AgendaProclamation: “Kids Day America” (Tabled for further review.)
05112009_audio1.mp3 Start of meeting through J1 Chap 14
05112009_audio2.mp3 Police Records Management System
05112009_audio3.mp3 Farmers Market
05112009_audio4.mp3 New Business to End.
Ordinance to amend Chapter 25: Water, Sewers, and Sewage Disposal. (Passed)
Appointment of Sustainability Commission. (Passed, all original members w Stacy Harris & Yvonne Williams)
Appointment of Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. (Passed, list of names read by Mayor. My nominee was Renate Herod, Past PTA Pres at Chesnut Charter and current PTA Pres at Kittredge Magnet.)
Ordinance to amend Chapter 14, Land Development and Environmental Protection, Article 2: Environmental Control. (Passed)
Approval of award of Police Records Management System. (Passed - review document discussed at meeting.)
Farmer’s Market Update. (Permit for St. Pats but moving to Village Post Office soon after.)
Approval of surplus equipment items. (Passed - old items obtained in used furniture purchase.)
FIRST READ: Amendment to Chapter 2: Administration (Discussion: Should committee members have to live or work in Dunwoody?)
I think all committee members should be residents of Dunwoody. I know some well-qualified and well-intended folks will not be able to serve, but I know Dunwoody is full of educated and motivated people. With current committee appointments the council has only scratched the surface of the pool of people qualified to serve.
ReplyDeleteExtending this privilege to non-Dunwoody people is a problem for me. I understand the council appoints and most of the time will do their best to appoint well qualified people, but I see no need to do this. Could a council member advertise/inquire within his/her district for people for committees? I'd like to be on a committee but have yet to be asked by a member from my district. However, my two district people do not know me so I'll email each this week and introduce myself. I understand it is not 100% responsibility of the council member to 'find' talent for committees, part of that responsibility is placed on me and other residents to get in touch with our council person and make them aware we are ready to serve.
Perhaps a meet & greet in each district could bring out some people and connect our council person with residents.
I understand there will be times when a highly qualified person will be wanted/needed on a particular committee, and council may know a non-Dunwoody person willing to serve, but could the committee, once formed, seek out additional resources to serve as a guest speaker at a committee meeting> If a non-Dunwoody person is willing to serve on a committee then they surely would be honored to speak to the committee as an expert(in lieu of serving on the committee full time).
Opening committees to non-Dunwoody residents, even those owning or working for a business in Dunwoody, is a mistake in my opinion.
If council wants to guarantee PCID a seat on one or two committees I am OK with that. But to mandate that non-Dunwoody committee members be only executives,CEOs, or owners of a business is an elitist position, belittling not only non executives at such Dunwoody businesses but also is like letting the fox guard the chicken coup.
Load committees up with business owners who do not reside in Dunwoody and we'll suffer at their hands. I'd like to trust council 100% of the time on appointments, but letting business owners (who do not reside in Dunwoody) run committees would be a poor decision. The council needs to think long term, not just in the now. Think 10, 20 years from now. Two council members, appointing a total of 4 or 5 non-Dunwoody committee members to a planning or appeals committee would not be ideal for Dunwoody residents.
Thank you Mayor Wright for showing wisdom in tabling the “Kids Day America” proclamation. Also, you displayed acumen by acknowledging there are other religious facilities that are similar to St. Patrick’s Church in hosting for-profit vendors. It was nice to hear a speaker confront Rep. Millar, the DHA and Lundsten as hypocrites for their narrow attack on only the farmer’s market.
ReplyDeleteThank you John Heneghan for making the audio available to those who could not attend.
The man who spoke during Public Comment made an excellent point when he brought to everyone's attention the MJCCA Israel Festival and its likeness to the St Pat's market. Kudos to the Mayor for acknowledging his own church's events as well.
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