Rest easy, 狐狸视频ans, we鈥檙e getting input. Lots and lots of input.
The 狐狸视频 Board of Aldermen Monday about how the city should spend $250 million from the Rams relocation settlement.
No action was taken and no money was spent, which is not necessarily the worst result from a political meeting.
It seems the aldermen just wanted input. Well, that鈥檚 not entirely accurate; they wanted more input on how to get more input.
Aldermanic President Megan E. Green opened the proceedings by saying she wanted to ensure that 鈥渆very voice is heard鈥 and 鈥渓asting changes鈥 are made for younger generations.
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She used words like 鈥渆levate,鈥 鈥渆mpower鈥 and 鈥渢hrive,鈥 so you know we鈥檙e talking aspirational stuff.
Never mind that when it comes to input, the city created in August for residents to share thoughts about how to spend the dough. It has done a good job, garnering about 1,900 responses.
But more input is needed.
So what about the complaints made in the last year or two to city service bureaus and aldermanic offices (not to mention news stories) about dropped 911 calls, lack of police response, traffic violations, street collapses and poor trash service?
Nope, we need more input.
So maybe we could look to the aldermanic president, the 14 full-time board members and to the mayor and comptroller offices.
To that point, Casey Millburg, policy adviser for Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, told aldermen that her boss has been 鈥渁lready talking鈥 with city residents about the issue.
The aldermen also noted that paper versions of the survey on the Rams money are available at 狐狸视频 Public Library branches.
Yet as far as the aldermen are concerned, we still haven鈥檛 scratched the input surface.
But thank goodness, we have a 鈥減rocess鈥 going on.
(Note: If a drinking game had been played and a shot of liquor had to be downed every time the word 鈥減rocess鈥 was mentioned at the meeting, the crowd would鈥檝e been in sorry shape.)
This specific process has four phases and an 鈥渋deas portal,鈥 which will be active through January.
The first phase asks basic questions about needs and problems. In the second phase, participants will select their priorities. The third phase is time for 鈥渕atching ideas to priorities.鈥
Then, in the fourth phase, participants will vote on ideas by assigning 10 tokens to various projects. (There will be 鈥淚 Voted鈥 stickers, right?).
Finally, some people and groups will be named 鈥淚dea Champions鈥 and be invited to an aldermanic meeting to present their ideas.
Cristina Garmendia, Green鈥檚 policy adviser, was the main process guru for the meeting.
Garmendia noted that of the 495 people who left written responses after filling out the first phase survey, 39% listed public safety 鈥 crime, lack of police, lawlessness, traffic violations 鈥 as a main concern. She also noted there was 鈥渁 lot of support for our police.鈥
While by no means surprising, I applaud Garmendia鈥檚 honesty in simply stating those facts.
Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer, D-1st Ward, also touched on that very subject.
She said the survey 鈥渨as really light on questions about city services,鈥 noting that it had only one question each about street problems and public safety.
Schweitzer said there should be more focus on those issues because 鈥渆very time I hear anyone talk about this money, that鈥檚 what I hear people say.鈥
But for all the best intentions, this is where the wheels tend to fall off the public-input wagon.
For example, a number of elected officials 鈥 though some are trying to tiptoe away from it 鈥 remain in the 鈥渄efund the police鈥 camp.
So what good will it do that 39% of those responding so far are in favor of more funding the police?
And many respondents also seem to favor spending bucks on basics like street repair, garbage pickup and water system improvements 鈥 services that must seem rather mundane in the face of progressive urban planning.
But even the younger generation of city residents 鈥 which many of us have been at one time or another 鈥 will grow tired of potholes, garbage and crime.
Sure, politicians like to applaud the wisdom of public input. But that鈥檚 when they agree with the input.
And when they disagree? Well, you can鈥檛 expect the public to be right all the time.
The real meat of the meeting came during the opening statement, when Green said she wanted residents to share the 鈥渆xpectations that you have鈥 of city officials.
Excellent idea.
If the mayor, comptroller, aldermanic president and 14 aldermen have plans for the money, they should say what they are, explain the need and estimate the cost. If they don鈥檛 have any ideas, then quit.
As a city resident of 39 years, that鈥檚 my input to include in the process. Sure hope it doesn鈥檛 hurt my chances of being named an 鈥淚dea Champion.鈥