Pop, Pop, Fizz, Fizz, Oh what a Relief it is
Posted by Jim Sack in City & County Government, Fort WayneBy Jim Sack
It was a workmanlike meeting at council last night punctuated by joviality and smiles, many smiles. Hardly an eyebrow lifted through the 100-minute session, not even when representatives of the mayor said they would keep politics out of redistricting.
From pre-game to post-meeting analysis members of council found charming things to say about each other, to compliment the clerk and to toss roses to the audience. It is a reflection of the new members on council – Jehl, Paddock and Crawford – all of whom try to find the sunny side of a question. Last year’s cat-fight-of-a-bar-room brawl has unofficially been put to rest and now will become the stuff of humorous comparisons.
So, the meeting veritably sped by with polite discussion, observation and action. Votes came and went bam, bam, bam.
The meeting opened with John Urbahns, the city’s director of Economic Development, and sidekick Paul Spoelhof, a bow-tied, round-rimmed bespectacled planner, discussing with council how the process of redistricting will go. Urbahns offered some ideas, one of which was accepted by council – The Hines Crawford process of ten years ago will be dusted off and put back into play. Hines, a Democrat and a representative of a district, will work with Crawford, a Republican and an at-large councilman, to adjust boundaries so that each of our six districts comprises roughly 40,000 voters. Maps will be draw and offered to council for their consideration and amendment. All seemed to agree the 3rd district would shrink a bit and the underpopulated fifth would grow correspondingly. Council members were reminded that current districts would remain status quo until the next election thus allaying many of their spoken and unspoken fears. Urbahns early warned that he would work with everyone equally and that he didn’t want his staff to be the target of political attacks; council members all pledged to keep this most politically fraught of processes above politics. File this under the dual headings of: Talk is Cheap, and, The Devil is in the Details.
On to a stoplight fight on the north side, albeit a civilized and cooperative fight that seemed more friendly jostling than a fight. City-County planning was told two weeks ago to take a project they had endorsed for a “cramped” development off Coldwater Road back to the drawing board. They did. In the interim a plenary session was held with all involved, and last night, with nary a dissenting syllable the development was tabled again for a month or so more to allow traffic planning to study the corridor south of Union Chapel Road to determine who overflowing traffic flow might be better managed with widening or lights or turn-lanes. John Shoaff gave high marks to Russ Jehl, the second district representative, in the way Jehl managed the informal meeting. Jehl blew a kiss back at Mr. Shoaff for providing the savvy old-timer stability that resolved many of the questions posed at the meeting. Even the developer, normally Tums-Poppers to a man, seemed comfortable with the delays. The project was tabled for another month or two. So ended the committee session. Polite. Workmanlike. Bordering on gracious.
The Love-Sherpas guided everyone from the committee room into the grand hall for the regular session. Of the thirty ordinances up for introduction or passage only one was rejected and only one other bill received less than a unanimous vote. Most were proforma introductory readings: Glynn Hines made it a appoint to read as fast as possible nearly 20 bills on his committee’s agenda. Polite laughter accompanied him nearly all the way through the tedious reading as if encouraging applause for a proud marathoner. Congratulatory laughter greeted him at the finish line.
The dead ordinance was “S-12-01-03, An Ordinance approving program and project management assistance for City Utilities – 2012 & 2013 between The Secant Group, Inc., and the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana in connection with the Board of Public Works. Total cost of $310,336.” (Hines had to read 20 similarly tediousness bills…) You may remember that last week the DOA ordinance was voted “Do Not Pass” because the contract would run for two years. The professional services committee is about to offer new guidelines on said professional service contracts and wants all new contracts to comply with the yet-to-be-finished ordinance. Dr. Crawford and Mr. Didier sit on that committee and put the kibosh on the contract. One expects the administration to rebid the contact for a one year, 2012, term. You may also remember that last year, during the cat-fight-council, such a discussion might have led to red pumps being thrown and a walkout of three or four members. Not so last night, again, hardly a contrarian scent in the air. The method of voting was calmly explained, a vote taken, and the verdict read – simple as that.
Finally, Mitch Harper’s Citizen Full Participation Act of 2012 was brought to a vote. It had been discussed, with a mild gnashing of teeth at the last council meeting and was simply voted into law last night with no pontificating, no snarling, no invective.
Even during the open mic session the discussions were polite and straight forward. Dr. Crawford did remind that the professional contracts committee is still at work, as was evidenced in that death-dealing vote, but that was about the most charged statement anyone made. Members all seemed graduates of the Charmaine Finishing School. After the meeting, John Shoaff, noticeably buoyed by the congeniality of the meeting, was heard to say – I think we can get some things done this year. Sandy Kennedy was also heard to say “it is early in the year.”
Clerk Kennedy is probably right, but compared to last year it looks like council will work as a team on the vast majority of projects and discuss problematic projects with balance and fairness. To anyone who watched the previous council it is a boring relief. In that, Mr. Shoaff may also prove right.
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Good review Jim. Nice to see them working together. I really think that the 'bowtie' doesn't work anymore. The eclectic sense has worn off. Its always good to "keep on the sunnyside."
Jim, they were quite polite with each other. I think many voters wanted a more cooperative council and voted that way – Paddock is conciliator, Russ is very cooperative and respectful, Dr. Crawford is very businesslike. I doubt any of them will raise a voice this year. People who groused to me about council last year wanted more production and less bickering. I think they have a start on realizing that wish.
I think thats good and well about time. They can disagree without being rude and mean spirited. I say that as both a Democrat and a Republican. Now the one key ingredient to make this professional relationship really work is total transparency. No need for administration to hide any facts but simply state them as they are. Things will move a lot better if that happens. There may have to be some "selling" but there certainly should not be skullduggery. Its unnecessary and "tit for tat" warfare (lets look at each other campaign spending records) is not very mature either. Somebody has to be an adult around here. And the "bowtie" is passe.
It is just January and next week they have to deal with ,the sun was in my eyes,the dog ate my homework,and what elevators ghees.And how about we need a new parking garage for Citizens Square down the road.Plenty of time for civilization to break down.
I know that sometimes people do stupid things to get good things (from their perspective) done. I agree that openness and clarity are essential to the success of their projects and to the well-being of the community. This council seems willing to talk on any topic and to listen to good ideas, to offer their own ideas and to move forward things that (from their perspectives) seem beneficial to the community. Given we all have different perspectives open discussion is the only way to build trust and our community.
Totally agree with you Jim. I would rather the community be moving forward then chasing its tail.
Jim you offer sound advice and reasoning and you are a good human being.Name one Democrat administration that behaved that way.I am convinced that Henry gets up in the morning and knows he was conniving the day before and knows he has to do the same today to survive.
John, there were a shenanigan or two during Bob's times, too. I would guess if we looked deeply enough there may have been something amiss during Paul's administration, but in general I think there have been too many questionable acts.