Response To Lowell's First Look Column of 1.13.2020
I am writing today in response to an editorial from Lowell about accountability from the Lowell City Council. You can read it here: Accountability Should Be Word of The Year
First, there are some very good suggestions here that I will take to heart and do what I can as a City Council member to implement. Secondly, there are a couple of points that are not so easily digested for me and I will attempt to explain why below.
First, the suggestions given that might sting a bit, but with which I concur. Those items include:
1. Overall accountability and transparency is something I will strive to increase both personally and engender as a member of the Council.
2. Explanation of a vote. Sad to admit that doing something this simple did not occur to me, but I will do my best to do so in the future. (I did blog about my change of heart regarding tax abatements in which I explained why I voted for the King Milling abatement, but that was after the meeting. Click the link at the bottom to read this.)
3. More two way communication with citizens who attend meetings and take the time to comment. Another excellent point that I will do my best to implement and encourage going forward.
4. Inside jokes - I believe they are more our collective attempt to add a little levity to proceedings that are often very dry and sometimes very tense, but I can certainly understand how they would give the impression of the Council being a closed little group. Will do my best to avoid them in the future.
5. Worth repeating: will do what I can to increase overall accountability and transparency.
There are a couple of points made that I would like to give my perspective on.
1. As the rookie on the Council, I have only attended one meeting with consultant Lou Bender. I cannot speak historically with any accuracy, but the 2019 meeting with Lou was NOT the City Council sitting around a table trying to become closer to each other. For me, Lou sharing his wealth of real world experience about how to run a municipality in a State where funds have been trimmed and cut for decades was immensely helpful. So much so that I am looking forward to closing our store early on January 23rd for another opportunity to learn. Lou brought a lot of clarity to issues like the REAL costs of closing our police department and the long term results of cutting back services. I believe the money the Council spends to meet with Mr Bender is well spent.
2. The recreational marijuana issue/hearing was a confusing situation. I believe this is largely due to the fact that marijuana in Michigan is very confusing. When a medical facility was being considered, I was not on the Council but spoke in support solely from my experience as a cancer patient who used edible cannabis as part of my recovery from radiation/chemo treatment. However, when I realized recreational legality was coming up for a statewide vote, I totally understood the Council's decision to turn it down.
As far as recreational marijuana, I believe we are following the will of the voters by allowing facilities to open in Lowell provided they meet the State requirements. Yes, there are people in Lowell who were in favor of the legalization effort, but who do not want facilities to open here. (I happen to be married to one!) That is known as Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) and frankly strikes me as being slightly disingenuous or at the very least, sending a conflicting message. When I voted to legalize cannabis I did so because I firmly believe only poor people get punished for using it and while I was not expecting to see pot shops in Lowell, I did not want Lowell to restrict such shops either. But that is another issue for another time.
Back to the public hearing on recreational marijuana. It was extremely confusing if for no other reason than many of the people who got up and spoke were addressing the medical benefits of cannabis and were talking about medical marijuana, which was NOT the issue at hand, In retrospect, I wish I had spoken up instead of letting one person after another speak on a totally different subject. I will not make that mistake in the future.
3. Riverview Flats - when it is all said and done, I would love to see Lowell's First Look do an in depth dive into everything that happened in late 2018 and 2019. Maybe then the actions of the Council will make more sense.
Overall, I am taking many of the points made in the article to heart. In 2020 we all need to know, appreciate, and embrace the importance of a free press to monitor and shine sunlight on government at every level.
One last thing, I have written about instances where the Council has listened to remarks and made changes. I blogged about them here: Examples of Lowell City Council Listening
First, there are some very good suggestions here that I will take to heart and do what I can as a City Council member to implement. Secondly, there are a couple of points that are not so easily digested for me and I will attempt to explain why below.
First, the suggestions given that might sting a bit, but with which I concur. Those items include:
1. Overall accountability and transparency is something I will strive to increase both personally and engender as a member of the Council.
2. Explanation of a vote. Sad to admit that doing something this simple did not occur to me, but I will do my best to do so in the future. (I did blog about my change of heart regarding tax abatements in which I explained why I voted for the King Milling abatement, but that was after the meeting. Click the link at the bottom to read this.)
3. More two way communication with citizens who attend meetings and take the time to comment. Another excellent point that I will do my best to implement and encourage going forward.
4. Inside jokes - I believe they are more our collective attempt to add a little levity to proceedings that are often very dry and sometimes very tense, but I can certainly understand how they would give the impression of the Council being a closed little group. Will do my best to avoid them in the future.
5. Worth repeating: will do what I can to increase overall accountability and transparency.
There are a couple of points made that I would like to give my perspective on.
1. As the rookie on the Council, I have only attended one meeting with consultant Lou Bender. I cannot speak historically with any accuracy, but the 2019 meeting with Lou was NOT the City Council sitting around a table trying to become closer to each other. For me, Lou sharing his wealth of real world experience about how to run a municipality in a State where funds have been trimmed and cut for decades was immensely helpful. So much so that I am looking forward to closing our store early on January 23rd for another opportunity to learn. Lou brought a lot of clarity to issues like the REAL costs of closing our police department and the long term results of cutting back services. I believe the money the Council spends to meet with Mr Bender is well spent.
2. The recreational marijuana issue/hearing was a confusing situation. I believe this is largely due to the fact that marijuana in Michigan is very confusing. When a medical facility was being considered, I was not on the Council but spoke in support solely from my experience as a cancer patient who used edible cannabis as part of my recovery from radiation/chemo treatment. However, when I realized recreational legality was coming up for a statewide vote, I totally understood the Council's decision to turn it down.
As far as recreational marijuana, I believe we are following the will of the voters by allowing facilities to open in Lowell provided they meet the State requirements. Yes, there are people in Lowell who were in favor of the legalization effort, but who do not want facilities to open here. (I happen to be married to one!) That is known as Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) and frankly strikes me as being slightly disingenuous or at the very least, sending a conflicting message. When I voted to legalize cannabis I did so because I firmly believe only poor people get punished for using it and while I was not expecting to see pot shops in Lowell, I did not want Lowell to restrict such shops either. But that is another issue for another time.
Back to the public hearing on recreational marijuana. It was extremely confusing if for no other reason than many of the people who got up and spoke were addressing the medical benefits of cannabis and were talking about medical marijuana, which was NOT the issue at hand, In retrospect, I wish I had spoken up instead of letting one person after another speak on a totally different subject. I will not make that mistake in the future.
3. Riverview Flats - when it is all said and done, I would love to see Lowell's First Look do an in depth dive into everything that happened in late 2018 and 2019. Maybe then the actions of the Council will make more sense.
Overall, I am taking many of the points made in the article to heart. In 2020 we all need to know, appreciate, and embrace the importance of a free press to monitor and shine sunlight on government at every level.
One last thing, I have written about instances where the Council has listened to remarks and made changes. I blogged about them here: Examples of Lowell City Council Listening
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