City Circus or City Council?

guest · City Circus or City Council?

So desperately does this city need reform. I attended the meting tonight to speak on the issue of fireworks that came to my attention from my friend and neighbor - only to be seriously let down at the antics I witnessed, although balanced with the appreciation for the citizens who cared enough to show up and be heard.

We currently have a council president who is more interested in promoting himself than the concerns of the people he was voted to represent- the people who he stated on the record tonight that he did not want to hear from the public at the meeting. What does he think "representation" means???

We have a parks and rec director who attacks a council member from the audience in a totally unprofessional manner and because she doesn't follow her job description and attend the parks and rec meetings, and one council member has the integrity to state so, when asked for a report at a point in the meeting .... all while they are supposed to be setting agenda.

We have a council who lets these antics occur over and over again, without taking a stand to bring some respect and dignity to the job or representation and legislation.

We have a mayor who leaves meetings early, only to return after the meeting ends to consort with the P&R director and get a report on what happened curbside- when she chose NOT to be present. I guess she didn't think it was important to partake in the meeting???

It is a sad state of affairs, but kudos to those council members who understand representation and forced Cook to allow the public to speak.

I certainly hope that November brings us an opportunity to elect those who show honesty, integrity and professionalism in the manner that they represent those of us who do care about Edgewater and the traditions that keep dwindling away one by one. The people care about this place and I hope that we can show it with our votes at the next election.

On a brighter note, I was glad to see and hear so many of my friends and neighbors at the meeting to speak up and voice their concerns for maintaining the fireworks. I think the public opinion was well voiced and hopefully heard by those who "represent" us. Maybe some of those mere citizens at the meeting should decide to run for an elected seat.

Power to the people!
See you all on July 3rd!

Farmer Scott · Breath

WHOA. Slow..it down. That, was way to much in a single breath, I was looking for information on what happened tonight but, it was lost in translation.... Wasn't there.

Listening,
The Farmer

The Harlander

Let me clear this up for my friend Farmer Scott:
The fireworks are back on the table contingent upon the PD & FD Chiefs coming up with a viable safety plan within the next two weeks. I got the impression that the two Chiefs felt it was possible, not easy but, possible. There was a large crowd of citizens there in support of the fireworks show and it was discovered that Jefferson County Open Space funds can be used to finance most if not all of the expenses of the event. So there was a lot of political hot dogging and butt covering going on (see first post).
I believe we will have aerial illuminations of every color and kind come July third and it will be the best and safest show ever.

Farmer Scott · Great!!!

Thanks, The Harlander. Sounds like public safety did come first. Sounds like a good time to be had. And it also sounds like I'm getting a bang for my open space buck contributions.

Very good,
The Farmer

newbie

(First time poster – be nice to me please) I attended my first ever council meeting last night. OH BOY!!! A council president who states first, he doesn't want to hear from the public, then after he hears from them, states he doesn't care what they say. I was NOT impressed!

I understand the safety concerns. However, is it not the job of the police chief to figure it out if that is what the council decides? I completely disagree with the council president that just because they said there are concerns, there is nothing more that can be done and the event should immediately be canceled. Many events all over the country have safety issues that are dealt with. I don't understand what the big hang-up is.....

Me too

Jimmy Buffets song Fruit Cakes comes to mind.

Guest

And you all thought it was safe to sit at home and let council take care of your city...

Guest

Why is everyone so set on the city paying for a fireworks display? Don't those cost money, and a LOT of money? No only just for the fireworks but for police and fire to provide safety and crowd control and for public works to clean everything up afterwards? And all of this being provided by a city that HAS NO MONEY? Oh, wait, we will spend open space money for a one-night blast rather than providing a whole summer worth of activities for our kids, or something else with community wide benefits.

Why should the police chief figure out how to provide public safety on a one-night blast when the council has already cut $100,000 out of his budget? Wouldn't you rather that they be spending their budget providing the day to day patrols of your streets all year long?

This is just another of those "let's spend money unwisely because I want it" instead of a carefully thought out decision based on realities of the needs of our city.

Guest

I guess you missed the council meeting and the recap. Open space funds can pay for most of it. I applaude my fellow Citizens and some Council Members for helping make our City shine once again.

Praise the Power of the people.

The Harlander

Most recreational activities come with a bit of safety issues. There is a warning at every wilderness trailhead of the inherent dangers. Playground equipment is not always safe even though a great deal of engineering goes into reducing the risk. What we are left with is choices and it is obvious that the vast majority of citizens want the July 3rd fireworks show.
Those that say the event is an adult event are either blind or have not gone to the park on July 3rd. More than half of the attendees are children, if anything, it is a family event. It is also a grand American and Edgewater tradition.

Guest · Tell that to the kids

Our Parks and Recreation Department doesn't own a single bat and ball. Our baseball diamond is used for adult league play.
There is only one activity of an athletic nature offered to our young people, because Council refuses to appropriate Open Space funds to fund programming - and in a time when childhood obesity is growing at an alarming rate.
Yet the so called "adults" of this community go crying to Council for their fireworks, looking the other way while we squander our only funding source to provide for the recreational needs of the young, the Open Space funds, to pay for their traditional fireworks.
The tradition you are celebrating is arrogant and selfish disregard for the needs of your young people. I hope you all feel proud. I can't begin to tell you how contemptible I think that is.
If you must have your fireworks find another way to pay for it. Hold fund raisers, do the grown up thing and provide for yourselves, but robbing from the children is wrong. As adults you are supposed to already know "right" from "wrong", you should be able to grasp the concept of "priorities". By these actions there is very little evidence that you do.
When Edgewater provides a recreation program for their young people instead of using the Open Space Funds as a private reserve account or a fireworks party you will be approaching mature behavior but not until then. I am deeply disappointed and right now I am ashamed to live in this town.

The Harlander

This is not a case of either/or. First of all, there are plenty of funds available for child and youth programs in the City. Blame the P&R Director for not listening to the recommendations of the P&R Board for such programs. The Director has shown little to no interest in such programs. The Director would rather cut down healthy bushes and replace them with poorly planted trees and paint a gazebo that was not designed to be painted. Council sees her lack of qualifications and withholds her discretionary funding, that is all they have power to do. I bet that if the Director went to Council with a valid plan for youth programs they would cut loose those funds. Blame the Mayor, who has been and is currently in charge of the Director for not making youth programs a priority to the Director and terminating her if she refused to follow through.
As for my part I am thrilled with the decision to attempt to continue the fireworks and outraged that neither the Mayor or Parks & Recreation Director put any value on offering the young people of this community the benefit we owe them. I am extremely upset that the Mayor and Director want to abolish the P&R Board that has repeatedly requested that this issue be addressed.

Guest · No

I stand by my post. All I hear, here, is finger pointing.

The Harlander · Let them know

PS I challenge everyone that was at Council last night in support of the fireworks and any other citizens that feel our youth are being slighted to show up to Council en masse to demand that our P&R Department begin work on setting up youth programs that focus on health and fitness. And while your there you just might encourage Council to rewrite the ordinance regarding the P&R Board and make them advisory only to the City Council with an appropriate set of duties. The P&R Board has no business being a tool of the Manager or Director. I can assure you if the Board had been advisory to the Council there would have been no issue with the fireworks and they would have long ago advised Council to instruct the Manager (Mayor till we have a Manger) to make youth programs a high priority.
Anyone up for setting the date that we all show up and make our voice loud and clear? How about you guest? You want to help set this up? Or is it, that you just don't like fireworks?

Just Me

We can also email and call Council. We can do this for the kids.

Guest · **Guest: Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:25 am wrote:**

Guest

Hard not to play the blame game isn't it. There is so much of it to pass around. Those people, all of them, are there to represent our interest. The people spoke and they should keep speaking until the elected, appointed and paid staff listen. They listened last night.

Guest

Plenty of funds for youth activities and fireworks, just ask.

Certainly

Yes there is. We have over a million dollars in our Open Space account and we get in excess of one hundred thousand a year in interest. We can dump a hundred thousand and more of Open Space funds on a museum that no one gets to go to (the Heritage Center) but we don't have kids programs? Now that's an issue!

Guest

To the guest of 11:25, I believe someone has injected a dose of reality into this topic. Thank you.
Harlander is right about council not being able to tell the mayor or the director how to do their job. They can only withhold funds. If I were to guess, I would guess that they withheld the funds so she couldn't spend them on something really stupid - as she has done in the past . She can't seem to come up with a proper recreational plan for our youth unless it calls for hiring more people and spending inordinate amounts of money. She doesn't seem to get that her job requires time spent after the kids get out of school in order to provide childrens programming. She doesn't get the concept of childrens programming at all, if you look at her history in Edgewater. And the mayor doesn't seem to get it either or else why would she allow Lydia to continue? Let's hope the new city manager gets it, or our kids are screwed.
All that said, I do think that one night of fireworks for what it will cost the city out of our open space funds is too much, especially when there are fireworks going on all around us. For that money we could provide our kids with really good summer programs and not just one night of fireworks.

The Harlander

A reasonable argument, I don't agree, but a reasonable argument. Thank You Guest 4:47 PM.

Guest

I am also happy that the show will go on. I think especially now it's more important than ever to showcase our town. It could generate more business and financing. Hopefully the Ice Rance folks will put up a sign that tells visitors that the Ice Ranch is coming soon. Great advertising for free.

Jay

Why not make money off the event and provide a quaility festival all at the same time. Combine Edgewater Days and the Fireworks. The City could make a tidy revenue profit from vendors who traditionally don't like Edgewater Days because theres not enough customers. Vendors would love to have the crowds that we get at the July 3rd event.

Guest

Hey, great idea! And Lydia could plan and run it! Why didn't anyone think of that one before?

Guest

Yeah Lightbox Lady.

Guest · 3rd of July

This is rumor but I heard the Ice Ranch folks were going to collect parking fees for the 3rd. of July show at 20th and Depew. That works for me because that means there will be someone there supervising what goes on. At least they know how to make a buck.

swinger · swinger

Guest

Ask the Light Box Lady for a baby swing. She may not give you an answer though, she likes to work in the dark. Just tell her that you respect her, that may help. She really, really likes to be respected.

Guest

I'm just happy that we are going to have a show and it seems to have energized people into making things better not worse.

Guest

Is the fireworks on for sure? I thought that there were still some questions needing answered - like can we use the open space funds for fireworks, and how much will it cost to provide extra safety support?

Guest

It'll be discussed again on the 19th of March, after the two chiefs come up with a plan and a dollar figure, if they can. Still not decided but it could be that night, as far as I understood.

supporter

lets not dismiss that 2 of the current firefighters were present at that meeting and stood up to speak in favor of the fireworks show, along wiht many other community members. I believe they understand the elements of risk and safety better than most of us lay people. If the current chiefs cannot showcase a satisfactory safety plan i personally think this speaks to their level of competence. It should have been in place already for many years. It should be availbale currently!
.....maybe the new ingredient involves directing the PR director to do her job in a timely manner, and get the lights up imediately afterward.

Guest · Fireworks

This is not about the P&R director not doing her job. It is about the other white meat on two feet that come in and drink, get rowdy and foil the whole fireworks enjoyment. Too many come in from Denver and ruin the evening by taking over the park, their kids not being watched and getting into places they shouldn't be and the drinking that goes on. That is safety issues!!! This is an older community with many retired people who enjoy socializing, not terrorizing.

The newspaper has already put an article out saying we will not have them this year. Leave it at that. By now, many citizens have made other plans to go elsewhere. Save up some money for the next event. Quit spending something we don't have. One year is not going to kill us. We cannot compete with the big cities and their dollar amount.

If all the commercial buildings were filled and used, maybe the city profit a little. Not so dependent on fireworks, etc.

Give it up and quit griping.

Guest · Re: Fireworks

Guest

Of course the budget is no longer a concern. All of a sudden the funds in this particular account (Capital expenses) became available for fireworks.
Who do you suppose worked that one out?

simple math · account tweaker

my guess is Adam, but that's just a guess.

Fireworks · Money for fireworks

Did someone find a way to pay for the fireworks?

Mister Bill · Funds for Fireworks

The funds which "suddenly" became available for a fireworks show are Open Space Funds, not Capital Expense Funds. And it was Councilman Gardner and P & R Director Hamilton who actually went to the County and got direct answers on our questions if these funds can be used for those purposes. We say "suddenly" because we were told previously by the County that these funds were not available for our use for fireworks events. I hope this clears the matter up a bit, and it does open a whole new avenue of discussion.

drum up · Drum Circle on July 3rd

I'm telling you....we need a drum circle and get over 1 night of fun.

Spend the money on MONITORED cameras and catch the pussies that are comitting break-ins, smashed car windows, grafitti, etc!

Fireworks Funds · Question for Mr. Bill

Will the money to pay for the extra police and fire coverage be taken out of Open Space funds too?

Mister Bill · Fireworks Funds

Achmed

الالعاب النارية الخاصة بك هي الشر

what????

The Patriot · Ach, Achmed!

Achmed, or - if I might be familiar - Ach

I'm sure you are just an erudite Edgewaterite who happens to have an Arabic keyboard and knows how to use it - most likely to be an imp. This, of course, is something the Stick appreciates.

However, on the off-chance that you are more than you seem, I'll be asking the Denver office of the FBI to translate your missive and talk to you. Wouldn't it be a lot easier to provide a translation with your erudite message?

Ach, in many tungs!

TP

PS. Achmed, you've just been TP'd! LOL

Farmer Scott · The "N" stands for KNOWLEDGE

I know who the Patriot is. Na Na Na NaNanuh.

Opps: Sorry, I didn't mention to tell all the great readers that this response; goes for the Charter discussion also.

Get that graffito of the stick. Unless you entend to translate. It does NOT belong here. This has nothing to do with respect. As I see it: It is only on here to insight. It is not even close to being funny from a individual that knows (most of the time). This is the last you hear of The Farmer and my boots are a shakin' and my ears are a listin'.

You catch my clue...I will find the translation (don't worry about the CBI or the FBI).

Have a nice life,
The Farmer

Moshe

It loses something in the translation I'm sure but it says something like "Your own fireworks is evil". Obviously Achmed does not want a 3rd of July show. Nothing anti American there.

Love Food

Depends on your translator:

“The fiery games special bey of she the evil”

http://www.systranet.com/

Maybe it has something to do with guy’s wife’s cooking

Moshe

That can be one interpretation but in Arabic we must look at the context in which the statement is presented.

Chaim

לא לשחק עם יורה בידיד שלי

Guest · Just a thought

It might help to speak in a common language if you are trying to communicate on this, Chaim. Suit yourself, it's just an idea.

Guest

He's just a hard working undocumented worker. Leave him alone.

Achmed

الحمد لله.

Patriot

That's how it begins. A simple little apology for something you have never done. The sins of the father and all that stuff. Kind of like all those Board of Adjustment decisions of the past bought with beer (not). Bert Hogan is a real American and a founding father of this community. Can we have a little respect here.

Love Bert

How is Arabic disrespectful to Bert? This has nothing to do with Bert. Bert is an extremely honorable member of our community that has actually served this city for years instead of just running around criticizing it.

The whole city can’t stay the way it was. We have been flying by the seat of our pant for a long time, and many of our founding fathers, like Bert, are simply not going to be able to continue to serve us forever. We need to set our selves up for the future. Maybe a proactive approach feels strange but I think we should give it try. At the end of the day we might even like it.

Patriot

I had just finished listening to Rush on the radio, I was fired up.

????????

How the hell did talk about Bert Hogan enter this thread. Maybe we should talk about how delicious chicken pot pies are if it's non sequiter time.

Agate

Someone implied that the BOA could be bought for beers in another thread and that was why we needed a stricter ordinance controlling what the BOA could rule on. The Patriot has been really screwed up since last November. I think he's been hanging out with Ed G Waters.

Guest

Here come the clowns

clown organizer

Hey, what the heck you guys doin rounding up my guys? Send em home. Got a show to do. Aint no time for clowning around right now. These is serious times, case ya didn't notice.

Fun at the circus

Wonder who the clowns are? 1 and 7. Where have I seen those numbers before.

City Circus or City Council?

Breath

Great!!!

Tell that to the kids

No

Let them know

3rd of July

swinger

Fireworks

Re: Fireworks

account tweaker

Money for fireworks

Funds for Fireworks

Drum Circle on July 3rd

Question for Mr. Bill

Fireworks Funds

Ach, Achmed!

The "N" stands for KNOWLEDGE

Just a thought