One of his first stories involves a Facebook post yesterday by Fort Wayne City Councilman Glynn Hines, who refers to republicans as “retards.” Click here to read the story.

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1. Councilman Hines Announces By Jim Sack Glynn Hines chose symbolism yesterday to frame...
2. Squeaky Wheels Make the Future By Jim Sack Tim Pape met last night with eight...
3. The Sound and Fury It was quite a show at council last night as...

Tim Pape has decided not to run again for council. Damn. Over the last couple of years I have been increasingly awed by Tim’s skills at the council table.

I should have known, given his easy jocularity last Tuesday at Council, that something was up. He was his normal quippy self, but he often reposed with an impish grin. He looked unusually comfortable. The grin was different than his venus-flytrap “gotcha” of a smirk. It suggested the carefree bliss one gets just before turning in a resignation, which is what he has done. I should have asked, I probably didn’t want to know.

In fact, when blogger Steven Parker told me that he, Parker, had a strong feeling that he, Pape, would not run again I downplayed it. Probably because I was not ready to consider who might replace Tim and additionally because I had grown to appreciate his remarkable skills. on behalf of my lovely part of Fort Wayne, as well as on the bigger matters that confront us.

Okay, so someone should start planning the tribute dinner and order the engraved sword and plaque. He has done more than his share for the community. Victory lap. He is leaving office with his reputation intact, no scandals, no sad speeches with a clingy wife at his side (cue: Stan By Your Man). Nope, he is going out in first-rate style.

You might say the biggest loser, other than my lovely part of town, is the mayor who now has to hope a remarkable champion will step forward to speak for the mayor as eloquently as did Tim.

But, instead of the dinner for 2,000, instead of the public accolades, you will hear the sound of the Democratic Party searching hurriedly for a candidate to fill Mr. Pape’s large shoes. I have often heard the name of Geoff Paddock tossed around. Geoff is as nice, savvy and as astute as they come, different than Mr. Pape, but with his own set of remarkable skills.

The Republicans have a candidate who has now gained a bit of stature, if only because the seat is now open and he has to be considered, but he is as unremarkable as Pape is astute.

What complicates this all is the filing deadline is days away. I will guess that Tim gave a heads up to people who should know in the Democrat Party leadership. Probably the people who were his committee, his biggest contributors and his kids were also told. They will be happy to see that Cheshire cat smile at home more often.

Statement of Tim Pape on his service to the people of the 5th District and Fort Wayne:

Fort Wayne, Ind. – I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve my hometown and especially, the people of the 5th District.

It is humbling to know that my fellow citizens put their faith in me, that they have entrusted me to make decisions on their behalf. Public service remains a privilege and an honor. It is also a responsibility that I have always worked diligently to uphold.

In any time, but especially in these times, politics is challenging. It demands a great personal investment. But it is also meaningful and fun and rewarding – constantly rewarding.

Although it has been a sacrifice for my wife and children, we believe it is a sacrifice that is worth it. Becky and I have been able to show our children the importance of community, that it takes each of us to help it grow and keep it strong. We’ve exposed them to public life and the obligation of every person to make a civic contribution. My kids already understand that casting a vote is the most precious right and the most important act of any citizen in a democracy.

Every time I look at Will, Madeleine and Hillary, I know that we are helping to shape the future of our city, because we are involved. That fills me with pride.

I am equally proud of the hard work we’ve done, working together with people all across Fort Wayne, to revitalize Southtown Centre, recharge downtown and enhance our neighborhoods. I’ve been proud to fight for good jobs and to bring down and sustain a sharply lower tax rate. I’m proud that our commitment to performance-based government and our smart fiscal management have put Fort Wayne in a strong position economically, one that will allow us to compete and succeed in every arena.

I am grateful to Mayor Graham Richard and Mayor Tom Henry who offered me the chance to work with them on so many important initiatives. Thanks to my dear family. Thanks to my constituents who I have been fortunate to serve. I have loved every minute of it all, but I will not be seeking another term on Fort Wayne City Council.

I am determined to stay engaged. I learned so much about economic
development during my time on City Council. I want to put more of my efforts into that area and work to make our region an economic powerhouse.

When I first ran for public office, I was 31 years old. And I’m still a young guy. Beyond my personal news today, the message I want to send to others like me who care about Fort Wayne’s tomorrow and are just starting out is this: We are a community ready for continued progress and for the energy of younger voices. Take up the challenge as I did.

If you do, and I encourage you to do it, be prepared to work more hours than you can imagine, to listen more closely, to care more deeply, and to fight harder than you ever thought possible for the things that will make our community great. Don’t be a tiny voice for timid ideas. Be a big and fearless voice for bold ideas that can strengthen and transform Fort Wayne for generations to come.

I may be stepping away from the City Council table, but I am not, nor will I ever, step away from my commitment to my community. It was a gift to have been able to serve the people of Fort Wayne and the 5th District.

Thank you all.
Tim Pape

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For Cause: 01D01-1010-SC-0601
ELLENBERGER V BEST 1 CONSTRUCT
File Date: 10/27/2010
Disposition Date: 12/03/2010
Attorneys:Parties:
ELLENBERGER, JAMES B [PLAINTIFF] Cases

Generally, a Motion to Vacate is granted if you are able to convince the court that you did not have a fair opportunity to present your case. Mr. Hood had such an opportunity as he and his business associate were served by the sheriff leaving a subpoena on their doors on 11/2/10 in addition to certified mail being sent to his residence, but they failed to sign for it.

After being made aware of the upcoming story on this blog, Mr Hood managed to sign for two certified mailings from the court on January 20th. One for contempt, and the second to answer interrogatories.

From what we understand, motions to vacate are rarely granted in cases like this, but will find out soon enough. If it is granted, we will be there.

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1. Ivan Hood – roofer at-large City council at-large candidate Ivan Hood is a roofer at-large....

Kelly and James Ellenberger met Mr. Hood and his business partner Dave Washington at a the Best 1 Construction booth at Hoagland Days. Mr. Hood and Mr. Washington pitched their wares and were eventually contracted by the Ellenbergers to perform a re-roof of their home.

The job was never completed, and what was accomplished was not within code. We spoke with the Ellenbergers and they stated they did manage to get Best 1 on the phone after the work stalled. They were told their name was posted on a board, circled in red and they had priority. After a while, no more comminications. The Ellenberger’s tried countless times to reach Hood and Washington, leaving voice mail messages that were never returned.

10/17/2010 they filed suit in Adams county for damages.

The courts ruled for a default judgment, given that neither Hood nor Washington appeared for the hearings.

For Cause: 01D01-1010-SC-0601
ELLENBERGER V BEST 1 CONSTRUCT
File Date: 10/27/2010
Disposition Date: 12/03/2010
Attorneys:Parties:
ELLENBERGER, JAMES B [PLAINTIFF] Cases

HOOD, IVAN [DEFENDANT] Cases
DBA BEST 1 CONSTRUCTION
7711 E STATE BLVD
FORT WAYNE , IN 46835

WASHINGTON, DAVE [DEFENDANT] Cases
DBA BEST 1 CONSTRUCTION
7711 E STATE BLVD
FORT WAYNE , IN 46835

MILLER, PATRICK R [Judge]
Date: 10/28/2010 Notice:

12/3/2010
Plaintiff appears in person. Defendant fails to appear
Application and Affidavit for Default Judgment filed. Judgment entered against the defendant(s) Ivan Hood and Dave Washington in the sum of $6,000 plus Court costs of $99.00. Copies to defendant(s) and plaintiff/ attorney of record.

Contempt of Court Citation entered for defendant to appear on
February 10, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. Service on defendant by certified
mail, return receipt requested. Interrogatories to be issued to Best 1 Construction by certified mail, return receipt requested. Copy to be issued to plaintiff.

Hood was finally served via certified mail this past Monday, 01/24/2010 for both the contempt charges and to answer interrogatories.

As you can see from the images below, the work was never completed properly. They even left a roof bracket on the roof that has been there for months. In addition, flashing was never replaced causing water to leak into the sub-roof, and power lines were left touching the roof.

The Ellenbergers are still attempting to obtain a resolve to this issue, but have had no luck in doing so as Mr. Hood and Washington are still not returning phone calls. They cannot afford to hire another roofer at this time, and the snow melt continues to leak into the sub-roof causing further damage.

And… on it goes.

On 08/30/2006 Kaufmann Property Management filed suit against Mr. Hood and his girlfriend Brianna Johnson to remove them from a home they rented at 2429 S Calhoun. They failed to appear (defaulted), and possession was ordered back to the owners.

On 11/17/2006 Hood was sued by Tazian Properties while residing at 4328 Lillie Street. Hood failed to appear and a judgment against Mr. Hood was entered for $3142.50

On 05/23/2007 Ashton Point Apartments sued Mr. Hood.

ALLEN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT CIVIL DIVISION
02D010705SC009629
ASTON POINTE APARTMENTS -VS- HOOD IVAN
File date: 05/23/2007 Disposition Date: 08/08/2007

08/8/2007 a judgment was issued against Mr. Hood in the amount of $4989.17, plus costs.

12/16/2009 For failure to appear, a body attachment is issued, (a warrant).

01/14/2009 his supposed employer, ERIE CONSTRUCTION MID WEST INC issued a check for his garnished wages, but it bounced.

07/15/2009, and on 9/10/2009, Mr. Hood failed to appear once again in spite of proof of service being satisfied, (they served him papers).

09/29/2009 a contempt citation was issued.

10/29/2009 Hood fails to appear, body attachment, (warrant) is issued.

12/16/2009 Hood fails to appear, body attachment, (warrant) is issued.

01/5/2011 Mr. Hood makes an appearance, and apparently paid the bill and the charges were dismissed.

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1. Ivan Hood, Roofer At-Large update Yesterday Mr. Hood filed pro-se a motion to vacate the...

Glynn Hines chose symbolism yesterday to frame his announcement for office. At the Grand Wayne during the Martin Luther King Jr. remembrances and tributes Mr. Hines, Councilman in the 6th announced that he would seek re-election. He was surrounded by family and a bevy of local political leaders including Geoff Paddock, Win Moses, Karen Goldner and the aspiring Mike Conley and Mike Avila.

Mr. Hines then pointed to a posterboard listing his accomplishments over the past few years, a BP here and a convenience store there; reminded everyone of his leadership to flatten Southtown Mall, and waxed about his plans for the district.

Mr. Hines has a reputation at council of focus on his district and relative indifference to the rest of the city. While it is not fully true -as he does involve himself in discussions of citywide matters with a certain level of intensity- it is on his district that he displays the sharpest of elbows at council. Other council members defer to Mr. Hines when it comes to his turf, he has raised a territorial eyebrows more than once when another council member crossed “his” line and he has been known to say in an advising baritone, “it is my district.”

So, now Mr. Hines has been councilman on the southeast side of Fort Wayne for two terms and wants a third. He is a product of Fort Wayne, grew up here, slung papers, played in the leagues, watched the effects of the Harvester disaster, and learned his politics as a whippersnapper at the knee of Nuchols and Redd. He knows the area, he works his district hard and takes credit for the successes in the area, consequently, he also should share the blame for the sad state of a good part of the district where the lowest earning census tracks in the entire city lie, where crime is as bad or worse than most parts of the city and where vacant lots are in too many of “his” neighborhoods the norm rather than the exception. Give him part of the credit for Renaissance Pointe which, as much as anything, is a victim of the Banking Recession. He needs five more Renassaince points and a serious rehab program, to boot. And to that end, give him credit for being the only council member to show at a recent housing “summit” hosted by the city and attended by 250 people ranging from contractors and landlords to bankers and planners. He will be at the table when money is allocated for redevelopment.

So, Mr. Hines will most probably be re-elected unless the Republicans find a remarkable candidate to run against him in November. Modify additionally the word candidate with terms such as well-financed, well-connected, hard-working, broadly known and damn lucky. A challenger to Mr. Hines has very little chance. Tom Smith’s victory in the first years ago against Archie Lunsey comes to mind as a rare upset, but Mr. Lunsey was weak and Mr. Smith was absolutely determined to win, and lucky.

The imminent “shoe-in” should consider how he wants his district to look and he should try very hard to steer some of those million-dollar tax abated industries council regularly approves to his district where unemployment is still rife after all these years and layers and layers of programs and millions in subsidies. Simply winning an easy re-election will do his district no good, simply defending his turf will not revive the flagging fortunes of his constituents, especially on the northern end of the district. Jobs, jobs, jobs. A few filling station part-timers are simply not enough.

I remember an evening at council when Mr. Hines and Mr. Stevenson, Wayne Township Trustee and the owner of a very loud set of ring tones, orchestrated an attack on Jerry Henry, entrepreneur, brother of the mayor and an erstwhile partner in Earth First, the recycling company. Angry residents south of Pontiac railed against rats and filth and against suburbanite council members who had conspired to dump suburban garbage in their poor neighborhood. Maybe so, probably not, but it was powerful theater.

It would seem that if Mr. Hines really wants to benefit his district his greatest ally would be exactly the likes of Jerry Henry who has invested greatly in the poorest areas of Mr. Hine’s district. I would think Keith Busse would be the next one on the “to call” list.

Jobs, jobs, and they need to be good paying jobs, Mr. Hines, that will be your legacy, not sharp elbows that scare others from straying on to your turf. Personally, I think he could do it.

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I can only imagine the frustration Mitch Harper must have felt as the shiny new president of Fort Wayne city council struggled in his car plowing through snow, slowed by the grey-hairs in their rear-wheel-drive Buicks, to get to the meeting he was to chair, a meeting in which eight other council members were patiently (to degrees) waiting, where the city clerk had laid out the table as if for Thanksgiving dinner, where two “real” reporters, a couple scruffy bloggers, an intern, a police officer, the new fire-fighters union chief, a few administration representatives, two men from City TV and a couple of aspiring candidates patiently checked their watches in the hope that by staring at the second hand the president would magically appear.

Over seven long minutes the wishful thinking turned slowly to frustration.

Karen Golder showed her cold-induced-ire by moving to start the meeting without President Harper. A rather confused discussion followed and Vice President Shoaff eventually took the president’s chair to get the show going. “Oh,” a coup d’etat” smiled the senior eminence among the two real reporters. About then, President Harper, flushed, flecks of snow on his overcoat, hair blown slightly askew with a framed picture under his arm strode forcefully into the Chamber using the “secret” passage from the men’s room to council chambers.

Meanwhile, Otto, the tall, laconic camera operator for City TV resumed his countdown to air yet another time. Three-two-one. The camera’s red light came on. Without missing a beat, Mr. Harper gave the welcoming intro, quipping about the weather, made a self-effacing joke and quickly shifted attention by holding up the portrait of our recently deceased mayor and offering a rememberance to Paul “Mike” Burns, a Democrat, who would have lit into the tardy council president like a thoroughly pissed off hornet for being late.

Too bad you could not have seen this at home. There really should have been a camera in the car beside Mr. Harper, one mounted on a following car to show him swerving in and out of traffic, and a camera overhead in a helicopter to show his breakneck progress. I am sure he drove like the perfect gentleman he is, but there must have been beads of sweat on his temple and a dryness in his mouth.

And, there was a new seating chart last night. Seating matters and is dictated by el presidente. While they all have microphones and use them for emphasis, position counts. Relationships develop. Liz Brown now sits out of striking distance from the witness chair with the result that her piercing stare does not bring any witnesses to tears last night, as it has. Councilmen Bender and Hines dwarf her from either side like bodyguards or, simple, guards. Mr. Shoaff, the new VP, sits now next to the City Council Attorney Joe Bonahoom whose son Zach is running against City Clerk Sandy Kennedy who sits at the left hand of the president. In truth and in Biblical parlance the president rather sits at the right hand of Clerk Kennedy Almighty, maker of agendas and rules.

Tim Pape has been exiled to the end of the table, where Mrs. Brown once so menacingly scowled. Tim smiles more, sometimes like a full Venus Fly-trap, but his questioning disassembles spin in a more disarming way. Councilman Smith is next to Karen Goldner and may be feeling the first effects of the cold she brought to the table last night.

On the matter of the recycling bins, Valery Ahr, the deputy controller, came to the table to explain the new financing. Mrs. Brown listened and then asked a few key questions, in a most polite way, that revealed that the new financing package will amortize over seven years, rather than ten, and result in greater payments in each of those years. Consequently, payments will be $120,000 higher each year than budgeted. Where will the extra money come from, asked a patient Mrs. Brown? The deputy controller haltingly said that City Utilities would cut spending here or there to find it. Mrs. Brown asked the question in different forms again and again until it was clear that there would be consequences. Hmmmm. Two questions: why did the administration not check with the banks in the first place to ascertain rates and terms so they could properly budget for the loan figures, and is City Utilities rolling in enough extra money that they have $120,000 pocket money laying around? Or, are they robbing Petre to pay Paolo? What budget line or service will suffer because of the forced change?

The dumpster ordinance was tabled on a motion from Tim Pape (yup, after all that…) because the winning lender is in Arizona and he wanted to know how far apart the winner was from number two, PNC, with branches conveniently located all over Fort Wayne, as if a drive through might help. Okay, there are PNC branches here, but will the loan be serviced by workers in Waynedale or those in Pittsburgh. (The hold is a result of the Buy Indiana legislation that Karen Goldner sold to council. Indiana firms, say in Evansville, get preference, points, ahead of out-of-state firms, say in Antwerp, Ohio, in contracts with the city. You can easily see how that will benefit us all.) Delaying the vote has consequences, in this case, possibly pushing the final vote out beyond the “lock-in date of the low, low, really low interest rates Valarie won for us all. Low rate expires, a higher rate is offered and we all pay more… Oh. Council, in a sort of muddled cacophony of thoughts tried to find a parliamentary way of speeding the process after Mr. Pape received his answer, and came up with a Rube Goldberg four or five step process. Clerk Kennedy, experienced at these things over the decades, offered a solution that will simplify the process to two steps with a final vote in well under the wire. (Young Mr. Bonahoom, her challenger, was hopefully taking notes.)

Otherwise, Mr. Harper ran a civil and congenial meeting that was a testimony to his Robert’s Rules skills and his legislative experience. It will be interested to see whether future meetings are an Alice in Wonderland journey through the Robert’s looking glass or whether he and parliamentary side-kick John Shoaff use Roberts to speed meetings, contain the outbursts and dot every “i.”

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The former mayor of Fort Wayne started his public service on city council the year I was born, 1948. Over the last ten years of so Mike was relatively quiet, only an occasional rumble from his side of town to remind you he was still around. But, for the decades before, some six of them, his voice was thunder in local politics, a thunder unleashed whenever he would pull his ever present cigar from the corner of his mouth and let loose.

He was a staunch Democrat, a friend of the working man, dedicated to saving every buck he could and shaking every hand in sight. He was a consummate politician who always got the last word in. I can easily see his face energetically enunciating a political position with the same cadence and intensity of Gatling gun. The man was never afraid to tell you what he thought.

Mike was of the era of Ivan Lebamoff, Robert Meyers, Charlie Westerman, Ivan McKathnie, Harold Zeis, John Nuchols and Heiny Wehrenberg, Orvas Beers. He knew Hosey, Branning, Baals and Hoffman. He fought and fought and fought for his principals and I am sure he was still swinging, still poking for emphasis with that stoggie right up until his last breath. Now, he is dead, but I would guess he is searching someone to argue with in Heaven. When he and Nuchols square off you can expect a meteor shower to light the sky. Again

PAUL MIKE BURNS, 93, of Fort Wayne, passed away Friday, Jan. 7, 2011. Arrangements pending by Mungovan & Sons Funeral Home, 2114 S. Calhoun St.

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Nicolet recently filed a committee called “Citizens For Nicolet Committee.” The nature of business is listed as “Campaign Funds.” He’s planning a run against 1st district city councilman Tom Smith in the republican primary.

Members of the committee  are listed as Kenneth W. Nicolet, Laura C. Nicolet and Rodney L. Butler.

It might be a hard to sell given he’s worked for Democrat administrations for a decade. But then again, he has a picture of Reagan hanging in his office

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Melissa Ann Hicks

1. It states she’s the niece of Colin Powell, former United States Secretary of State. Powell was born on April 5, 1937 in Harlem, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, to Jamaican immigrant parents Maud Arial (née McKoy) and Luther Theophilus Powell.
2. She’s first cousin to famous Hollywood actor Eva Mendes, who was born in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents and was raised in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale by her mother.
3. She’s a Fort Wayne Community School elementary principal.
4. She’s dating famous Hollywood actor Shemar Franklin Moore, who stars as FBI Special Agent Derek Morgan on Criminal Minds CBS.
5. She claims she’s a distinguished and experienced lawmaker with documented accomplishments and a strong legislative track record.

All lies.

She’s not related to Powell or Mendes, which is pretty obvious.

According to the FWCS web site, she’s not a principal or a teacher, and that was confirmed. According to the Indiana Department of Education, she renewed her teaching certification on 10/19/2005, and doesn’t have a current teaching assignment.

Her degree with the DOE is listed as “specialist.”

The Education Specialist, also referred to as Educational Specialist, Specialist in Education, or Ed.S., is an advanced academic degree in the U.S. that is designed for individuals who wish to develop additional skills or increase their knowledge beyond the master’s degree level, but do not wish to pursue a degree at the doctoral level.

While not on her web site, her Linked-In profile claims a doctorate in Educational Policy, Research, and Law from Havard University, (see inset below). Another interesting find on Link-In was the link to her “personal” website, which no longer exists was voteformelissaannhicksussenate2016.com. Seems she was thinking about running for the U.S. Senate at one point.

She’s never been a lawmaker or held a legislative position of any kind.

Click to enlarge

Shemar Franklin Moore isn’t a friend on Facebook with her and was recently quoted as saying, “he is single and looking.”

She doesn’t even live in the 5th district, (she originally was running for the 6th, see below). Her voter registration has her living in precinct 172, the 1st district. She has lived with her parents, McArthur and Nellie M. Hicks since losing her home to foreclosure in 2009, just shortly after a protective order she had against her mother expired.

ALLEN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT CIVIL DIVISION
02D010707PO001685
HICKS MELISSA A -VS- HICKS NELLIE M
Entry Date: 7/16/2007
RE: DF HICKS NELLIE M
EX PARTE ORDER FOR PROTECTION ENTERED BY THE
COURT. EX PARTE ORDER FOR PROTECTION EXPIRES TWO (2) YEARS
FROM THE DATE IT IS ISSUED.

According to Tracy Warner in an article from September 7th, (when she was running against Glynn Hines in the 6th) as a city council woman:

Hicks vows, among other things, “to continue to protect veterans’ benefits, to support our military troops, to demand better oversight of defense spending.”

Huh?

As for being a republican, she has voted in 3 primaries in the last 10 years, all Democrat with the last one being in 2007.

So, she’s none of what she claims to be. That is, unless I missed her claiming to be delusional.

She should hookup with Dave Roach. Just sayin’…

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It came as a bit of a surprise to John Shoaff when he was nominated for vice president of Common Council. But, it underscores how non-partisan, at times, our council can be. Shoaff, despite being of the minority party, was moved, seconded and unanimously approved by all five Republicans and the three other Democrats in about seven seconds. Electing Mitch Harper to the presidency a scant minute and a half before, by comparison, took well over 30 seconds. Shoaff looked mildly bewildered. But these things are worked out before the meeting, which saved everyone time. Someone, however, might have warned him.

That was one of the themes at last nights council meeting, saving time. Mitch Harper led off by saying that as president he would play a subdued role as president and focus on quietly managing the process for maximum efficiency. He did, however, involve himself in most of the discussions last night and probably, in one evening, said more from the president’s chair than did former council president, now merely Councilman, Marty Bender in all of last year.

Tim Pape saved the most time. He said nothing. Zero. Not a single public comment. He voted, he offered whispered asides to Councilman Tom Smith to his left, but Tim, usually argumentative, often the voice of the mayor from the table, sometimes the orator, said nothing. He was followed closely in brevity by the still stunned Councilman Shoaff, the ever taciturn Marty Bender, Mr. Smith and Glynn Hines.

Hines saved bundles of time by bundling numerous ordinances up for discussion into one neat bundle, the first sign of the “consent agenda” that President Harper has lovingly spoken. That style of agenda would reduce the number of items for on an agenda to just those about which council members would wish to hold discussion or debate. Hines noted that a group of ordinances from Water Filtration were each about the purchase of a given supply, activated carbon, pebble lime, sodium chlorite and others, each within its own ordinance. So, he asked consent to lump them together. So given.

Jim Howard, the animated city purchasing director, effused from the witness microphone that he and the administration had tried something new, a reverse, internet auction, to get the best prices on all the various and sundry chemicals that are used to treat our water. He explained that the city, in cooperation with a firm specializing in arranging such auctions, set up a system that graded vendors on quality and price. Bidding was blind with the dozens of companies seeking to sell to us seeing only their position in the bidding. The number two company, for instance, would then feel compelled to lower their bid a bit, in this reverse auction, to leap-frog to number one position. Mr. Howard gave statistics to show that the process had saved us quite a bit over last year. In one instance a starting bid was $704 for a product while the final bid dropped to $613, one assumes, per ton. Mr. Howard was very proud of the process and the results. Council also seemed pleased. The process saved money, according to Howard, and will, over time, save…time.

Fire hydrants. We have over 9,000 fire hydrants in Fort Wayne. Maintenance of those hydrants was another topic of discussion. Scores each year are damaged by sloppy driving, among other threats to hydrants. Annually, the city tries to rebuild, replace or repair half of the hydrants so that when a fire truck races to a halt, the firefighters rush to the hydrant and expectantly turn the valve that water actually comes out. Unfortunately, there have been disappointments from frozen or malfunction units in the past. The Fire Department and Water Maintenance are working much more closely together, it was stated, to keep them all in tip top shape. (One would have thought they would have been working together on that matter since Heinrich Hildebrecht was chief…) It was noted that that the oldest hydrant is dated 1916 and that models from the 50s through the 70s do not have the quality of previous or current products. 1916. They just don’t make them like they use to…

There were humorous moments last night. City Clerk Kennedy, in her annual role as president pro tem between outgoing and incoming presidents, jumped the gun, and the gavel. There is a floor manager who for years has given a count down to the council president so that the live “airing” of council via cable’s City TV opens precisely on time. Sandy, who certainly has seen this process play out over the last decade and more, called the meeting to order only to be waved off by the floor manager. “Thirty seconds,” he said. Laughter.

Mayor Henry addresses city council

Mayor Henry descended to speak to council. He offered prepared remarks last night near the beginning of the meeting in a conversational style that sounded every bit like a speech that had been painstakingly crafted to present the administration’s very best side. He started with the I&M settlement, added the co-location win, added 911 consolidation, added the facade grant program, add the completion of the downtown Marriott, added, added, added. It was an impressive list and a strong presentation. Then he tried humor. It was a jab at Liz Brown, his possible opponent in the Fall. He said sometime to the effect that when he came to work he found someone was parking in his mayoral parking spot. He repeated the line for emphasis and then delivered the punch line about Liz Brown already trying to move in. The laughter that followed ranged from enjoyment to mild groans. At least one, “oh jeez” was heard. In effect, the Mayor had given stature to his opponent, he had lowered himself to her level and elevated her to his level through his try at humor. He opened himself to a reposte which she quickly delivered but was drown out by the din. The mayor’s strong delivery of accomplishment after accomplishment after accomplishment was diminished by the attempt at humor. Tom would do better to remain, as one councilman later said, in the Rose Garden, Mayoral, above the petty fray.

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Tim Pape met last night with eight neighborhood leaders for his quarterly gauge of public sentiment and neighborhood needs. He got an earful…in fact, he always does. Tim’s district is the southwest side sandwiched between Mitch Harper on the west and Glynn Hines to the east. It runs from the center of town to a cornfield somewhere out near Waynedale. We range from the well-to-do in 5,000 square foot homes to cottages in neighborhoods troubled with nitwits selling drugs, driving arrogantly and disappointing their neighbors.

So, quarterly, Tim calls a meeting and a bunch of us show up to sound off. Topics covered last night included: the city’s fiscal situation, the casino, lighting for a neighborhood entrance sign, sidewalks, what to do with the light lease fund, trees, sound barriers, Ardmore Avenue changes, speeders, Rudisill Boulevard changes, police personnel changes, speeders, drainage, speeders and more. Tim takes notes. He promises to attend to some matters, in other cases he offers advice on how a problem might be resolved without government time or money.

We also talk about visions for the city and Tim has his of a better place, a more attractive place, a safer place to live. That discussion permeates the other topics.

After about an hour the assembled neighborhood leaders head on to the city-wide president’s meeting in a nearby assembly room in the city-county building. There, city officials make informative presentations and 75 to 100 neighborhood leaders pose questions, make comments bring up issues. There are sometimes common threads of concern. Notes are taken.

Later this month I will host my neighborhood annual meeting, I will attend a regular seven-neighborhood coalition meeting, then I will attend the Southwest Area Partnership meeting where Liz Brown and Mitch Harper are regular attendees. During the course of a month I will converse with council members, planners, mayoral aides, police officers, firefighters, neighborhood code officers and a dozen more officials of local government.

This is the legacy of former Mayor Ivan Lebamoff and people like Jimmy Stier, a long-time councilman and continues with Mr. Pape. At the end of the meeting last night he asked what we expect of him in the coming year. He got another earful ranging from city finances to speeders.

On the way out of a meeting last night Grant Shipley, president of the Wildwood Neighborhood Association, the group that worked in grand concert to make sure the changes to Ardmore did not destroy their neighborhood, told me a story of other cities around the country he knows intimately enough. Cities, he said, right and left, are in deep trouble with wholesale demolition of neighborhoods and community. I told him a few stories of my own along the same lines. We agreed that Fort Wayne, for all the gnashing of teeth and waving of arms, or perhaps because of all the waving of teeth and gnashing of arms, is in pretty darn good shape. I mean, tell me of any place in the world where kind ladies offer you a cookie as you get off a plane?

At least in one regard Fort Wayne is world class and that is in the area of citizen participation. We have the likes of Ivan Lebamoff, Jimmy Stier and Tim Pape to thank for that.

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Here’s what I have learned from sources high and low.

The benefits and problems of instituting a local city court had been researched by City Clerk Sandy Kennedy for months before its introduction. Fort Wayne had such a beast in the past, and before which I once had to pay my dues to society. $49 and costs.

The five “signators” to the introduced ordinance included as least one member of council who was surprised to see he had “signed” on.

The impetus for the city court came from frustration that the city had piles and piles of unpaid traffic fines, among other unpaid fines, and felt the county was not pursuing them seriously or with alacrity. Given New Haven had successfully instituted a city court and that similar courts were functioning around our beloved state, Clerk Kennedy did her duty.

The city, Sandy Kennedy and others with whom she had chats, saw the city court as taking the bull by the horns and clearing thousands of unpaid bills from her desk, and making a lot of money for the city in the process. (Better scofflaws pay than property owners.) Sandy and her supporters seemed not fully aware of the cut the other governmental entities would take, thereby diminishing the city’s haul and making the establishment of a court less lucrative and, perhaps, not worth the bother. But, then again, New Haven seems to think it is worth the bother.

Why did it hit council table so late? Well, no one clearly answered that question. It may be that Sandy or Joe Bonahoom, the council attorney, learned late that steps would have to be taken this year to have the court in place sooner than later. I have heard the comment about electing a judge would have to occur next year, or the whole thing would have to wait until 2015. Undoubtedly, there is a second route, perhaps appointment of a judge, but I would guess Republicans would be granted that opportunity, given the governor is a Republican, the top state election official is a Republican (perhaps soon to be indicted, but none the less), as are the commissioners. “Hear ye, hear ye, City Court will rise, the Right Honorable Judge John ‘Hang ‘em high’ Popp will take the bench.”

The other theory of tardiness is more sinister: Joe Bonahoom tried to embarrass Sandy. His son, a former DJ on a cruise ship, is running as a Republican against Sandy, ostensibly to get his name out there, and dad is alleged to have thought delaying delivery of the drafted ordinance until too late for the normal month of intros and hearings, would cause just this sort of calamity. Joe, however, is not that devious, he is a very, very nice man and dedicated to his community’s well-bring and to maintaining his family’s exceptional reputation for community service. But Joe is criticized for not devoting enough time to his council work (vis-à-vis his private practice) resulting in paperwork coming down to the table late.

The mayor, I was informed, was volcanic last week when the train-wreck seemed imminent. He belatedly had learned that Tim Pape, his man on council, was floating in an inflatable rubber ducky ring among the other sharks off a Floridian beach. Sharks, Tim can be assured, never attack lawyers: professional courtesy. Mr. Pape and family told everyone long ago that they were heading to Disney World or another Florida playground and would not be there for the pivotal vote, scheduled December 28th at 5:30pm. With the defection of sorts of Comrade Pape Sandy’s idea was near implosion and had now landed in Mayor Henry’s lap. Political types on the ninth floor were on the phone begging the three undocumented Republicans to sign-on to the bill so that a fifth vote would be there for introduction. No one did. I know of one who was asked and he said others were contacted. So, the deputy mayor was dispatched to put get Humpty Dumpty into Redi-Med.

Chats were held with Prosecutor Richards and Judge Fran Gull, two quick critics of the ordinance and a modus vivendi was agreed. They would shelve the bill, as if there was an alternative, and meet again, sometime soon, you have your Blackberry call my Blackberry, and discuss the next step. Perhaps the county will step up enforcement, perhaps there is really nothing that can b e done.

But, back to the question of the original five signatures: Bender, Shoaff, Goldner, Pape and Hines. Seems Sandy has persuaded Marty to sign on, as well as Glynn. I think they were doing her a favor, one from friendship and the other from political courtesy and loyalty. Marty, a law and order man, probably saw the upside of enforcement. She then penciled in the names of the other Democrats, as a good Democrat partisan would. (Nothing wrong with being a political partisan, unless they are of the other party, eh.) She is old-school in that way. One councilman was surprised to see his name on the ordinance, but thought, as he often does, that it merited discussion, so he was game.

That bit of partisanship ticked Tom Didier off. From the dais he rued that he “thought this was a council of nine members, not just five.” When last week, in an effort to pull the rabbit out of the hat Mr. Didier was begged, cajoled, hassled to sign on he did not, for better or worse. The ordinance fails and the idea crawls into a cave to either desiccate or recover and rise anew to threaten our delicate local political eco-system.

So, then comes the bizarre news release and the news conference to which we were not invited, announcing the wonderful opportunity to work more closely with Karen Richards and Fran Gull and to have a fruitful dialog. The news release read like some seventh level Communist hack had written the piece; the meat of the announcement relegated to the last paragraph in the hopes most readers would have fallen asleep before arriving at the exciting climax. Most of the top part of the news release tried to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Seriously, that is exactly how the happy-face bosses in Hungary wrote about the “challenges and opportunities” some bureaucratically caused disaster had wonderfully afforded them. Whoever wrote it has a future in North Korea.

Months ago, during a visit to the Clerk’s office, one my friends there, a hard-working, intelligent and dedicated veteran of local government, told me that the state had made it more difficult and much more expensive to track down traffic fine-evaders by charging the city for online database searches of driver license information. The alternative is much more time-consuming. She then recounted stories of how noble citizens would come in, spin elaborate yarns and ranted and raved about how a traffic ticket was someone else’s fault, never, ever theirs. (Envision meters stealthily trading places one with another to ensnare her!) I happily witnessed one loud mouth, leviathan of a woman ranting in her nearly indistinguishable dialect about how she had been entrapped by a traffic meter. Her flailing butt nearly crushed me against a counter as she gesticulated. You could see the super-human effort of staff and other citizens to stifle smiles.

So, what next? Beth Malloy will meet a few times with Karen and Fran and ask them to push a bit harder to bring scofflaws to task. Maybe they will write a memo or two, push a bit, and then everyone will return to business as usual, meaning good people will pay their traffic tickets and the ones with the jacked up cars with the silly rims will blow them off.

So, the problem is remains. People flaunt the laws and the courts, for whatever reason, toss most of the cases. That is a matter to examine. Sandy tried to do something about it, did not pull it off well, at all, and it lands in Tom Henry’s lap like a bag of ripe Limburger cheese. It then is seen as his sneaky effort to create a new bureaucracy and steal a political march on the Republican dominated county offices. Whether there was any political stealth remains to be seen. I kinda doubt it. Clumsiness, bad timing (Noel, oh Noel, Happy New Year) and political insensibilities are more likely the culprits.

Sandy goofed.

Mr. Didier was very upset, ticked, angry, frustrated, for a variety of good reasons.

Tom Henry was handed a bag of poop for Christmas.

Will Beth and Karen’s eyes meet? Will a political solution be found? Will city and county finally find love in that new cozy cottage on Berry Street? Stay tuned in October to see if this drama become an issue in the forthcoming election. Liz Brown has already tried to turn it to her advantage. Perhaps Sandy Kennedy will turn it back to her advantage in brochure, speeches and ads. I can see the campaign lines now: ‘It is a matter of Justice: A thousand cases were filed and only four resolved.” Point those fingers at the prosecutor for sleeping at the wheel. I can hardly wait for the sequel.

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