What a meeting! Commissioners, Mayor Earn Their Pay

Mayor Jim Ellison told Commissioner Jim Rasor, "You've had three bites,"  shut down nit-picking and wandering dialogue, and called for the vote. . . . Outdoing Terry Drinkwine friendlily but firmly countered a petitioner's off-target explanation. . . . Pat Capello added an item to the agenda which proved to be the most substantive of the night. . . . Chuck Semchena quietly and briefly countered a personal attack by Rasor. . . . Mike Andrzejak reminded the body that they had no legal authority to reject Staff's recommendation  re a lot split. . . . Dave Poulton participated in several discussions and in a more lively manner than usual.
Capello's addition to the agenda had to do with getting more, audited, information re the costs and profits of Arts, Beats, and Eats. During the discussion, she and Poulton received unanimous approval for establishing an Enterprise Fund to monitor the festival's financial performance. The discussion before  the vote was focused and concise, and City Manager Don Johnson's quick acceptance of the arguments for approval suggests he may have known the matter was coming.  

On the other extreme, the commission wasted time discussing the details of a proposed lot split which had been recommended by Staff and which CITCOM has no authority to veto. (An earlier commission established a policy that CITCOM should hold a Public Hearing over any lot split, despite its lack of authority.) Again, Ellison had  to bring the deliberation into focus as it wandered into ordinances and personal experiences having to do with water flowing from one residential property to another.

Swayed by the obvious good intentions and upbeat presentation of a group requesting nonprofit designation, CITCOM split evenly about exempting its thoroughly debated policy of requiring such groups to meet several criteria. (Groups seek city-recognized nonprofit status so the State will approve gambling licenses for their fund-raising efforts.) Johnson reported that all but one criterion has been met, and he recommended the commission take no action, avoiding the possibility of a rejection and giving the group time to meet that criterion. Ellison led the failed charge for making an exception to policy for the group, but Rasor's motion to approve was defeated for lack of support.

Rasor was the lone No-vote of the first reading of proposed amendment to the Hotel/Motel Ordinance which will require those facilities to permit 911 calls direct from each room, without having to go through the switchboard. There is no documentation proving a "measurable problem," Jim maintains, and he went into his by now predictable pro-business stance that rules shouldn't add arbitrary costs to private sector operations. The majority contended that the cost is trivial, probably requiring something as simple as throwing a switch. And the concern is that the person at the switchboard would have reason not to forward a 911 call which would result in a public safety run to the hotel/motel.

For the second meeting in a row, the city officials came out of the the closed session looking a bit grim. However, except for one quiet personal dig -- by Rasor at Semchena, who just as quietly redirected back to the issue -- everybody behaved businesslike and cordially.

Once again, they earned their pay for the night's work, $20 per commissioner, $40.00 for the mayor.

Frank Versagi is the editor of Versagi Voice.