TODAY'S COUNCIL REMARKS

At least two salient facts and at least one personal opinion emerged from Monday night’s Council meeting. None are directly related to the subject matter of any of the resolutions under discussion.

The first one is that many of the City Ordinances and Codes are poorly written and too vague to be of true value especially if challenged legally.

An example are the “noise control’ ordinances which do not define in any manner what considers to be unacceptable or the limits of acceptability. Likewise there is a poorly written use of public property which does not take into account the use time to prepare for an event or the time needed to return the lot or street back into public use condition.  

That is only the tip of the iceberg. A Commission should be established to review every Ordinance still on the books and make arrangements for any needed clarifications or official removal of those that are no longer pertinent.

The other outstanding impression received is that the Chairman of the Council’s Finance Committee is running a silent filibuster to delay as long as possible consideration of the 2014 Budget until by emergency default his own private agenda will be accepted even if it is counter to the best interests of the city. What matters is that it is destructive to the present administration.

Unfortunately he will have the 100% support of the Group of Four.

Although I can perhaps solve the mystery of the “fireworks contract award”   error; it was the Independence Day Concert and entertainment that is in question. by OPRAing the matter I would prefer that Administration show transparency and release the copy of the request for proposal and cost, as well as the three responses.

Unless we know exact facts we can be comparing Apples with Oranges or even lemons.

In the Council’s support material there was a list that the  “winner” proposed to do. It sounded great.