From SodaHead.com
Thanks to our faithful PRU readers for their patience today -- it seemed like it took forever for the blogger gods to get everybody back online!
And now, on with the show!
For your municipal entertainment tonight, the City Council will again be meeting at City Hall beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tonight's agenda (.pdf) is awash in spendy consent agenda items and, considering how routinely this Council spends our money, nobody should be surprised.
The PRU Crew is looking forward to two particular items before the Council tonight --
Under the Mayor's report there is going to be a ComEd update and, under reports of Boards and Commissions we cannot wait to see and hear what the Council has to say about item #2 -- Resolution - City Statement regarding O'Hare expansion (.pdf).
The Resolution states the following --
The City of Park Ridge believes strongly that continued expansion at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport will not enhance the overall quality of life for its citizens. Roughly 6,000 Park Ridge households, which is 42% of all Park Ridge homes, are affected by changes in flight paths resulting from the O'Hare Modernization Plan. The City of Park Ridge seeks mitigation solutions for noise and pollution resulting from continued expansion at O'Hare and vehemently opposes and seeks course correction on continuing expansion at the airport.As one of our friendly correspondents put it, "Can't wait for another unified City statement reflecting the lack of affect on the other 58% of Park Ridge households, some of whom are tickled pink about the shift in air traffic!"
The PRU Crew is wondering how a commission takes action on something not even listed as a discussion item on their last meeting's agenda (.pdf)? However, building administrator and city staff liaison to the PROAC Mr. Steve Cutaia seems to have understood the item on the Council agenda for tonight should be only for discussion, and he marked his staff memo accordingly. We also suspect the commission's failure to grasp and understand Roberts Rules of Order may be why their next meeting agenda (.pdf) includes a discussion item for Rules of Order How Decisions are Made (.pdf), as well as an action item after the fact to cover the Resolution request before the Council tonight. But hey, the PROAC has only been meeting for a little over a year, it's not like anybody should expect these community volunteers to know by now what the hell they are doing.
We're told the 5th ward's Benedict Alderman Ryan is out of town, which may create the possibility of a 3 to 3 tie vote on what to do with this Resolution. And as our faithful PRU readers know, Mayors can vote to break ties. Yes, indeed -- this could be one fun agenda item to watch tonight!
17 comments:
Pru, why didn't you mention the minutes of the Ohare Commission say "there is no intrest in recommending a referendum"
Could it be these Ohare Commission people know the 68% of household not affected would blow them out of the water?
Anon@6:30 --
We felt we addressed the PROAC's big brush off of the rest of the community in our last post on this subject.
And your speculation about the suspicions of the Commission members regarding a referendum vote may be right as rain.
If you ask me, better to pass a stupid, worthless resolution to appease the whiners than to keep throwing money down this hole.
Ya just got to love Park Ridge. In this town the definition of a whiner is someone you disagree with. If someone has an issue that you could care less about or do not agree with they are a whiner. If someone has an issue you do agree with they can "whine" all day and they are not a whiner. They are a concerned citizen...hell, some even say they are patriots!!!
Anonymous @ 7:12,
There's some fair assessment in your comment...
Still...I think the reason a lot of folks might find this particular ORD-REST/BellePlaine crowd particularly "whiney" is because they had ample opportunity to be aware of what was coming their way...and, until it did, not a one of them "showed up" to the party.
It's remarkable...but one *could* get the idea these folks never, ever left their own little neighborhood and/or never, ever took notice of the planes over OTHER parts of town...
...and ALL of the issues they are "concerned" about now... allegedly on behalf of the ENTIRE town...existed LONG before the jet noise got their attention.
So...since you seem to object to having these folks and their concerns referred to as "whiners" and "whining"...how does "self-absorbed wankers" grab you? ;)
Pru, fair enough. I do think they are afraid of a referendum vote because I don't know anyone who thinks spending money on this is a good idea.
Ya just got to love Park Ridge. In this town the definition of a whiner is someone you disagree with. If someone has an issue that you could care less about or do not agree with they are a whiner. If someone has an issue you do agree with they can "whine" all day and they are not a whiner. They are a concerned citizen...hell, some even say they are patriots!!!
well said. completely agree.
Where were all these so called patriots before? 7:12 and 9:28 can agree with each other all they want but everybody I talk to agrees these are whiners. Nobody would care except that they want to throw away more money on this.
10:01:
Excuse me....I guess I was not clear in my post. You have people in this town (state and nationally as well) who love to call people who they disagree with whiners. Yet when people use the same tactics and are just as single minded as it relates to the rest of the town, they have no problem with that. There are many varying opinions in this town on many issues. Is every one you disagree with a whiner??
I hear "Robert's Rules for Dummies" is a fine read.
The aldermen could use that book too.
Maybe also somebody could give them copies of Democracy for Dummies.
2:18:
What?!?!?!?!?!
42% + 68% = 110%
My Wild Irish Prose --
Thanks for the heads up -- typo fixed.
The average daily flights, over Park Ridge, on the runways 9L/27R and 4L/22R(these are the paths over P.R), arrival and departure combined, according to the data on the ONCC website are:
Nov 2008--------343 prior to new runway,
Nov 2009-------283,
Feb 2010-------213
Obviously far fewer flights over P.R. regardless of path, with the new runway added.
Now, before someone says this is because there are less flights overall….guess again. There were the same number of total arrivals and 50 fewer total departures when comparing Nov 2008 and Feb 2010; same data source. If you doubt the number just go to the ONCC website and confirm for yourself.
I live on the south end right under the new flight path….RIGHT UNDER. It sucks! I got used to it.
What I will not get used to are people talking down my property value by continuing to speak about how bad it is to live here, when it has clearly gotten better for P.R. as a whole.
Lastly, investing anything on an environmental study is just asinine. Park Ridge paid for a study several years ago that shows the air quality in P. R. sucks. I have some news for you; we live next to a major airport, several major expressways, and the 3rd largest city in this country. The air quality will always suck.
I agree with most statements here that the AP Comm is dead in ther water.
The five runways over us by 2013 will only have a triple effect.
1. Noise
2. Toxicity build up
3. Air craft over head
9L27R
9C27C
9R27L
22R
22L
The fly quiet program is working.
The FAA says that they are abiding by the federal Clean Air Act.
Nothing to worry about.
Breathe in...........
Go back to sleep!
Anon @8:59 pm
The only northern runway you have mentioned that is not currently in use today is 9C27C.
Furthermore, 22L had zero departures and zero takeoffs for Feb. and March 2010. It is also zero for Nov. 2008 and Nov. 2009.
This is the same alarmist nonsense that the un-informed PROAC folks continue to spew. It weakens their argument when they (and you) misquote the facts.
The fact of the matter is there are less total flights over P.R. period!
Further investigation also shows that once the O’Hare expansion is complete, takeoffs are planned to the west from the south runways and the landings are planned from the east on the north runways. This is spelled out in the OMP. You burn less fuel and are less noisy when landing. This will also benefit P.R.
Don’t go back to sleep……wake-up and inform yourself!
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