People Are Asking, has KCB gotten past the "bad old days" or are they still with us?
Concerned in KCB sent these four questions for the May commission meeting (one was addressed in the meeting). Concerned continues to ask the commission:
1. Why has the commission repeatedly approved the planned three-story city hall tower that violates KCB's two-story maximum?
2. Why has the commission repeatedly approved the planned city hall addition that "isn't a real EOC" and how does that public statement impact our grant funding?
3.What is the purpose of the Polaris Ranger "4-wheeler utility vehicle"? Will it replace one of the two existing building department trucks? Is it in our capital expenditure plan?
4. Why did city "insiders" get electronic copies of the 175 page meeting packet last week but KCB citizens again had to wait until Tuesday or later to see it?
Commissioner DiFransico pulled "Question 3" about the Polaris Ranger purchase out of the Consent Items. The commission discussed and answered it completely but the other questions are still up in the air. Rather than answering them, Mayor Foster said, "For the record I recognize that Concerned in KCB is Dick Harper." The city attorney followed up with the statement, "It is a public record but give it the weight of an unsigned document. You don't have to read it."
For the record, if a letter is sent by a known group of citizens and the author is identified "for the record," it's not "an unsigned document" and it is in the public record. This month's citizen correspondence to the city can be read here.
People asked. City officials brushed it off. This is not the first time.
City officials created a revolt among KCB's volunteer committees by threatening them with Sunshine Law violations.
The prior commission disbanded the code board in favor of an administrative law judge because the work formerly done by citizens didn't bring in enough revenue.
The prior commission stonewalled the KCB referendum signed by 264 residents and over 100 property owners. "Regardless of the number of verified petition cards or blanks returned... the city will not be further processing your referendum petition... the city will not be holding a referendum vote of the electors..." The simply atrocious statements in the transcripts show what their contempt for KCB's own citizens looked like. That upset KCBers for the "our way or you're busted" attitude in that group of city officials.
The current commission and staff have done a great deal of good. We're back in Marble Hall and in the post office with plans in the works to rebuild city hall. KCB's volunteers are mostly back. And KCBers report that many of the city officials responsible for the problems are gone.
Laurie Swanson noted that we have been working on the other three questions for months. She will ask them again with a new letter to all the commissioners, seeking the answers KCBers want and need.
The current commission has accomplished so much but it is up to all KCBers to help them repolish the gem that can be KCB. Send your questions and suggestions to the city commission and to Concerned in KCB.
People Are Asking? Visit http://PeopleAreAsking.org/news/index.html to see more of what People Are Saying about issues that otherwise haven't seen the light of day.
