Civics Lessons and a Visit to the City Hall

[XLFD]

Today, 4-25-2011, City Hall was packed at its unusual matinee session at 1 PM .  It wasn't because they made a decision on who was the new 3rd Ward Councilor (that amounts to little more than City Hall finding someone who would gel best with the people already there).  Or that someone who had been banned from that place had gotten special permission to be there and was going to say provocative things (which he didn't).  It was because a crowd of about 80 Foster School Third Graders were there for a Civics lesson.   And my first visit to a Ludington City Hall meeting was thus very instructive, as the Mayor and his supportive cast let us all know how City Governments work.

Mayor Henderson addressed the younger set, telling them the various functions of the City's government, and then introduced the City team.  When introducing himself, our City Manager said the best part of his job is that he is able to tell the police chief what he needs to do, 6th ward CC Castonia said he had the power to tell Shay, the Chief and the Fire Chief what to do, etc.  

Amusing, but of all the people that introduced themselves and their job, not a one mentioned their duties to the citizens of whom they derive their power from, and their ultimate 'bosses'.  The third-grader in me was confused at this omission.

When public comment was called for, one came forth and expressed her concerns about a neighbor's building on N Harrison Street which had a bad fire in 2009, and still hasn't been either improved or demolished since then, an ongoing problem that has been addressed before.  It was passed on.  I believe several were expecting me to approach the podium, but this wasn't the day for it I reasoned, and so they went on to normal business.

A few mundane tasks were passed, and the kids amusingly helped by saying "aye" to the first motions, until the Mayor told them he appreciated the votes but that only the CC were voting on them.  I chuckled a bit when I mused that the kids didn't really know what they were voting on, just as some of the CCs probably have done before.

When the choice of Les Johnson was made I wasn't surprised.  When I, Bill Brown, John Curtis and Les had applied, I thought it was almost a slam dunk for him.  Les has served as secretary on the Downtown Ludington Board (DDA) since 2007, and likely exemplified the Mayors 'Moving Forward' philosophy which believes the DDA is the future of our City's recovery, whereas I think it's a money pit loaded with corruption. 

My 'smaller government is better government/less taxes and fees' is definitely regressive in the current City Hall view.  The other two applicants may have had some good ideas, but the CC would know what it was getting with Les.  As for Les, he owns AJ's Party Port and seems to be a good person and businessman.  I wish him luck, but hope he runs a campaign later on this year that sets him apart from the corrupt DDA and from the rubber stamp mentality so ingrained in the Council when it comes to raising taxes/fees and restricting rights.

CC Castonia at the end brought up the Harrison house again, and what was going on with it.  Richard Wilson, representing the independently contracted City Attorney known as Gockerman Wilson, et. al. said such talk on that subject would be best done in non-public correspondence outside of the CC meeting.  The woman who brought the topic up put her head in her hands and nodded back and forth. 

Even though they had about a fifteen minute question and answer session at the end with the Third graders about a bunch of civic matters with quite a few amusing interchanges, this was the Civics lesson this lady and I learned a bit more of this day:  Open, accountable government in Ludington nowadays is something you can't learn at a City Council meeting, no matter how often the Mayor emphasizes it to 3rd graders. 

[XLFD]

I do hope that Bill Brown and/or John Curtis run for the 3rd Ward spot, particularly since the Mayor has intimated they are not the 'best fit' in the status quo, like myself.  Better yet, I hope someone else who was as offended by the 'appointing' of this elective post as I, decides to run a campaign in the 3rd Ward based against the status quo and lives up to those ideals. 

Isn't it amusing that the same people proposing this waterfront walkway are the same people who continue to neglect enforcing the city's sidewalk ordinances (which has led to either no sidewalks in place or allowed crappy sidewalks to exist even after a sale) as well as invest nearly a million dollars into creating special transient docks to accomodate those people at the City Marina who were too lazy to walk an extra block to the downtown area?

[XLFD]

Interesting also to note that the LDN article was entitled "Civics Lesson', where do they get their ideas? 

But the one thing that I found odd is that the LDN said Shay commented on the Harrison house, without saying that this issue was not addressed in the open meeting of the City Council because the City Attorney had said it was best to be addressed in private between CC Castonia and himself when the CC had brought it up past the public comments. 

The Daisy News was likely spoon-fed this data shortly after by someone reading this watchblog who wanted to demonstrate that they were not suppressing the facts of the matter, or by the concerned citizens who bring this house's status up and are stimied.  BTW, my original reply was to a comment that was pulled-- so you know I'm not totally talking to myself, LOL.

[Sweater Cows!]

what is the harrison house?

[XLFD]

311 N Harrison, a private residence which was gutted by a fire back in 2009, and which has since been a topic of conversation in the LCC by the neighbors because they are upset with the owner not doing anything with the husk of that building. 

I am not privy to all the facts of this, but the owner has apparently wanted to rebuild it, but the resources to do so hasn't necessarily been available to do it.  I have read and heard plenty of stuff about it from the neighbor's viewpoint, but have not really heard the other side.  The public comments about the building were quite extensive in a City Council meeting on April 26, 2010.  4-26-2010 LCC Meeting

That's not a misprint, that is April 26, 2010.  The reason it has taken so long to get anything done, I believe, is either its owner has some valid reason for dragging his feet which are legally upholdable, or the City leaders are incompetent in handling this task.  Maybe both.

[Willy]

To bad Shay didn't inform the kids of what can happen to them if they dare to question what he and other City officials are doing. That would have been a true civics lesson.