ONE OF MY PET PEEVES are the Monday Morning Quarterbackers. The City of Ventura rarely makes a move without extensive feedback, transparency, numerous charettes, community meetings, Eblasts, newspaper articles, blog postings and agenda distribution.
Yet inevitably I hear somebody complain here or elsewhere about the decisions made in these public forums. So you'd think when the opportunity arises, citizens would be knocking down the doors to provide input. Not really.
At every single community meeting I attend, I see the same bunch of folks. Our little band of chronic city volunteers manages to get around. But we are lonely.
Sure there are the one-issue folks who get fired up for their pet causes, but at most city forums the attendance is pretty spartan.
So here's an opportunity for everyone that shouldn't be missed: Tomorrow the City of Ventura, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, will be holding an Economic Summit to help chart the future of our community. The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at City Hall, 501 Poli St.
The event is free, and participants are asked to pre-register online at http://www.venturachamber.org or by calling 676-7500.
The culmination of the event will be 90-day, one-year and five-year work plans for the City Council to consider. Workshops will include ways to improve the city's bottom line, fostering smart growth, greening the city's economy, enhancing the local business climate, and retaining and expanding jobs and existing businesses.
It's also a way to get all those one-issue folks talking to the other one-issue folks. Like Wal-Mart? Come talk to those who hate it. Are you pro-growth? Share your thoughts with those who aren't. Do you think arts and cultural tourism are a smart economic investment in our future? Or do you think it's all a waste of money? Come prepared to talk it out. (But if you hate the arts, you might want to avoid me!)
I know it's early on a Saturday morning and you need to mow the lawn and attend your kid's baseball game.
But, to mangle a John Lennon lyric: A city is what happens when you are busy making other plans.
Please join us tomorrow.
Marie,
Good point about many not joining in and then complaining.
Darn! So many good meetings and events pop up all at once as Spring arrives!
I will be walking at the NAMIWalk in the morning on Saturday and unable to attend the Economic Summit for our City. Since I'm a member of "The little band of Chronic Volunteers",
I will rely on your blog for an update once again.
Is there a site where I might register to receive via email "all" notices on upcoming meetings and events in the future? Sometimes I miss out and I would like to pass on the information. In fact, if there is such a blast of information that could go out, we could pass it on to whoever makes a request. For me, because I'm in this "band" I rarely have time to read all the websites individually for their respective information. I might get wind of a great meeting/event just the day before or the same day! Just look at how many of us show up at meetings and pass out fliers for other great events that are coming up. Volunteering is a gas, can ya dig it?
Maybe people don't go to these things because they see that no matter what the people want/say/do, the City Council will do whatever is good for the City Council.
Two of the topics on Saturday's agenda are:
"Retaining/Expanding Jobs and Businesses"
and "Enhancing Our Business Climate". And the abandonded gas station at five points is still empty because the city council didn't want the owner of the adjacent car wash to open a complimentary business (oil change) in that location. That certainly leads one to believe that the city is interested in "Retaining/Expanding Jobs and Businesses"
and "Enhancing Our Business Climate". There is also the small business owner that wanted to open a Martial Arts studio in Mid-Town but he was told NO by the city council. Certainly shows that the city is interested in "Retaining/Expanding Jobs and Businesses"
and "Enhancing Our Business Climate".
Here's another of the city's bright ideas:
Let's let developers 'in-fill' throughout the city with 'work/live' spaces. Care to guess how many of those are currently empty?
I know, I know.... come to the summit and give input. It is unforunate that I have other commitments on almost every Saturday. Besides, from the input I've seen the city council IGNORE in the past, nothing makes me believe that Saturday's event will be any different.
JD: If you are unhappy with planning decisions, now's your chance to vent.
I completely disagree with you that they don't listen. I know things I've organized in the past have indeed made impacts.
The infill development concepts will be mandatory in the future with the advent of SB 375. This is something every city in the state will be looking at. We are ahead of the game. Sprawl is out for good. Read up:
http://gov.ca.gov/press-release/10697/
Sherry: You rock. I am your No. 1 fan!
I have vented to the City Council and the City Council has done what was good for the City Council.
I work on Saturdays. I'd love to spend 4 hours telling the City Council how things should be done, but it won't do a bit of good. They have proven in the past by their actions that the City Council is only looking out for the City Council.
November's election can't come soon enough for me.
Besides those two zoning issue decisions, which were made by the Planning Commission, what have you complained about?
I've had pretty good luck with organizing events and getting things I wanted. School Resource Officers were one. The other recent one was saving the position in Cultural Affairs which will head up our new foundation. ArtWalk will be rescued privately.
I'm not very happy about the budget cuts, but times are tough.
I'm one of those that popped up for my one issue. Since I was totally blown off by the City Council, I'm not going to waste any more of my time. There are a lot of us out here in the same boat. They'll do what gets them campaign contributions to get re-elected. They don't care about what's good for the city. They wouldn't be selling east Ventura to Walmart if they did.
That line of reasoning is pretty silly. The council serves because they care about their city. They don't get paid much of anything to do it -- $500 a month. So we know it's not for the money.
Right now is a very stressful time to be a city leader (of any city). I can't imagine hanging in there unless you really felt like you wanted to serve and were keen about making a difference. It's a glorified volunteer job. Few perks, really. Lots and lots of grief.
I've spoke up at the city council and was ignored. I can see why people get tired of or are weary of the City Council.
I'm curious as to why or how the city loses money on the two street fesitvals every year. It would seem to me that these would be money making or at least revenue neutral events as there appears to be plenty of vendors set up in the street. I can't believe that these vendors aren't paying something to have the privledge of selling their wares to a 'captive' audience. Canceling the Holiday Street Fair doesn't make sense to me. Because of this, a holiday tradition needs to find a new home. I spoke about this at the City Council meeting and got nothing but blank stares from the dias.
The Cultural Affairs Division suffered some heavy cuts this year, no doubt about it. Vendors are charged, but revenues for the street fairs do not cover the expenses needed to put them on.
Marie says:
"Vendors are charged, but revenues for the street fairs do not cover the expenses needed to put them on."
That's the problem!! From the Feds on down to the city, government is spending more than they are taking in.
The City Council deserves a lot of credit for just sitting there week after week past midnight - good grief. That is a medal-worthy accomplishment in and of itself. On the other hand, John Doe and phreadbarnz both make valid points vis a vis the "blank stare" phenomenon. Whereas many good things do go on daily within the city, most are not privy to what they are and feel like " what the hell am I sitting here for " ? There is a subliminal wall between what the average citizen knows about what goes on in the city and that of those within the governing bodies and staff. I believe the latter want it that way - just look at the confusing and labored documents they put out. After 5 years on the DRC, I recall getting the "blank stare" on a regular basis - and frequently from the other members of the Committee. I think many of my comments were quite well-thought-out and recall that the only persons in city government who gave me the encouragement to remain as long as I did and showed a genuine interest in the validity of my ideas were Christy Weir, Glenda Goldstone and former staff member Stratos Perros. Another was Ray Olsen, who is in Public Works and was genuinely complimentary of mu efforts. I believe the "blank stare" has driven many from participating in local government because it fails to affirm what the individual speaking is trying to say - usually from their heart and after sitting in an overstuffed chair for many hours.