why in two months times there have been submitted appointments to two entities that have not been vital enough to have been in existence to the cities operations for more than  a decade ( that is for 10 years sir), whereas we do not fill important administrative positions for months, even years? Why can no nominees for Authorities such as the PMUA that can be  meet the Council's "Consent and Agreement" criteria be submitted?

Friday, Dan referred to Councillor  Greaves as a "quiet and insignificant person". Some have taken it as an insult. It certainly was not complimentary but on reflection factual. In 2009 Vera Greaves ran unsuccessfully on the party line in the primary for the 4th ward seat. Councillor Greaves is now beginning her fifth month on the Council. She apparently believes in the old adage that the "youngest" should be seen, not heard"  since I can not remember her participating in any meeting debate. Her presence is the antithesis of Councillor Rivers  who has no reluctance in speaking up.  She seems not to have filed any of her Council Committee's reports as requested. Somehow she carries an aura of being bewildered by her duties. .

Why does the City's electorate tolerate a Municipal Government and in the past a BOE  whose hallmark is incompetency? Without a recall petition which I believe is an impossibility we are committed to the present administration for another 2 years.

Three wards do have an opportunity in June's primary to in effect fill 2 of the 7 Council seats. There are incumbent and a challenger running for each of them. I presume that the next four weeks will  be one of a heated campaign. Every eligible vote r should go to the polls and cast there vote not by the candidate's label but for the one that will be best for the city.