It is upon us now

In case you missed it on other sites - This is the Bay Village Five Year Forecast. It has been pointed out that in the end we will be running a $3.9 million deficit.

Will everyone start to pay attention now? And not just pay attention, contribute questions, feedback, diligence and a presence to Council and the Mayor. How do we reach the people that defend all that transpires? We need to let them know they can still like who and what they want but this requires their participation as well. It's not about choosing sides anymore. It's about dealing with what is in front of all of us.  It could get better or it could get worse.

http://www.thevillagernewspaper.com/wordpress/2013/11/13/bay-village-five-year-forecast/

(to clarify - this is for the schools)

A Week Ago Today

Overheard in the last week – "The election is over – move on! It’s done! No more politics! Stop the political jargon! Enough til next election!"

It is when you vote that your efforts begin, not end. This would be true no matter who was elected. We can stay involved throughout the next 4 years or wait until a few months before the election to acquaint ourselves with issues. It generally doesn’t work to come in at the end of a 4 year project and be well versed. In your crash course, you will have to overlook most of the material.  You will focus on the outcome when the process may be more telling. The tendency is to look solely for what supports your agenda. You miss the subtlety and the momentum of what is being said and done. You draw conclusions without the last 4 years of background knowledge. It would be overwhelming to catch up; it is a chore, so why not just stay with it? Don’t wait that long to remove the blinders.

I commented how absolutely stunned I am that people ask for proof, then refuse to look at it.  Proof of why I and others feel the way we feel.  Proof of why I say the things I say and why we may have voted differently than they.  There’s rarely discussion because I surmise most didn’t read what was put in front of them.  It’s a small town, one day an issue will affect them, a loved one, their property or neighborhood, and then they will know what all the fuss is about.  They will have proof to call their own. Until then,  if someone is just curious or truly concerned, ask, don’t bait. Don’t cut and run - it robs us both.

An individual questioned if it is so bad where is the federal investigation.  Is that where the bar is now before one sees value in creating change?   Why wait until the water is over your head when you are already in up to your neck? 

Someone offered that we remove the personalities and focus on the problem.  While I agree, often times you cannot separate the two.  And if you have been following along you understand why.

“The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it.”  George Orwell

Finance Committee Meeting

To draw your attention to the Finance Committee meeting of October 28, 2013, I’ll start at the end of the report with some council members expressing concern about the budget preparation for 2014.

Other issues:  Police Department overtime is a long standing issue.  It seems the question is hire or keep staff on OT.

Accrued benefits - larger than anticipated in part due to retirement and several retired then rehired individuals, commonly referred to as double dippers. (Defined as someone who draws two incomes from the government - usually by combining a salary and a pension.)

Health insurance costs are an escalating issue.

The Department 114 Law is YTD over budget by $19,834,  as is Dept.322 Composting, by $6,800 in salaries.

The biggest issue remains the Bradley/Naigle Road Intersection Project.   A shortfall of $108, 000 due to the facts that the Director of Public Services did not know there was a 7% match for the grant. This should have been closed out by the end of 2012, then after July 1, 2013 (payments start 6 months after completion).  This project along with the tennis courts should have been tracked from inception.  The new City Hall tennis courts now have deep standing water puddles.  Another lawsuit?

Wouldn’t or shouldn’t the paperwork for the above mentioned grant have passed through several hands for reading, understanding, processing and approval then follow up?  How could everyone have missed that?

There is a comment made by the Finance Director regarding “the absence of a Service Director” as it applies to the 2014 Budget process.  This is a pivotal position as this person supervises the service department, parks and recreation maintenance, and is the interface between the city and the SAFEBUILT organization.  This person has the biggest equipment and personnel budget in the city. (Leaf, snow plowing, sewers, maintaining the parks, building maintenance, street patching, painting, etc).

http://www.cityofbayvillage.com/media/180520/2013_finance_minutes_10-28.pdf

http://www.cityofbayvillage.com/media/180899/october_2013.pdf

"What is so terrible in Bay Village"

Someone asked “What is so terrible in Bay Village that you would want to see a different Mayor. Please explain that to me.”

There is nothing terrible about Bay Village.  The neighbors are caring.  The schools create a wonderful atmosphere for the children.  It is quiet yet in a great location to major attractions. We can walk to the lake and through wonderful parks. It is a pretty town with little crime. These amenities have nothing to do with the Mayor. 

Does a mayor have to possess people skills? No.  Does a mayor have to be likeable?  No.  Does a mayor have to be respectful and forth coming? Yes.  When a system is in place and procedures are chronically disregarded with no explanation, I begin to doubt and mistrust the person put in charge of the system. If there are reasons to deviate from the laws, they are not shared with the citizens that raise concern; therefore I suspect hidden agenda.  The system is in place so that we are not governed by the whims of any one individual. Charter, ordinances, voting processes are instituted for a reason. A mayor should lead by enforcing procedure, not circumventing it.

 

Ever been told to attend a council meeting so the public can give input only to find out that a deal has already been sealed?  I have, several times.  Ever been to a council meeting to discuss an issue on the agenda only to have the mayor refuse to have that discussion?  I have, several times.  Ever been to a council meeting only to have the mayor engrossed in her ipad and sporting scores? I have. Ever been told one day a committee will be formed;  then attend a council meeting the next day to learn about the process of  participation only to be told the committee has already been chosen by the mayor with no public or council input? I have. This announcement was not just news to the audience; it was the first time council had learned this as well.   Ever looked at all the committees the mayor puts together to find bankers, developers, realtors and close friends as members of these committees? I have.   Ever been told, ask your questions I will get you answers.  I have, so I asked, I never received answers.  Ever witnessed a majority of voters in Bay Village overwhelmingly reject issues only for the mayor to state publicly that the citizens didn't know what they were doing?  An overwhelming majority of us have.  Regionalization was one issue.  Putting forth an effort to undo the primary process was another.

I respect that these issues may not be of importance to everyone but they do affect everyone sooner or later.

For more discussions on this issue refer to:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/538603919551392/ and for  more thorough topics and comments keep reading through this blog.  Also you can go back a few months on the Secret Bay Village fb page. 

"So vote for the opponent because why?"

He is not self-serving in nature. He does not have a personal or political agenda. He is of good character. He embodies the basic values required of the position of a small town mayor. He is knowledgeable re city employees and a working structure that is already in place. The operations of the city will be maintained.  He will be on top of finances because he has no choice in this matter. It is required by the state to balance the budget. He will follow procedures. He can be trusted to show his work. He will explain himself if questioned. There is no reason to believe he cannot do the job.    

Our existing Mayor is a good example of why Mr. Mace will succeed. She became involved in city politics with a background in retail and worked and studied and figured it out with the assistance of people and rules already in place. He is someone with the capability and drive to do the same. He is an active listener. He will foster partnerships in a professional manner. He will adapt to situations at hand. He has only 1 focus and investment, Bay Village. The people will hold him accountable and he will respond to that. He will work to bring people together not apart. I believe a good leader sees that our vision is more powerful than my vision. 

With the current administration, when you put all the seemingly little things together, the behaviors, the attitudes, the reports, documents, council meeting minute notes (several of which are linked here and or on the facebook page) I feel the need for a change. 

Definition of a city

"A city must be a place where groups of women and men are seeking and developing the highest things they know." ~ Margaret Mead

What type am I?

Of the Mayor’s quoted comments on this blog, the one I find especially telling is in response to an email she received. The sender stated her dissatisfaction with a recent decision and said ‘AM so glad i didn't buy that bay v. house 5 yrs. ago, your city once had a good rep..’To wit the Mayoral response: “Bay is glad too. You are not our type.” I didn’t know Bay had a ‘type’ and I would enjoy hearing her define exactly what she means by that.