Why has no one here mentioned Mark Muir's proposal to form a private community group to come up with an alternative housing element map?Muir, Gaspar, and Blakespear approved the proposal to allow community groups to propose alternatives to the city's housing plan. Shaffer and Kranz voted no.
I find it curious that the loudest voices criticizing the process have fallen silent. It would seem that this is the opportunity you wanted.
Methinks Muir has outsmarted you. He's going to show that all the objections about community input and process are bunk. The true motives behind All Rodbell and his merry band are about to be revealed. Namely, there is a small no growth group that wants a hostile confrontation with Sacremento over state housing law.
Actually, I don't have a problem with that position. I do have a problem with cloaking that position in side issues of process and community input.
I will be watching closely to see if Al, Sheila, Julie, Lynn, Andrew, Bob, and Donna actively participate in the citizen-driven alternate process, and if they can produce a plan the conforms to state requirements and guidelines.
Will a community group come forward to accept the challenge?
Also, as the local Brown Act police, will our community alternative group adopt strict best practices for open government, including:
ReplyDelete--A formal written process for how decisions will be made
--All deliberation and decisions to be conducted in properly noticed meetings open to the public, city representatives, and media.
--Strict adherence to a clear policy on disclosures and recusal.
--No backroom dealing. All communications between members should be made public.
--Seek donations for a "scientific" polling method to determine the true will of the electorate.
Etc etc. etc.
We finally get to see what local government would look like if this group had their way.
Grab some popcorn; this is going to be good.
The city has abused and hidden behind the Brown act every chance they get while doing their "off the record" street corner discussions whenever they choose. It is up to the people we elect to play a clean game.
ReplyDeleteThis citizens' group should set a goal to lead by example. This is a big opportunity to show the community what good governance looks like. Let's see if this group holds itself to the same high standards they demand from others. I expect nothing less than a clinic on openness, efficiency, and effectiveness.
DeleteSo Muir wants to put the KLCC in charge of the housing update....nice. He's an idiot!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's genius.
DeleteIf they don't step up to the challenge, they will be exposed as shouty back-benchers who can't actually do anything useful.
If they do step up, there is zero chance they will achieve anything resembling a workable consensus housing element.
Basically, after hearing years of non-stop criticism of council's driving, coming from a group without a learner's permit, Muir is calling their bluff and throwing them the keys.
Of course, the official city process continues in parallel, with more resources, and much more time to create a robust proposal for the voters. At some point, the alternate proposal will be compared to the city's plan, and the comparison will not be favorable. That's assuming this crew can produce anything at all.
Muir is an idiot.....He's giving the keys to the space shuttle to drunken teenagers and expects them to fly into outer space. What the gang of 8 will accomplish is nothing....
DeleteHow do you know who will come forward to produce a community map? The assumption here is calling one's bluff.
ReplyDeleteWho represents the community, all 60,000+ of them?
And what happens if there is more than one group claiming to represent the community?
As usual, the city cannot make a decision. This update joke has been going on for what, 3, 4 years? Usually the city hires a consultant and over pays them. This time they want a group of voters to do the same thing- for free. If this is such an urgent state mandate, then DO SOMETHING, city council!
ReplyDeleteThis will be on the ballot in 2016. So also will be a mayor and a majority of the Council. It's not unreasonable to think that the Council candidates will all have to take a stand, YES or NO, on this measure. The Peak Dictatorship approach is raising enough opposition that it's likely that this measure and its supporters will fail. What then?
DeletePredictions:
Delete1) All 5 council members take a YES position, just as they all joined hands to oppose Prop A.
2) Opponents of the ballot initiative will be greatly outspent by developers, and the city will get lots of free press for the YES position in the local papers, even if the council doesn't directly allocate money for voter "education."
3) There won't be enough serious challengers to defeat the incumbent council members. At most, one incumbent will be defeated. Quite possibly, zero.
That's why this Housing Compound will be on the ballot, so the city can say "See? The People have spoken!!" because they couldn't make a decision. They always claim they promote "Transparency", and encourage "citizen involvement", yet when citizens do go to meetings, and alert council to flaws in the system, they are marginalized and treated like children, which is what Mark Muir is attempting to do. It doesn't get any more transparent than that. Plus, I've seen this game before, with ad hoc committees, and meetings with the public that is heavy pancake make up to cover the true intent of the city. And the true intent is to provide a steady source of income via sales and property tax for their salaries and pensions. The building industry is very aware of this, and has played every community in America. Pity. Mark Muir's suggestion that a community group do HIS JOB is a disgrace.
ReplyDeleteMuir is dumber than he looks.
ReplyDeleteWell he's got $178k per year for life at 55. He must be doing something right.
DeleteHis salary has nothing to do with how dumb he looks. He just knows how to "kiss ass".
DeleteHere's the story. EU might consider adding this link at the top.
ReplyDeletehttps://thecoastnews.com/blog/2015/01/residents-will-have-chance-to-create-housing-map/