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Health & Fitness

Great CITCOM Meeting Ends with a Surprise Announcement

Pat Capello resigns.

After effectively and efficiently conducting three hours of city business -- a CITCOM meeting I would have tagged as routine but business-like -- Commissioner Pat Capello announced her immediate resignation. Bless her, Pat could have coasted through her last meeting, but she had obviously done her homework and did her usual constructive nitpicking as the commission moved through items concerning dogs, fences, lot splits, filling empty staff positions, sidewalk easements, and the like.

Many of us will be talking and writing about Pat. For now, a summary of the meeting.

A puzzling new push about fences has angered and puzzled residents. That anger and puzzlement were obvious during Public Comment. The puzzlement remained after Commissioner Mike Fournier added the topic at the end of the agenda and we all listened to City ManagerDon Johnson unsuccessfully explain why the push and why perfectly good 30-year-old fences can't be grandfathered in.

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The commissioners successfully avoided wasting any time on Lot Splits and wisely approved rescinding those old resolutions which added an unnecessary CITCOM  Public Hearing, which has no legal force after an approval has been granted administratively.

There was time wasted (in the eyes of those who aren't animal lovers) dealing with dog matters, including how to prepare the public for a proposed dog census. The city has issued fewer than 3,000 dog licenses while it is estimated there are 20,000 of them running about town.

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Other agenda items dealt with such matters as a citizen-initiated drive to pave Forestdale; filling a recently vacated fire department slot; postponing approval of a new Arts, Beats & Eats contract (unease about extending the contract to last beyond the terms of existing elected officials); a Suicide Prevention Task Force update; a new approach to fighting the West Nile Virus.

All but two issues were decided unanimously. Capello and Commissioner Peggy Goodwin were the two No-votes re 
a zoning ordinance amendment,  and the Arts, Beats& Eats contract. The votes were 4-2; Commissioner Jim Rasor was absent.

Frank Versagi is the editor of Versagi Voice.

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