Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Duty calls.
I wasn't going to bother to post anything, because there wasn't anything to say. But it sure won't take long to say nothing (as opposed to how long it took to say nothing last night). I actually wasn't going to waste my own time posting anything, except one blog reader scolded me for my negligence.
Last night, we had a Commission meeting. So to speak. I was confused as to the agenda, because the original agenda didn't have the matter I thought was most pressing (finding a new manager), but the agenda disappeared during the day yesterday, and public comments suggested this matter was in fact on the agenda. So I had no public comment. But little did I know...
Because the updated agenda disappeared, I don't know what was on it. But I'll tell you what matters were resolved. Almost none. We reinstated the Code Compliance Board, which was a grossly inept and protracted procedure, since Mac Kennedy was trying to provide guidance as to an easy way to do it, and the Village clerk couldn't seem to understand what Mac was saying. We also confirmed three members of the Planning and Zoning Board. The procedure was the same, and slightly less tortured, since the clerk was starting to get it.
The whole rest of the meeting -- the whole rest of the four hours I invested in this -- was about meeting protocol. It was utterly pointless and meaningless, and it ignored the fact that the discussion was a solution searching desperately, and in vain, for a problem.
The meeting was a horrible waste of a lot of time, and I hope our Commission will do better from now on. One thing that will be required is that Commissioners, and the Village attorney, fall out of love with listening to themselves talk.
Come on, John Hornbuckle. We're sorry. Really we are. Please come back, and restore perspective and proportion to these meetings. Please.
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It was a pitiful sh-tshow of wasted time and money. Perhaps the least important thing on the agenda - especially now with so much left undone - was that policies and procedures resolution which does absolutely nothing for the betterment of the community. And WastePro, a time sensitive issue, continues to be left undone. I was foolish enough to think we had seen the end of divisiveness with this new commission. I now have my doubts as it appears if Rox or Mac are in favor of something the others have an automatic reaction to oppose. That was clear in voting down Roxy's agenda item for twice monthly meetings. Apparently it's missing on some of them that they are elected to actually accomplish things, not just show up at 11 charter mandated meetings. I suspect we will see the same thing regarding hiring a permanent manager. Waiting till after the election reminds me of what was done to Pres. Obama when Justice Scalia died and the senate blocked him from nominating his choice because there would be an election......many months away! If they wait til after the election to begin the search process we will be well into next year without this issue being settled. Ana Garcia was hired only 2 months before an election. She ended up with two commissioners who were literally out to destroy her and she did just fine and so did we. So no need to wait til after the election.
ReplyDeleteEleven meetings per year is the minimum requirement. But as it was told to me -- I got sick of watching, and quit at about 10:30 -- it was Will Tudor, who's no accomplishment, all regulations, and no substance, who fixated on the 11 month requirement. He was trying to figure out what was the least he would have to do (including missing some meetings) still to collect his check. What a prince. What a hero.
DeleteYeah, what a shame they didn't reserve time to discuss the actually important and time-sensitive matters.
For the record:
ReplyDeleteThe second biggest time sucker of the meeting was electing 5 candidates to 5 positions on CC and 3 candidates for 3 positions on PZ. Yup, that wasted a nice big chunk because five adults couldn't understand the easy way to get that done even after it was explained to them several times in several ways. I had asked the administration to plan ahead so we wouldn't trip over that, which we did anyway. Painful.
The biggest time sucker was the conversation about meeting procedures, and it won't be the last time that topic sucks up time. It'll be back for another time sucker in July. As I reminded my colleagues, if we approve those rules we must abide by them. That will be the ongoing time sucker, and it won't necessarily make anything better. I suggested that this new commission forge ahead without those procedures and see how things go and pick up the topic if/when needed.
I tried my damnedest to get Rox's meeting schedule approved. Just a few weeks ago, other commissioners voted for the plan (along with me), which prompted Rox to spend time formulating the plan and getting a resolution written for our approval. (Note the last commission, on which Dan and Will served, never got their 2020 meeting schedule approved by resolution in the first place.) Before having a meeting plan (and my accompanying action plan for the next five months) shot down by Ginny, Dan and Will, Rox explained to them that it's really only one additional meeting before the end of our fiscal year, considering that we must hold budget workshops anyway. Man, they bristled when I reminded residents that some commissioners aren't willing to work. Showing up for meetings isn't our job. Our job is to get things done for the village. Will suggested that my willingness to attend extra meetings and to push to get things done is a campaign ploy for reelection in November. Imagine asking voters to vote for you because you got something done rather than because you showed up most of the time for 11 meetings annually ... and sometimes even staying for the entire meeting! What a campaign strategy: run on accomplishments! If I do decide to run (50/50 right now), perhaps I will run on a record of accomplishments rather than riding in on the coattails of other candidates. Let me ponder that. That's probably better than this campaign slogan:
"I show up."
You mean "I sometimes show up. Although I don't actually do anything."
DeleteWhat Will doesn't realize -- how would he? He has no idea what normal BP Commission meetings look like. -- is that this big meeting procedure project of his is actually both meaningless and unnecessary. The biggest problem we ever had, of which he was an important supporting part, was the first Commission, and part of the second Commission, of which he was a part. Before that, all Commissions treated non-Commissioner residents with respect, and non-Commissioner residents treated Commissioners with respect, which always included complaining about things. Will wasn't trying to solve a problem. Will IS the problem. Tracy, Jenny, and Betsy are gone. As soon as Will is gone, there won't be any more problem. It's true that Bernard, Cooper, Jacobs, and Watts were a problem, too, but they're gone, too. Bernard, Jacobs, and Wise have moved away. The rest have gone back under their rocks.
DeleteOk - it's bad enough the 3 of them wouldn't consent to 2 meetings per month. Worse that you were criticized for wanting to have those meetings and get things done as some sort of campaign ploy when in fact getting things done is your job. Much worse that they voted down having an action plan for the next 5 months! What the hell was their excuse??
ReplyDelete