After further review, it appears that many similarly-worded letters that appeared in the June 28 Times misplaced their praise for Councilman Gerry Friedel. His comments were neither courageous nor made in good faith.
My understanding is that Friedel participated in meetings with the mayor, Chamber, realtors and town staff to address his concerns. The meetings concluded with plans to assist businesses – plans that all participants agreed upon. Nonetheless, he proceeded to write an opinion column that tore down his colleagues in an unprofessional way.
During former Mayor Kavanagh’s tenure, town officials and employees were required to attend various trainings on ethical behavior. A key lesson was that chaos and divisiveness are not a good sign of leadership. Yet the former mayor encourages businesses to treat Mayor Dickey and Councilmembers Scharnow, McMahon and Magazine badly, and threatens “they deserve whatever comes” for moving A-frames out of the right-of-way. Conveniently, she ignores the fact that this council made A-frames a permanent allowable use for the first time in Town history.
Who created the fantasy that the town is business “unfriendly” and stifles business development? The former mayor and others forget the $300,000 in grants, the business license renewal holiday and other positive steps. Similarly, a blind eye is cast on major residential developments, medical facilities, new shops and restaurants, lodging, parks and facilities, and recent street and sidewalk improvements, all building momentum for more economic growth.
I call on this mayor, council, and town staff to continue to support our businesses. Reaffirm your commitments to serve the entire community. Do not be swayed by petty distractions.
