Running this year "unopposed" for a 4th term as Councilman. First, in 1999 was for 2 years. Second for 4 years in 2001 and then again in 2005 for another 4 years. This year, with no opposition for any of the Town positions, makes it a relatively "quiet" election season for Town of Mamaroneck candidates.
In some upcoming "Posts" I'll be outlining where I think we are and where we might be going. I will attempt to address the issue of Inter municipal Cooperation, what it means, what opportunities it presents and some pitfalls we need to be wary of. I'll try to discuss "Re-Val" and how it might affect individual home owners in The Town and Villages.
I would like to hear from our well informed and often "opinionated" citizenry as to their suggestions "How we can do Better?" and What additional services they would like to see?
I'll be floating some ideas that residents have suggested during the petitioning period earlier this summer as I went door-to-door, gathering signatures so that my running mates and I would qualify to be on the ballot this November.
I'll try to give some insights into our Town Budget deliberations and how we might be dealing with the consequences of the over 600 "certs" we got. That's where homeowners protest the taxes on their properties, alleging that they are currently paying too much as compared to their neighbors. If we take in less from some of our Real Estate Tax payers, we either have to make up the difference somewhere else or by Cutting Services.
It has always been my goal to do a better job of "communication" and that's a two-way street, so, don't be bashful, let me know what's on your mind.
posted by Ernie Odierna @ 10:32 PM
8 Comments:
Ernie,
Congratulations on being the member of the Board to do what the whole Board could not--put up a web page to communicate timely and effectively with constituents. Let's hope you do not get undue pressure to remove it.
Only through informed communication and active new thinking can our community survive and advance. Our times are changing and we must too.
It is unfortunate, that Board does not encourage interaction through both the broadcast and webcast of all of its meeting sessions and public two-way communication; settling only for showing a small 'performance' after discussions have been held and decisions effectively made, in 'open' but separate sessions.
We'll look forward to your thoughtful comments and questions on significant issues and the important input of residents here.
We'll wish you much luck and success in the upcoming elections, now uncontested as you point out; but always with the potential for write-in candidates as the community should expect much from all its leaders.
Give me a break -- how about spending less of your time giving us reports on what food you ate at some free lunch the town got you invited to and start figuring out how to stop spending residents' money like a senile liberal democrat. You have never met a service you didn't want us all to pay for.
Ernie, thanks so much for setting this up and for your years of diligent service to the town. I look forward to getting more insight into the working of the board. ... I do wish your work sessions were televised so I could see more of your back and forth discussion.
I have heard from the school that the woman, Catherine Wachs who led the fight against any new fields at the High School is being considered for a role controlling environmental issues at the town. I think this would be a huge mistake and a real slap to the school board and to all those who support environmentally sensible solutions to our need for new fields. Choosing such a polarizing and radical figure seems out of touch with the normal sensibility of our town government. We have so many more qualified and open minded people (with no hidden agendas) who live in the Town -- I hope you and the board will reconsider appointing her.
In any case, thanks for the opportunity to connect.
Not surprisingly, this post, which calls me names is anonymous. This is the first time I have been called "radical" and "polarizing".
The group I headed, TaxedEnuf.org, rallied the voters in this Town to defeat borrowing $7+million for artificial fields and lovely but non-essential playgrounds. Anonymous doesn't accept the result of the vote. And indeed, he/she uses rhetoric (common to radicals) to label people and distort the facts of my position.
I am for fields. I have stated publicly that I supported Plan C, an overhaul of the worst fields and creative ways to find more fields. I have been working with other local people and the school board, to find novel solutions to increase field space.
What I do not support is
1) questionable technology and the safety of rubber crumb
2) covering 90% of the high school grounds with plastic.
3) the heat factor (165 degrees on a 90 degree day). Artificial turf as to be watered to cool it down (wasting our precious water resource),
4) the first plan did not have a way to capture more water, only to drain the field quickly.
5) 7 million for fields– a huge, non-essential cost that should have been broken out from the essentials in the first vote.
6) having to pay for replacing the plastic carpet every 8-10 years
7) using plastic for playing fields goes against the principles of our local Global Warming Task Force.
8) doing nothing
See synturf.org for hundreds more reasons why artificial turf is a bad idea.
On point 5, may I remind Anonymous that 2,260 other people voted against the fields.
Having listed all that, I am looking for compromises that can be workable for everyone.
An environmentally sensible solution would be to create large drainage repositories under a well-drained grass field, to capture water in our flood prone area, keeping water on the school property to nourish the mature trees and having a COOL (temperature) playing surface that traps CO2, a greenhouse gas, and gives off oxygen.
My position on the Coastal Zone Management Committee is voluntary and unpaid.
I have created, with the Larchmont Parks and Trees committee, a rain garden for Larchmont, all volunteer. I worked as a naturalist for the Sheldrake Environmental Center for 4 years, teaching children and adults to appreciate the natural world.
I garden without pesticides and create natural, easy-care gardens for my neighbors and other municipalities all over Westchester.
Perhaps that is why the Town of Mamaroneck asked me to work with other caring volunteers who look after our precious coastline.
Thanks Ernie, for opening up this forum. I hope this space will be a place to discuss issues and not resort to name calling.
~ Catherine Wachs
For those who have mentioned it here regarding your Town, an extract from the Agenda of the meeting of the City Council of the City of Rye on Wednesday, September 16, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. in the Council Room of City Hall.
7. Consideration of a resolution to televise all public meetings of the City Council including regular meetings, special meetings, and workshops.
Ernie,
There must be a candidate other than Catherine Wachs to consider for Coastal Zoning. She has a long history of making public comments, passing out flyer etc. with false information then "apologizing" for her error. This happened repeatedly during the Village of Larchmont improvements to Flint Park, the school board bond vote and continues today. If CZMC is to maintain any credibility I suggest nominating a more even minded candidate who can see all sides of an issue, rather than advocating only for her interests.
Your blog is a great idea. tha nks for your public service.
Ernie,
It is unfortunate that your 'blog', what you thoughtfully have given to constituents so that they could hopefully contribute to solutions and progress for our community, is used by some for name calling and insulting of individuals.
Someone here commented that 'There must be a candidate other than Catherine Wachs to consider for Coastal Zoning.'
That sentence of that comment is correct. It is probably the only part of the comment that is correct.
While there could be other candidates, it is highly unlikely that the Town Board could find another candidate who approaches her qualifications for the position. She consistently shares knowledge, seeks more information, donates much time to the Town and works hard for consensus on best practices.
Perhaps only her talents would be wasted on CZMC, as important as CZMC is, as she could clearly contribute on a much larger scale to the management of the Town.
Post a Comment
<< Home