A couple of weeks ago, voting 5-2, our Town Council marginalized the recommendations of our Planning and Zoning Commission who voted unanimously to not make changes to the town’s General Plan and rezone this parcel of land at Palisades and Shea. P&Z commissioners are volunteers and were interviewed and appointed by council to determine qualifications. Only Mayor Dickey and Councilman Spelich saw fit to follow their recommendations.
While parties may disagree, a unanimous recommendation deserves serious consideration but was instead dismissed by Councilman Brown as P&Z commissioners being only concerned with zoning issues and not with the management of the town. Are councilmembers are more qualified as managers of the town? After all, they are just citizens as well.
From my perspective there are P&Z commissioners with perhaps equal or greater qualifications for management of town. The packet those commissioners had to review in order to make a recommendation was extensive, over 300 pages. That’s much work to be marginalized in this manner.
Another aspect that is troubling is the fact that some town officials pontificate on subjects one way in public and vote exactly the opposite for short-sighted revenue grabs which may not be in the best interest of town stability in the long view. This and previous councils are guilty of this, which is why the town is in the financial condition it is in today.
Lastly, the name-calling was inexcusable. Those citizens who disagree with council are “vigilantes,” proclaimed Councilman Brown. Former Mayor Sharon Morgan stood and had another name for those who disagree, “NIMBYs.” Meanwhile, Councilman Magazine sat by in silence on this name-calling while deciding his vote because a few emailed him calling apartment-dwellers troubling names. I suggest everyone remember this when casting their next ballot.
