The Town Zoning meeting went south tonight...
This council and the mayor really showed their asses tonight. I ended up informing them that if they pushed these new ordinances through, against the will of the people that we would be recalling the entire council and we'd be filing a referendum to repeal the ordinance in the next election. I told them that I had the recall petitions ready to go...and that I hoped it would not come to that, but we were prepared to protect our interests should they force our hand. One council member in particular told me to put my money where my mouth is. Most of the folks at this meeting, stopped me on my way out to ask about signing these petitions to recall, but I informed them that I was holding them as a last resort. I really do not want to have to take this route...and I really do not want to cause hard feelings with anyone here...the town council included, but somebody has to stand up for what is right. Man this sucks! I walked away from this meeting tonight feeling like it really did not go well... Everybody is up in arms and the town council and mayor seem to be saying that they do not care what we think...anyway, I'm PO'ed and I sure hope it turns around. Sorry for the rant...just had to get it out.[^]
0
-
We need more information. What are they trying to force down your throat? 0 -
rant away sir. pull up a barstool and tell us all about it.
i read your last post on this. seems that the T.C. and mayor found a way to up taxes, sell town property ala immentent domain to developers and line their pockets with some green insulation. they have something planned with this that they haven't told the town about. just watch your back sir.0 -
Eric- I haven't been keeping up, whats the new zoning law thats sticking the thorn in your side[?] 0 -
quote:Originally posted by SCorvers
We need more information. What are they trying to force down your throat?
Our town currently has 9 pages of zoning ordinances. The town council is trying to push through 78 pages of new ordinance...looks like something out of the Communist Manifesto...not to mention their "comprehensive plan". 99.999% of this town is against this stuff and the council is basically saying that they do not care...
I just got a phone call from a reporter there. It was the Mayor who said "Put your money where your mouth is"...not one of the council members. I'm trying my best to make sure my actions are as Christlike as possible, but this is getting tough. I know for a fact that I made some new enemies tonight...and that was not the intent...these folks just need to wake up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My BP has got to be up...I've just got to step back and relax a little.0 -
Recall them pre-emptively just to set a precedent for any future mayors and councilmen.[}:)] 0 -
i agree with nemi there....strike first, force their hand, make them reveal why they want these new ordinances, 0 -
Sounds like typical government.
"They don't care what 99.999% of the citizens want."
Give em.......heck.0 -
ECC,
Way too much of this going on in this country. The Eminant Domain rule is about using land for the good of the community, i.e. schools and roads, in USE not what it PAYS IN TAXES. The point here is that rich peoples money does not make the world go round. WTH!!! Just take our land because they want to make money selling homes? Last time I checked our world isn't supposed to work that way.0 -
Pullin' for ya, Buddy!!
D.0 -
Eric, I too would start the recall in motion just as a "See you didn't do what you were told by the people so you're out". Elected "officials" need to remember that they need to do what the people(their employer)want, regardless of what they want.
Let 'em have it with both barrels!0 -
Having sat on a city council for 6 years, 3 of which were as the Mayor. I have seen the other side of this situation.
Even had more than one threat about a recall.
In my experiences the council was acting for the majority of the people and it only takes one or two people as a loud and vocal minority to skew perception of what the council is doing.
If they are truly acting against the majority wishes then go after them.0 -
As a Building Official, Zoning and Code Enforcement Officer I get to deal ith the Mayor and Council on a regular basis. Fortunately I have a pretty good group to work with. I do agree that the eminant domain law that has come about is a bad bad deal. It has some very limited application where it can provide great benefit to a comunity but is ripe for wholesale abuse. and we have conteracted it with stste law. I have also learned that few property owners like zoning regulations....UNTIL..... something their neigbor does sets them off. Then they expect the mayor and Council to "do something" with no legal tools to work with. I have spent the last 11 years dealing with problems that are just showing up because they were not done right 30 years ago. Usually with solutions are much more expensive than if they had been done right in the first place and the public wants it fixed without having to pay for it. Like it or not that is what zoning ordinances and comprehensive plans are supposed to prevent or at least reduce. Note that in many areas of the country a comprehenisve plan is now being required for a community to obtain some types of public funding. Without decent zoning regulations often politics and money becomes the deciding factor in who is wrong and who is right(how about a nice coal plant next to your house cause there are no regulations against it?). The biggest issue I see when trying to do planning is to get people to look ahead... beyond their life time. Few care about doing that. I can't answer to your situation because I don't know the details but I would venture that some of what is being proposed has some value. Make sure you don't "throw out the baby with the bathwater". 0 -
Just like a lot of the newbies here. Come to town and start looking to make "improvements" after 4 posts.[}:)]
ECC, in my view you should have started accepting signatures last night.0 -
If you can do it, make an example out of the one that said ...."put your money where your mouth is." 0 -
I've known people to say that to the wrong person and then they find someone's fist where their mouth is.
Smitty0 -
Good luck, Eric. Hopefully it doesn't come to blows, political or otherwise. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by chollagardens
If you can do it, make an example out of the one that said ...."put your money where your mouth is."
Agree. While this is probably the worst place to get advice, I'm going to give out some. Yes, start making an example out one person, for his inability and refusal to listen to the residence. Let him know the petition is out there and will be at the voter booth in the next election. If not this person, then whoever is driving the zoning. If the zoning issue dies a natural death before the recall referendum comes up for a vote, then vote the recall down.
Again, I wouldn't recommend listen to a word anyone says here, including myself. We only serve to fuel your rage.0 -
Remember Morton Grove Ill? The first place in the US to ban handguns. The streets were FULL of protesters. The mayor had flooded the Council chambers with anti-gunners. The mayor did not give one hoot in hell what the citizens thought. He even threatened to have us removed by the police.
That was almost 25 years ago; With what is going on in Washington DC your experience is just a microcosm of the nation as a whole.
We have 300,000,000 million folks screaming to control our borders; we are ignored. You have a town full of folks trying to live without local Gub'Ment peeking at you from your bedroom closet. You are ignored.
Hell, in Ohio it is now illegal to install your own septic system. Things have been crapping on this little globe for many eons. Why the heck the Gub'Ment thinks that most folks can't handle it without a permit is just another example of Gub'Ment out of control.
Eric; good luck. Never quit and NEVER shoot your self in the foot. Make them do it while you fight the buzzards every step of the way.0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
18 comments