Starting a New Year. One of my "resolutions" is to try and keep my BLOG more up-to-date.
Thought for awhile, last year, that the Blog on The Larchmont Gazette site would be my focus but with them going "off-line" during the year and no one to "bug" me, it has sort of fallen into dis-repair. Thanks to Polly Kreisman the editrix at theloop, who I spoke with at the recent Mamaroneck Chamber of Commerce diner, Jan. 7th, she reminded me that it could be worthwhile to keep current so here goes.
My original purpose was to try and keep our constituents up-to-date on what we were discussing during our Town deliberations and Budget Hearings so we might be able to take advantage of their knowledge and expertise. It is frustrating for me to rarely see anyone at our "work sessions" or Commission Meetings. Then, when it finally comes down to where The Town Board is ready to vote on something, it comes as a surprise. As much as we try to "post" on our Town Website, www.townofmamaroneck.org or send out via e-mails, we get very little if any feedback from our citizens. It seems, with few exceptions, that only when we propose to increase a fee do people take notice. One noticeable recent exception was our proposed Tree law modification in which we are discussing the removal of "Lot Size" as the determining factor for the requirement of any kind of a review process before the "axes fly." We are trying to take into consideration various aspects of the discussion including tree size, location, number of trees involved as well as the "significance" or lack of same relating to a particular species. The next Public Hearing on the subject has been "re-scheduled" for Jan. 26th but that will probably be put off for another date.
We have also been struggling with our attempts to "protect" local homeowners from excessive commuter parking in front of their homes. As we had anticipated, it's like squeezing a long balloon. The air bubble just moves to where there is no "squeeze." We, with the able help of our Town Traffic Committee, are trying to come up with a way to discourage parking within a certain distance from the Larchmont Metro North Station without saturating our streets with many more "No Parking" signs.
"The Loop" and "The Larchmont-Mamaroneck Patch" have been valuable allies in helping our citizenry keep informed, in a timely manner, as to what's going on in The Town.
For those of our Larchmont neighbors that haven't shopped or eaten on Mamaroneck Avenue lately, you're missing a real treat. Something from everywhere is what awaits you.
We are starting the planning process now for our Town's 350th Birthday Celebration. Valerie has asked Christina Battalia, our Town Clerk and Councilwoman Nancy Seligson to start getting a group together to plan the "events" of this year long celebration. Valerie and I made some good initial contacts at The Mamaroneck Chamber diner last week. It should be a fun year and hopefully will involve lots of folks from The Village of Larchmont as well as The Village of Mamaroneck and the residents of The Un-Incorporated portion of The Town of Mamaroneck . We are open to all ideas, suggestions and volunteer participation.
Good thing for a "SNOW" day. Gives one time to "BLOG."
posted by Ernie Odierna @ 4:03 PM
4 Comments:
Welcome back Ernie!
Thanks Polly!
Ernie, your purpose was correct and needed, to inform and involve. Unfortunately, Board practice works against it.
Deliberation are too much on small things, that affect few and would attract few. The format of meetings make informed participation difficult and uncomfortable. Residents can't see what's being talked about and can't speak until the end of the multiple sessions; unless of course they've waited for a new record to be set on postponed public hearings. Often unfortunately it is only when the Board is ready to vote formally that a matter comes to the public's attention. Too little, too late.
The Board also needs to refocus its efforts. Just how many times do many residents want to discuss parking on a block; probably the residents of a block about once, unless the Board doesn't give them what they want.
The Board needs to spend significant time identifying long term financial and structural aspects of the Town, the issues to be confronted and potential solutions.
The time to start 2012 budget discussions is now, rather than the Board be surprised with higher than expected expenses in October and blaming "mandates" that it cannot affect at that point.
Maybe the Town should have a Finance Committee. Maybe it should have a Technology Committee. Maybe the Board should get a few people together to help it improve how the Town communicates.
The Town probably has some very capable people who could be useful to the Board; probably including journalists who use technology effectively.
If the Board really wants it, the Board needs to really welcome participation, invite it. Perhaps each member of the Board should invite a neighbor to accompany them to the next meeting. And the next, and the next.
As trees, big things come from small starts. Does the Board want to support them or cut them down?
Thanks Anonymous!
You raise some very valid points and I agree with your suggestions about The Town Board doing more to enlist residents in areas like technology and finance. The trick is getting a majority on The Board to push the issue. The way things are currently set up, The Town Supervisor makes the agenda for Town Board meetings. That includes not only what we will discuss but also the order in which the topics will be discussed. I have long advocated for allotting time at the beginning of our meetings to hear from our residents, as do some other jurisdictions. One compromise that might "fly" could be putting a 2 or 3 minute time limit on each speaker who addresses The Board on any topic they choose, at the start of the meeting and a longer or no limit for speakers at the end of the meeting, when our "business" is completed. This doesn't address the desire of folks who want to speak their minds during a meeting, when we are about to vote. When we are making a new law or modifying an existing one, a Public Hearing is duly noticed and held. There is no good reason, that I can see why anyone interested shouldn't have the same "drafts" or background info. at their fingertips that we, as Council people, have. By posting on our Town Website, all proposed new legislation or spending plans, I think we are making some progress in this area. Perhaps we should be offering more e-mail request subscription categories whereby interested persons can get everything we get that is not of a confidential nature.
I just wish I could demonstrate to my fellow Board Members that there is really more than just a handful of constituents that, in fact, want more information. Perhaps a good way to try would be to see if we can open up some time, at the beginning of our meetings, to hear from the public.
Councilman Ernie
Councilman Odierna, glad to have read of your blog and learn that at least one member of our Town government is interested in dialogue with the residents.
Your first commenter points to two issues: 1. Process, and 2. Results.
Regarding the first item, it seems that your mention of the Supervisor setting the agenda is with some hesitation. Perhaps the parliamentary Authority or Rules of Order for this are unknown. Under some common Rules of Order, you might reasonably obtain the "floor" under something of the sort of "New Business" and make a motion that residents be given the "floor" at a time certain, e.g. 5:00PM or 8:15PM at the following meeting. If the motion is voted down, at least we'll know what we need to do come election day. Similarly, you could make a motion for a Finance Committee specifying how it is to function and how its members are to be chosen. Again, if the motion is voted down, at least we'll know what we need to do come election day.
Regarding the second item, what measures does the Board have of the goals and progress on them of the Town's departments and staff for the forthcoming year? When and how does the Board review these?
For example, the size and composition of the Town's police Department was changed in each of the last two years. What is determining the impact and whether it is now properly sized? Should the Town contract with the County for Police protection as another Westchester municipality has done recently?
For example, the Town has exchanged sanitation classifications of various trash over recent years, but instead of "trashing" some collections it has expanded the number of these and their locations? Recycling is to be encouraged but it can also be cost effective. Has the Town compared its current costs to those that would be current and deferred expenses associated with outsourcing this to a private carter. While the Town complains of "Mandates" does it realize that it past and current practices form the root of many of those?
Thank you again. Perhaps some of your colleagues on the Town Board will "chime-in" here on the issues or on their own blogs. Yes/No?
thanks for hearing me, Ernie! (tho it was at the Mamaroneck Chamber dinner...does someone need to explain the difference to you? :) ) It's always good when those in politics find new ways to communicate with costituents, and there are so many new tools afforded by technology that make it easier than ever to have those conversations.
Thank you for using them.
Respectfully,
Polly Kreisman
publisher | theLoop
www.theloopny.com
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