Ms. Young seems to be agitated at the practices of City Council for going into executive session recently. Citing the school yard bullies she wants to know who are what they are talking about. State law provides for an exception to open door meetings when discussing specific individuals and their salaries or benefits or status. Open door policy may be trumped when personal privacy issues exist. They can't tell you, even if they wanted to, what they were talking about.
The characterization of Marv and Dave as bullies or acting like bullies based on a three year old incident is unfair. Casting aspersions about their honesty without facts backing it up is underhanded to be kind and libelous if not for their position as public officials. Ms. Young should use the resources available to her in the City Manager's office to validate or refute her theft theory before launching it into the public space for comment and consumption.
There are few people who have done more for the people of this town than Bob VanVleet. I know him personally and I can honestly say that the man doesn't hold a bad word for anyone, even if he wouldn't do business with them based on prior dealings. He is even-keeled and principled and he is one of the only brakes on spending in this town. Spending that has grown out of control in recent years and will become painfully evident if the recession presses further into our region.
The implication that votes are cast with no comment by members of council is a prejudgement is laughably overstated. Many times Council members vote on issues as a matter of practicality or the facts plainly speak for themselves. Approval of budget expenses, where a council member is the payee are always abstained by the councilman in question. Read the record. There is no conflict of interest where services are bid for and rendered. If the other vet clinic were complaining about Dave's practice before City Council, I would at least think there was something to check into. Ms. Young's imprudent accusations against Council members do a disservice to her lengthy letter, which has some good points on charity and donation of time and efforts to worthy causes.
I also have a problem with the City Manager and the Economic Development Director being the same person. This isn't personal against Gary, who I think is doing his best efforts as EDD. The problem I have is the City manager is basically a cost containment and oversight person and the EDD is someone who seeks to grow outward. These two positions should be occasionally at odds with one another, particularly in tough economic times. It is my belief that these positions need to work together, but against each other particularly where growth would come at the expense of current obligations such as road maintenance. We have clearly looked to the future for too long and we have crumbling streets that will probably break the axles of the new fire truck when it uses gravity from the hundred foot ladder canon to put out my barbecue fire during a training run on the 4th of July.
In order to tie this up quickly, I would submit to Ms. Young and others out there, If you want to know why council members vote the way they do, you should consider going to the meetings and asking members and others who provide information to them your questions before they vote on these issues which you deem to be important. Ask them if they support the measure being considered and why. Hold them accountable based on your values. The circus otherwise known as, "the Pundit" which caused so much gossip and angst in the town was designed to isolate and remove three council members. Two of them remain and both have been retained by the people, who obviously believe in them. The people have also returned Bob VanVleet to the council to ostensibly act as a brake on the spending habits we have "enjoyed" recently as well. It is about time someone on the council said "no" to matching funds and ludicrous expenditures for items or projects that do not benefit all the people of this town.
Whatever the personal disposition of the member's of the City Council, each has a responsibility to do their best in determining the direction and guidance for the City's future. If their vision isn't your own, either get some new glasses, or find someone with eyesight as bad as yours. I, for one, and tired of the farsighted goals of some that come at the near term financial disaster to a great many who are not, the so-called powerful.
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