As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
-- John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Showing posts with label Miscellaneous. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miscellaneous. Show all posts
November 25, 2010
Have A Happy Thanksgiving!
October 20, 2010
Sticky Note!
The PRU Crew was hoping by now the video of Monday night's City Council meeting would be done processing on the City's YouTube channel so we could embed it here for your viewing displeasure. No such luck.We were also hoping somebody on City staff or from the elected body would have noticed the wrong audio file has been pinned to the City calendar page for last Monday night's meeting and see that the error was corrected. No such luck. Finally corrected -- better late than never! Thank you to whomever!
In the mean time, our faithful PRU readers can continue to discuss the merits or demerits of cell towers. Or, cruise Face Book -- we've been told Face Book cruisers may find an unofficial campaign page for a candidate for one of our local governing bodies.
October 7, 2010
Quick Hits and Questions!
The PRU Crew feels that's an excellent start to efforts long over-due.
The article goes on to report, "Perry Fisher, president of the Cultural Arts Council, said in a flyer circulated to fine arts members recently. “We are all interested in preserving, maintaining and enriching the arts in Park Ridge. Let’s put our nose to the grindstone, dissolve or hide our respective organizational hats, and work together to foster and nurture all the arts for our town."
The PRU Crew feels that middle phrase, "dissolve or hide our respective organizational hats," is more than a little odd. Have there been instances of artistic ego conflicts and infighting?
The article also reports, "The [cultural arts] council has served as an informal umbrella group and grant coordinator for such groups as the Park Ridge Civic Orchestra, the Fine Arts Society, the Brickton Art Center, and the Historical Society."
Huh.
So in addition to the City's previous contributions to each of those individual organizations, the City also made contributions to the Park Ridge Cultural Arts Council, which then also made "grants" to those individual organizations?
Huh. Double dipping for your pleasure and double dipping for your fun. Emphasis on fun.
The article begins with, "The Board of Directors of the Park Ridge Teen Center will meet next week to discuss how -- or if -- the facility will continue to operate without financial support from the city of Park Ridge."
Bummer.
The PRU Crew hopes the Board of Directors of the Park Ridge Teen Center will be able to come up with a way to fund the facility so they can keep it open. After all, we would hate to see 7 out of 8 of the kids pictured in the article, who are reported as being residents of Chicago, not have a place to hang out and play video games.
As the article notes, "Charging teens a fee to use the center may also play into the discussion, she said. Use of the center is now free and teens do not need to be Park Ridge residents to drop in."
The PRU Crew has no opinion on whether or not the Park Ridge Park District chooses to change the names of its' buildings in an effort to better brand themselves.
However, we were pleased to read, "As for the Senior Center, [Executive Director Ray] Ochromowicz is hoping to encourage other uses of the building when the seniors are not there.
"If we want to expand the use of the building, perhaps the name of the building should be addressed as well," he said."
Hey there Big O, we may know of some Chicago teenagers looking for a place to hang out and play video games in the near future! Unless the Seniors take their Wii console and go home.
For our faithful PRU readers who have been paying attention, you know the article is about former Director of Community Preservation and Development, Ms. Carrie Davis.
And if you've been paying close attention, you know the article headline is not quite true. Because if you read the whole article, then you know, "As she was laid off the past summer Davis was paid $25,000 and agreed not to collect unemployment benefits, according to the separation agreement she entered into with City Manager Jim Hock.
Last month Mayor David Schmidt pointed out that the City Council should have voted on the $25,000 expenditure because it exceeded the $20,000 discretionary spending authority the city manager has. The council then rejected a motion to approve $5,000 of the total payment, rendering the separation agreement void, according to City Attorney Kathie Henn."
Is it possible to violate a separation agreement that has been voided by Council action?
Good old Action Ridge, where not all the action is all that good.
Dumbasses. We can't wait to see the legal bills for this stupidity.
September 30, 2010
Freewheeling -- Looking Down The Road!
For our faithful PRU readers who take an interest in local political doings, the PRU Crew is wondering if anyone has given any thought to what should happen in the event a certain 6th Ward Alderman locates his conscience and resigns his position.
The PRU Crew hasn't researched the issue and so we remain unaware of how or if it may be possible to remove an Alderman from office in the event of an ethics violation. We also remain uncertain about the outcome of any current ethics investigation. Though, it sure is odd that no disclosure evidence has been quickly produced in support of the claim by 6th Ward Alderman Tom Carey that, approximately 4 years ago, he specifically disclosed the $5million economic relationship between his employer, Patrick Engineering, and the City of Chicago's O'Hare Modernization Program.
However, we have seen evidence that not only should Mr. Carey have been aware of the specific OMP economic relationship, but also that Mr. Carey was Patrick Engineering's registered attendee at a City of Chicago's Department of Procurement Service's pre-bid conference -- we are unclear about when the conference took place or for what pre-bid procurement purpose Mr. Carey participated.
Click on image for larger view
In any case, Mr. Carey was more than well aware of at least Patrick Engineering's general economic relationship interest with the City of Chicago.
The PRU Crew will admit to being profoundly stunned to find out in the end that Ald. Carey may have so blatantly lied to the public, on video tape, at a City Council meeting. If so, the only remaining question for us will be whether the man is a complete fool or an unmitigated idiot.
For our part, we see issues that go well beyond the narrow concerns some 6th Ward residents and the rest of the community may have regarding O'Hare expansion. The job of Alderman demands a more expansive view of public policy considerations and a deeper understanding of democratic processes than we've recently witnessed from our current crop of Alderdopes and the Mayor.
Beyond the issue of O'Hare, fast approaching is the time when the City Council will again take up budget planning for the next fiscal year. God help us all! The Mayor and City Council just recently completed finalizing some details from the last round of the fiscal budget fun!
The City Council can ill afford another unprepared, know-nothing representative voting on public policy. And keep in mind who will have the authority to appoint a replacement, with the advice and consent of the City Council, should an aldermanic vacancy occur.
We're also wondering if anyone in the 3rd, 5th, and 6th Wards will be picking up an election packet from the City Clerk's office for the upcoming aldermanic elections in the Spring. Election packets, only one each, have been taken for the upcoming races in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 7th Wards.
Things to think about, if you're looking down the road.
July 30, 2010
June 25, 2010
Gone Fishing!
'Lure' by kev at pixdaus.com
The PRU Crew is taking a break -- we'll be checking in and possibly even posting very lightly over the next month.
Feel free to enjoy some freewheeling!
Have a great weekend!
June 22, 2010
City Council Meeting 6-21-2010 Video!
For those who've asked about the doings at last night's City Council meeting --We may or may not get around to indexing the video content so feel free to avail yourselves of the technology without waiting on us!
And for those lazy people faithful PRU readers who waited for us to index the video content, you're welcome!
Meeting begins with the usual opening ceremonies
@ 0:01:19 -- Consent agenda approval begins
@ 0:03:08 -- Mayor's report begins with discussion of draft letter, inviting Federal candidates to Park Ridge to discuss O'Hare expansion
@ 0:07:10 -- Mayor comments on storm damage and asks Public Works Director Wayne Zingsheim for an update
@ 0:10:36 -- City Government Class is recognized as being in attendance and their teacher, Mr. Greg Young, addresses the Council
@ 0:12:43 -- City Manager's contract discussion begins
@ 0:23:12 -- Ald. Allegretti admits being unprepared for the discussion and moves to defer consideration of the City Manager's contract
@ 0:25:30 -- Ald. Bach moves to amend Ald. Allegretti's motion to defer to a Special City Council meeting on July 12th but his amendment fails
@ 0:26:40 -- Council votes unanimously to defer consideration of the City Manager's contract to the July 19th City Council meeting
@ 0:28:07 -- Under City Council reports, Ald. Bach reminds everyone to attend the Taste of Park Ridge on July 8th, 9th and 10th
@ 0:29:05 -- City Clerk's report begins with motions to cancel some upcoming meetings and a motion to adjourn to closed session to approve closed session minutes
@ 0:30:26 -- City Manager's report begins
@ 0:31:29 -- City Manager requests a motion to adjourn to closed session to discuss acquisition of the Scharringhausen parking lot property
@ 0:32:14 -- Mr. Declan Stapleton, of Irish Pub fame, addresses the Council ~~ by the way Mr. Stapleton, how's that parking study for your Irish Pub coming along? Don't fret Mr. Stapleton, this Council hands out variances like priests hand out absolution, but you aren't likely to be required to say even one "Hail Mary" to get that variance
@ 0:33:23 -- Ald. DiPietro notes Ald. Ryan's absence ~~ We're shocked, SHOCKED, that Ald. Ryan is missing another meeting ~~ and DiPietro indicates he intends to vote "no" on the issue of going into closed session
@ 0:35:05 -- Council votes 5 (Sweeney, DiPietro, Bach, Carey and Wsol) to 1 (Allegretti) not to go into closed session to discuss acquisition of Scharringhausen parking lot
@ 0:35:21 -- Ald. Bach asks the Council to discuss the acquisition of the Scharringhausen parking lot in open session at the next Council COW
@ 0:38:00 -- Mr. Dan Knight addresses the Council
@ 0:40:15 -- Council votes unanimously to defer discussion of acquisition of Scharringhausen parking lot to open session at the next Council COW on July 12th
@ 0:40:53 -- Citizens wishing to address the Council on Non-agenda items begins with Ms. Jane Nowak addressing the Council
@ 0:41:56 -- Reports of Boards and Commissions begins
~~ And they're off! ~~
@ 0:42:06 -- Ald. Bach begins report for PROAC with discussion about his phone conversation with the CAL law firm
@ 0:43:27 -- Ald. DiPietro indicates the CAL law firm did not return his call
@ 0:44:06 -- Ald. Wsol shares his notes from his phone conversation and offers information contradicting what Ald. Bach reported he was told in his conversation with the CAL law firm
~~ As we said -- It's the telephone game! ~~
@ 0:46:54 -- Mayor Schmidt comments on his email exchanges with the CAL law firm and confesses that sometimes lawyers are 1) "blow hards," 2) "salesmen," who try to 3) "develop clients," and 4) "market themselves." This may be the greatest truth the Mayor has ever offered for public hearing!
@ 0:49:58 -- Ms. Jane Nowak again addresses the Council and says she's happy to see her Alderman [Robert Ryan] is absent ~~ even odds say she meant it!
@ 0:51:50 -- Mr. Richard Hughes addresses the Council
@ 0:57:37 -- Procedures and Regulations begins with Ald. DiPietro moving to approve a resolution to place a referendum question about O'Hare expansion on the November ballot
@ 0:59:08 -- Ald. Wsol moves to amend the referendum language to read --
"Shall the City of Park Ridge allocate funding to seek expanded and accelerated noise abatement solutions intended to address the negative impacts of O'Hare airport's expansion on residential property values, local schools and the overall quality of life in our community"
@ 1:14:25 -- Mr. Richard Hughes again addresses the Council
@ 1:15:40 -- Mr. Milan Tomaska addresses the Council
@ 1:17:42 -- Ms. Judy Barclay addresses the Council
@ 1:20:57 -- Ald. Wsol calls the question, but discussion continues per the preference of the chairman who then recognizes Ald. Bach who proceeds to declare the full build out of O'Hare will be "horrendous" and "horrible" for Park Ridge ~~ and that muffled moaning sound you may hear are the anguished cries of real estate agents throughout Park Ridge
@ 1:22:21 -- Ms. Judy Barclay continues to address the Council
@ 1:24:24 -- Mr. Robert Trizna addresses the Council
@ 1:28:48 -- Ms. Pat Livensparger addresses the Council
@ 1:31:45 -- Mayor Schmidt comments on the referendum language
@ 1:32:35 -- Ald. Carey comments on the referendum issue and then offers a motion to amend Ald. Wsol's amendment. Ald. Carey moves to include language which reads --
"Shall the City of Park Ridge allocate funding in an amount not to exceed $500,000 to seek expanded and accelerated noise abatement solutions intended to address the negative impacts of O'Hare airport's expansion on residential property values, local schools and the overall quality of life in our community"
@ 1:38:35 -- City Manager Hock momentarily stymies the Council
@ 1:41:40 -- Ald. DiPietro moves the question which is the same parliamentary thing as calling the question
@ 1:42:38 -- Council votes unanimously to call the question which means they all agree to stop debate and take a vote on Ald. Carey's amendment to Ald. Wsol's amendment of the referendum language. Got that?
~~ And we pause now to offer a brief bit on parliamentary procedure. Almost every time a motion is made the newest motion must be acted upon, then the governing body must move backward through the pending motions to the main motion which was originally offered for consideration -- think, Merlin the Magician who aged backwards. ~~
@ 1:42:50 -- Council votes 3 (Sweeney, DiPietro and Carey) to 3 (Bach, Allegretti and Wsol) and the Mayor breaks the tie and votes yes to include the $500,000 Carey amendment language
@ 1:43:30 -- Council votes 4 (Sweeney, DiPietro, Carey and Wsol) to 2(Bach and Allegretti) to approve the Wsol amendment to the resolution for the O'Hare referendum question
@ 1:44:32 -- Council votes 5 (DiPietro, Bach, Carey, Wsol and Sweeney) to 1(Allegretti) to approve the resolution to place a referendum question about O'Hare expansion on the November ballot
@ 1:45:02 -- Finance and Budget report begins with discussion of City phone service contract
@ 1:49:00 -- City Manager Hock comments on the contract and the potential savings and costs
@ 1:50:40 -- Ald. Bach goes all "Napleton" again, but with much less gusto and oomph
@ 1:52:09 -- Ald. Wsol reveals his complete lack of understanding of what does and does not carry the potential for public relations fiascos
@ 1:53:14 -- Ald. Allegretti ask the City Manager about costs of a bidding process
@ 1:57:16 -- Mayor Schmidt comments on super majority voting requirements to award no-bid contracts
@ 1:57:43 -- Council votes 6 (Bach, Allegretti, Carey, Sweeney, DiPietro and the Mayor) to 1(Wsol) to approve the City phone service contract with Call One, which the supporting City documents indicate the Better Business Bureau rates an A+ company ~~ the PRU Crew is wondering why City staff included the BBB document in the first place, since we know the City does no-bid business with companies who receive a rating of F from the BBB.
@ 1:58:20 -- Move to adjourn to closed session
The end.
June 11, 2010
Stanley Cup Champions! Celebration Day!
-
THE MIGHTY BLACKHAWKS!
Great series! And a great finish! Way to get the job done!
And in case any of our faithful PRU readers are interested --
May your cup runeth over this weekend! Enjoy!
June 4, 2010
Billboards Stink!
Not only do we think the billboard deal pushed by 4th ward Ald. Allspaghetti stinks, but now we find out billboards can stink, literally!
According to blog author Jen Aronoff, of What's In Store, the above pictured billboard is a new scent-marketing attempt -- "The Bloom grocery store chain, part of Food Lion, erected the giant sign at 1220 River Highway, between a Shell gas station and a storage facility, to promote its new brand of beef. It'll disperse the scent during rush hour, from 7 to 10 a.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m., every day until June 18, and is visible to drivers heading west, toward Catawba County. It pairs the smell with a big visual, showing a giant piece of steak and a French fry on a giant fork, and is one of the first of its kind in the country."
The PRU Crew expects the people from PETA will pitch a fit and could possibly retaliate with an aromatic billboard of their own -- eau du meat-processing plant? Let the scent-marketing wars commence!
Enjoy your weekend -- we hope it doesn't stink!
June 3, 2010
A Thursday Two-fer!
#1 -- Water works!
For those of you disinclined to building or buying your own ark, the Park Ridge Park District will be meeting as a Committee of the Whole tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Maine Park Leisure Center to discuss two issues concerning water. The agenda (.pdf) includes the following --
Buildings and Grounds Committee – Commissioners Vile/MaloneyOn a related soggy note, the Park Ridge Park District website contains the following notice --
A. Northwest Park – City Flood Issue/Future Plans (Executive Director Ochromowicz)
B. Future of Oakton Pool (Executive Director Ochromowicz)
Notice from Park Ridge Park District:
In the interest of safety, South Park Pool will be closed from June 1 to mid-June for maintenance. To accommodate South Park's pre-season hours, the Centennial Wading Pool will be open at 10am during this maintenance. Thank you for your patience.
#2 -- Wet your whistle!
For those of you disinclined to attend meetings, you may want to consider attending a benefit party tonight!
1900 - 2300 hours is 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. for those of you disinclined to military time.
May 19, 2010
A Wednesday Re-wind!
Remember this? We thought our faithful PRU readers and others may want to review -- New Meat! Posted by ParkRidgeUnderground November 19, 2008
The PRU Crew is very happy to post the following announcement!
Today I am announcing my candidacy for the office of Mayor of Park Ridge.
When I was elected First Ward Alderman less than two years ago, my only desire was to serve the residents of the First Ward to the best of my ability – in the most open, accountable, and fiscally-conservative way possible. And that is what I have tried to do for these past 18 months.
But during my time in office, it has become increasingly clear that the entire city is suffering from a lack of vision, a lack of credibility, and a lack of leadership in City Hall. Most troubling, however, is the widespread lack of confidence and trust in the person currently holding the office of mayor.
Consequently, I am running for mayor, first and foremost, to restore the public’s trust in city government and in the office of mayor.
As "The Great Communicator," President Ronald Reagan, advised: "trust, but verify." As mayor of Park Ridge I pledge that city government will earn our residents’ trust by making everything it does – EVERYTHING – completely transparent and readily "verifiable."
I will work to ensure that all important information about city government is posted on the city’s website in a timely fashion, and that it is posted in an easily accessible and understandable form. The city’s website should be the ultimate public information resource, available 24/7 and fifty-two weeks per year.
Not only do I pledge to make Park Ridge city government as transparent as possible, but I promise to end the secret, behind-the-scenes deal-making that has characterized city government under the current administration. There will be no special sweetheart deals at the taxpayers’ expense for anybody – not my friends, not my business associates, not my campaign contributors.
Not only will I disclose any personal, social or business relationship with anyone seeking anything from the city, but I will not cast a tie-breaking vote on any such matter, because the residents of Park Ridge who pay this city’s bills also keep this city’s heart; and they should never have to wonder for even an instant whose side their mayor is on.
I believe in balanced budgets and sound fiscal policy because we cannot govern ourselves and provide for the future of our community by a policy of irresponsible spending and debt. I oppose mortaging our city's and our children's future for short term benefits or mere convenience. And I support utilizing our limited resources to do what is most important to the residents: upgrade and maintain our city’s infrastructure and delivery of basic services instead of going further into debt to build a new police facility.
As a fiscal conservative and believer in the free market system, I consider myself a friend of business. The residents want and need a vibrant business community. As mayor, I will work for a city government that encourages, accommodates and facilitates the ownership and operation of local businesses, but that does not spend our hard-earned tax dollars on handouts and subsidies.
I am running for mayor because this community stands at a crossroads. It has survived and thrived as a bedroom community made up of primarily single-family residences, conveniently located to both the Loop and O'Hare Airport. But the current mayor and his allies, while claiming to love this community, at the same time have worked relentlessly to drastically and permanently change this community's appearance and fundamental character. I do not believe the residents support such a change.
In addition to its uniquely exceptional location, the quality of life here in Park Ridge is what draws people to move here and remain here. That is why I support the preservation of a diverse assortment of structures and appropriate green space, and why I believe that growth and development must be held to the highest standards of performance and compatibility with this city’s character and feel. I pledge to look carefully at every development application to ensure that it does not adversely affect the existing character and uses of the area in which the development will occur.
Finally, I have chosen to run for mayor because I have found the vast majority of the people of Park Ridge are confident, courageous, generous and persevering. Those are the people whom I would be honored and privileged to represent and serve as mayor of this city, and those are the people whose support I seek in this endeavor.
I welcome the input of the residents from whom I will draw my strength and support. Anyone wishing to contact me or learn more about me, where I stand and what my vision is for Park Ridge should visit my campaign website at electdaveschmidt.com.
Watch your back, Alderman Dave. The purveyors of the status quo -- peddlers of business as usual -- are massing to give you one hell of a fight.
April 16, 2010
March 30, 2010
This Space Reserved!
Last week Mayor Schmidtzkrieg sent out the following email to his supporters list --
Subject: Meeting videosSo faithful PRU readers, it appears management of the city's YouTube channel may still be kinky at this time -- we had hoped the videos from last Saturday's City Council Budget Workshop would be available by today.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 1:33 PM
From: "Dave Schmidt" dave@parkridgemayor.com
To: supporters (at) electdaveschmidt.com
Good afternoon. I wanted to update you on the situation involving the videos of Council meetings. We were informed last week that motionbox, the company which had been hosting the videos, wanted several thousand dollars to continue doing so. Since motionbox was always meant to be a temporary vehicle for delivering the videos to the community, we immediately began looking for alternatives.
As it turns out, the City purchased a You Tube account in connection with its website upgrade project which may allow us to use the City's website as a host, something we intended to do all along once the new website was ready. The video of last night's meeting will serve as the "guinea pig". I will let you know when I hear it is available for viewing. Just as before when we first started posting the videos on parkridgemayor.com, I ask for your patience while we work out the kinks.
I will let you know as soon as I learn anything more myself. Thanks for staying involved.
The PRU Crew is pleased Mayor Schmidtzkrieg was recently informed about the city's purchase of a YouTube channel last October, but we hope Mayor Schmidtzkrieg doesn't wait until next October to work out a posting schedule for city videos.
March 3, 2010
You Count!
'The Census Taker' -- Harper's Weekly (1870)
In lieu of what PRU.ADMIN had hoped to assemble for today's post -- we are instead tossing out a reminder to our faithful PRU readers about the 2010 census.
According to the Census Bureau, forms should be arriving in mailboxes beginning in mid-March and is "One of the shortest forms in history - 10 Questions in 10 Minutes." We encourage Park Ridgians to answer and return the forms in the pre-paid postage envelope provided, since "Each question helps to determine how more than $400 billion will be allocated to communities across the country."
The National participation rate, meaning the percentage of forms returned, was 72% for the 2000 census -- Illinois' participation rate was 73%, and according to the Census Bureau map, Park Ridge's participation rate appears to have been even better.
We've always known Park Ridgians are well above average!
We would like to remind our friends and neighbors to be cautious about anyone who may come knocking on their doors -- recent incidents of ruse entries serve as cautionary tales. And while the Better Business Bureau also strongly encourages participation, the BBB also advises being cautious, "so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft."
February 9, 2010
Press Release!
While we wait for the Crew to complete review of the Melidosian Motionbox magic, we thought we would share with you the following press release we received from Mayor Dave Schmidtzkrieg this morning --
Park Ridge - The day after a City Council Committee-of-the-Whole meeting, Mayor Dave Schmidt expressed continued frustration with the City Council's lack of progress in addressing the City's current budget deficit.
"For months, I have asked the Council to adjust water rates so the taxpayers are not forced to keep subsidizing the largest users' water bills," said Schmidt. "However, they continue to drag their feet as our deficit continues to grow. Every time a drop of water is used in this City, we have to dip into the taxpayers' savings account, the City's reserves, to make up the difference between the water charge and the City's costs. On top of that, those who use the least amount of water are charged more per gallon than those who use the most. It is completely inequitable."
At the meeting, Schmidt asked the aldermen to at least agree in principle that the City should charge enough for water to offset all of its costs in delivering that water. Instead, the aldermen engaged in what Schmidt termed a "bull" session which accomplished nothing other than to postpone a solution yet again.
"It is this kind of failure to act in the taxpayers' best interests which has been an unfortunate hallmark of this Council," said Schmidt."They cannot continue to fiddle while Rome burns to the ground."
February 3, 2010
One Hour From Now --
Mayor Schmidt's State of the City Address
from: Media Relations
to: presscontacts
date: Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 5:00 PM
subject: Press Release from Park Ridge Mayor Dave Schmidt - State of the City Address
(43 minutes ago)
News ReleasePark Ridge Mayor Dave Schmidt
700 Hansen, Park Ridge, IL 60068
http://www.parkridgemayor.com/
For Immediate Release
Contact: Dave Schmidt
February 3, 2010
Phone: 847-430-3165
Park Ridge Mayor Dave Schmidt Delivers State of the City Address 2010
Park Ridge—Mayor Dave Schmidt will deliver the State of the City Address 2010 this evening at 7pm CST at the Park Ridge City Hall, located at 505 Butler Place, Park Ridge, IL 60068. A regular City Council meeting will follow. An online video recording of this address will be available on http://www.parkridgemayor.com/ by the following afternoon. An advance courtesy copy containing the text of this address is attached.
State of the City-2010
December 17, 2009
Have A Very Merry Christmas!
By: 1389AD at deviantart.com
From the PRU Crew to all of you, enjoy your holidays!
We encourage PRU readers to keep paying attention to the goings on in local government during the all-too-distracting holiday season. There will be some interesting discussions taking place at City Hall next Monday night -- we're wondering just how gifty Ald. Allegretti will attempt to be on the issue of billboards, for starters.
Stay warm, stay safe, and enjoy some rest and relaxation.
November 29, 2009
November 26, 2009
November 3, 2009
Freewheeling -- Interim Post!
Good morning PRU readers! We're working through the Melidosian Motionbox magic to bring you the videos from last night's City Council meeting. As soon as we can get our act together, we will post them.
In the meantime, anyone who cares to share their observations, thoughts, or comments can do so here.
Below is a short version summary of some of last night's festivities, submitted by one of our faithful PRU readers --
November 3, 2009 10:15 AM
Anonymous said...
Short version is: > City Attorney Buzz Hill got prodded into making a recommendation that the council vote to prosecute Frimark. This was done with him kicking and screaming and wishing he didn't have to do it but in the end he said the facts showed that Frimark violated the ethic ordinance and, in a court hearing, a judge might likely find against Frimark.
> Jack Owens got up and spouted off about how Frimark didn't know what he was doing... there was no intent. And then he started parsing words... "broker" versus "agent" and the meaning of "consideration".
> Several people got up to speak in favor of prosecuting Frimark. A couple commented on the council's ability to be objective since 6 of the 7 of them either gave and/or got money to/from Frimark during the last election cycle. A couple of people got up to talk about what a great gut Frimark was, how this was all a mistake and that the prosecution was out of proportion to the act. Oh, after that someone commented on if Frimark were such a great guy and a man of character why he didn’t pay his property tax bill... not sure what this has to do with the issue but it was good theater as the place went a little up for grabs.
> It went to the council and became quickly obvious that the majority would vote to NOT prosecute. Allegretti then went on a tirade about how this was all too political and mean-spirited. When the video comes out Allegretti's "speech" is a must see. Joe Sweeney was the only alderman who spoke in favor of letting a court do its job... once the aldermen voted to prosecute.
> The vote took place... every alderman voted NO to prosecute... including Sweeney who voted after the Mayor... who incredibly also voted not to prosecute. I think the general feeling in the room after the 8 - 0 vote not to prosecute was one of genuine surprise... especially the actions of the Mayor and Sweeney-after his earlier comments. So in summary... it was good to see what happened in open session (there was a chance this could have gone to closed session); as "sausage making" goes it was probably par for the course - definitely fugly.
>In the end, Frimark probably comes off looking bad to those who pay attention... but for the many who do not he will look as if he was "acquitted", so to speak. And in the end, he did lose the business and presumably the related commission that would have been paid since PRC pulled the related insurance policy from him (there was no explanation as to why this happened) after just one month in force.Bottom line... many are left to wonder about the teeth in the ethics ordinance if the end result in this matter is any example of how it is enforced.
>Finally, the matter could actually be continued if someone files a complaint with a sworn affidavit, at which point the City Attorney is bound to hire a Special Investigator to look into the matter. Any takers?
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