Posts Tagged “Tom Didier”

By Jim Sack

The Marty Factor was in play last night for most interchanges between council and city, council and council. That factor being a renewed gentleness at the table in light of the recent reminder of the fragility of life in the person of Marty Bender, council president.

City Clerk Sandy Kennedy who is very close to Marty Bender told people that he is coming around and probably watching council proceedings from his hospital bed which prompted a call from Council Vice President Mitch Harper for a round of applause for Bender from all gathered in the room last night. The recognition from the table and the audience of some 30 folk, a large crowd by regular council standards, was heart felt and prolonged. Read the rest of this entry »

By Jim Sack

Last nights extraordinary city council meeting stated on a somber note: City Clerk Sandy Kennedy, tears in her eyes, told a few of us before the meeting that Marty Bender, council president, had suffered a seizure during dinner with his daughter and was hospitalized. She was quite distraught.

A subdued Mitch Harper, council vice president, eased into the president’s chair and quietly started the meeting with comments on Mr. Bender’s situation and his wishes that President Bender would quickly recover. He then gaveled open the rare Thursday session to resume oversight of the mayor’s proposed budget, focusing last night on use of CEDIT dollars, the County Economic Development Income Tax, a $19 million stream of revenue for the city. Controller Pat Roller parsed the pile of money: some goes to maintenance of the parks, much to debt service, some to the Board of Works and over $4 million to Economic Development, the department chaired by John Urbahns who was on hand last night, passing out notepaper to one forgetful reporter and cough lozenges to a coughing writer as he awaited his turn at the table. Nice guy. Read the rest of this entry »

By Jim Sack

Jam packed with interesting moments was last night’s council meeting and it will only continue Thursday night when budget hearings resume.

Last night there was an embarrassing absence, a prominent citizen blasted the administration during the barely announced public hearing, the renovation of the new city hall was put on hold, the park director sided with a strong critic of the administration, Sandy Kennedy and Liz Brown spared, and Tim Pape added to his credentials as the administration’s only true and dear friend on council, and volleys fired from table toward the Journal Gazette. Read the rest of this entry »

By Jim Sack

Budget time at city council. The budget is the blueprint by which policy is made. Dollars are allocated to programs and projects that should, in the composite, articulate the philosophy of the community as it looks to its future.

But first, the roll call. Eight “here,” one “present.” Mitch Harper is known to graze just a few yards away from the rest of the herd. Gavel down, President Marty Bender conducted the first movement of the night’s concert, Do Pass or Not Do Pass. Two ordinances were passed out quickly, each relating to the sewer problems we have in Fort Wayne. Eight “yeas,” one “nay,” Mister President, announced Clerk Sandy Kennedy. Harper being the lone “nay,” grazing upwind from the sewer question. No rankling, not much discussion, a quick presentation highlighted by a fuzzy map and a quick vote. Mitch staking out a position? Read the rest of this entry »

Tuesday night I watched Liz Brown with some admiration.  During testimony by three different individuals on three different matters Mrs. Brown asked simple and clear questions to which the witness answered in circuitous ways, some, perhaps, either not quite understanding the question, or choosing rather to quickly side step the point of the question to provide a defense rather than a response.  Mrs. Brown asked the questions again quietly, and politely.  She took her time and got rather interesting answers, albeit, not necessarily to the question posed.  Her examination of the witnesses clearly helped enlighten her fellow council members. Read the rest of this entry »

By Jim Sack

Council dealt with two interesting matters last night: the combination of 911 call centers and the future of government housing in Fort Wayne. Both showed considerable signs of progress, but with more than a few curves ahead.

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