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Minutes of a Public Hearing October 6, 2010 Page 3 i i referendum zoning to developers and to other people. We felt we put ourselves at a disadvantage competitively. Our intent was not to take away anything from the people, disenfranchise, to try to fool anybody. We felt after much discussion that it would be in the City's best interest to do so. We knew full well that it would go before a vote of the people and ultimately the people would decide whether this issue should pass along with the other issues. We had much discussion. We believed that ultimately the people would decide. I am sorry I am kind of stammering here. I am just a neighbor,a person who was asked to serve. I think we did a thorough job. We did a good job. I learned a lot. I felt it an honor and my duty to serve when asked and I did so and I learned a lot and i felt that in my heart that the changes we proposed were fair to be voted upon. I felt number 84 especially that the way the city is set up, the planning board and commission, the methodology that we go through including the Council, all the multiple layers that we have of checks and balances to make changes were thorough enough that most of the time that would suffice to do so to make those decisions based on their knowledge and your charging these individuals with that task. An important notion to this was that any zoning law that would be considered sensitive, and that would be what you are concerned and I am concerned about would be with a simple vote of the Council to be put before the electorate as it is now. We just felt that as the first layer, that that was a detriment to our ability to be competitive in developing our, mainly my thoughts always went to Beta Park. It really did not stray anywhere neaz otherwise. So, we felt that that was our thinking behind that. Anything aside from that that we heard in the last meeting was simply unfounded. I can understand people's concerns. The outrage that I witnessed was interesting, yet I felt that we are putting this to a vote of the people to see if this is the way, if they agree or disagree. And so, in a month we are going to deternune that by your vote whether referendum zoning shall remain or shall be changed. I would be happy to take any questions. I am sorry I am not as articulate as many. I thank you: A member of the audience asked if he could, raise a question. Mayor Rinker asked if he could hold it until the panel discussion. Tlie audience member indicated that he had to leave very shortly and he had a very brief question. Mayor Rinker replied, go ahead. Q: I hear what you are saying and understand the theory of Beta Park. Why didn't you restrict referendum zoning-to Beta Park? Mr. Fikaris: That was discussed about specifying residential zoning, specifying this or that. That was in my mind. I don't know. That was never brought up to specify a certain area.