9:30 a.m., St. John’s Church Fireside Room
Submitted by Jane McWilliams, Observer
Present:Â Jon Denison, 4th ward Councilman; Noah Cashman, Councilman-at-Large; Kris Vohs, Councilman-at-Large; Scott Davis, 2nd Ward Councilman. 15 Citizens.
Denison said that the council is talking about regular ward meetings during the coming year. He had invited other councilmen to this meeting, and Cashman, Vohs and Davis who had attended the opening of the hospital’s Lakeville clinic, arrived after the meeting began.
The discussion began with Jon’s description of the council’s retreat earlier in the week, to consider capital improvement projects. Several people asked when certain sidewalks in the Ward would be replaced and Jon replied that they are in the list of projects being considered, but he didn’t know the timing. The Way Park plan envisions closing First Street, and it is likely that work on the Park and the street will be done concurrently.
Bruce Anderson, a member of the city Energy Task Force, asked whether energy efficiency is considered in the council’s planning. He noted that the state legislature has set a goal of reducing green house gas by 50% by the year 2050. Denison said this is a concern of his, too. He supports the work being done by Johnson Controls to retrofit city facilities for energy efficiency. This will be funded with the energy savings achieved by the changes.
Dan Dimmick asked Jon what his perception is of how the council works together and whether a facilitator or mediator had been chosen. He also expressed concerns about the cost of a mediator. Jon replied that he thought the council has been working together more effectively, as demonstrated by the meeting Monday evening. He said he had heard a facilitator would cost around $3,000. Dimmick noted that perhaps one problem is the conflict between the mayor and the city administrator and questioned whether a mediator could solve that problem. Several people asked questions about the report of the investigator, slated for December 17, and Jon said that the mediation/facilitation meeting will not be held until after that time.
Jim Dimmick asked that the council look into putting a stop sign at the corner of Forest Ave. (Third Street) and Madison which is near Oddfellows Park and is a hazardous crossing for pedestrians. He wondered what the city’s policy is on parking on both sides of the street, citing problems on Armstrong Road as well as Second Street. Dennison agreed that these are important issues.
David Sudermann circulated a petition asking the council to establish rules preventing motorized and non-motorized vehicles from using Way Park.
After the meeting, Kiffi Summa called to my attention that no one from the second precinct of Ward 4 attended the meeting today. Her concern is that that precinct is not really contiguous to the first precinct. As she says, “the numbers requirement for precincts in a ward may be fulfilled, but the other characteristics are not, those being ‘communities of interest’ and contiguity. Contiguity is obviously not fulfilled, and ‘communities of interest, although harder to tie down, does not seem to be either, as residents of precinct 2 have not attended either of the ward meetings.”
This is an issue League may want to look into.
