05/21/2000 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Regular Council Meeting May 21, 2001 Page 16 Council President Marquardt said if you recall the minutes of the Planning & Zoning Commission, they put these things through and voted to have it as one package. There wasn't any discussion that says why don't we present it to Council as pieces and see what the opinion is. The vote in the Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting was to bundle it into one package and present it to Council as one package. I was at the meeting and that was the way it was put together. Mrs. Mills said if we would bring these things back individually, would you look at them at Caucus. Council President Marquardt said certainly. That is exactly what Bill suggested at the last Caucus. Mayor Rinker said the concern that I had in all of this is I feel there is a real change of direction that has gone on the past couple of years with this body. Realistically a legislative body is supposed to be a forum that promotes discussion. In just about every one of these instances that has come up where there has been input from elsewhere in the community from various groups (and I will skip over the part right now, some of the disparaging and some of what I think are unflattering comments about the input of people who presented some thoughts in good faith, because there have been some of those comments and they are unwarranted.) And apart from that, I am a little baffled as to why it is so hard for this body collectively to find ways to be more analytical, to be more thoughtful and encourage the discussion. With all due respect, Council President Marquardt, I think that talking about a package is elevating form over substance. I don't think that that's an issue. I think the issue is for people who have put a lot of thought and energy and have requested open discussion, have requested participation, and then what they see in the end is very little of either of those, the message that you send to your community is one of don't bother. It is one thing to hold an opinion and to feel that you don't want to change your opinion but a legislative body should not discourage other people from trying to challenge opinions, to debate, to find ways to seek some common ground. There was one characterization that it was good enough years ago and we don't need to change it, but unfortunately in areas of planning, in areas of zoning, just as there are in areas of finance, in viriually any other endeavor that involves dealing with people and in changes in the community such as ours, it is not particularly healthy to shut the door on these discussions. I think that is what has happened. I don't think in this community the different volunteer groups that are part of the fabric of our community are given any sense of direction. I heard what Mr. Farmer said and I think that is a pretty apt assessment. It is embarrassing to sit here in a lot of these meetings and either to hear conclusionary comments with no sense of maybe, just maybe we could find a better way to discuss it. You know there is a reason why most ordinances are put on three readings. This was a first read. I mean, what was to preclude... Council President Marquardt said it was a motion. Mayor Rinker said I take it back. I don't think though that it was necessarily-are you elevating form over substance? Is it a procedural issue or is it a process issue? I suggest it's a process. I don't think that it is healthy for this body to talk out in the parking lot, to talk in telephone