My Locally Grown blogging buddy Griff Wigley notified me that my character was being defamed in the first couple of comments on this Northfield News article. (“Defamation of character” is the communication of false information stated as a fact which brings harm to an individual or an entity.)
I’d prefer not to dignify the comment by repeating it here, but this post won’t make sense if I don’t. A commentor who calls him- or herself “missionaccomplished”, whose anonymity is being protected by the Northfield News, wrote in part:
Great, the planning commission throws away our money. Then we’ll get our water and waste rates raised to pay for it.
I think the “zoning czarina” has thrown the city’s budget under the bus by spending possibly as much as $200,000? The real question is, having spent this money and wasted 2 years, what do we do? . . . wait another year and spend another 100,000. . .
I can only imagine that the genesis of this bizarre and frankly libelous statement came from the budget-cutting suggestions made by Noah Cashman in a previous article, in which he recommended that the City “terminate the profligate waste of $200,000 and counting by the planning commission”.
My first impulse (surprise!) was to respond with something like, “DAMN! Now where did I put that money?” But this really is much more serious. Ignoring the advice of my attorneys, I’ll overlook the personal aspect for the moment, and also not make a big deal out of the fact that I’ve only been Chair of the Planning Commission for seven months. What can’t remain unchallenged is the false, destructive, and totally unfair crack at my colleagues on the Commission.
Here are the facts. … [read more]
NOTE: During the Locally Grown sabbatical, I’ll be doing the Friday Memo updates here. There was no memo published last week for August 13.
The “Friday Memo,” written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski, department heads, and other City staff, summarizes the staff activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of the City Administrator’s web page.
The Friday Memo information from the Library, Streets & Parks, and Recreation departments would be of interest to most citizens. Here is this week’s memo (PDF). Items of note include:
- Update and response regarding the Home Matters project
- Info about Northfield Historical Society’s new iPod tours
- What’s being done with various grant monies received
- Draft agenda for September City Council meetings
Tomorrow night (Monday, Aug. 23) is the public forum on the City budget. Be there or be square. There’s a City Council work session on Tuesday. You can view all upcoming City meetings on the City Calendar.
[See previous Friday Memos on LoGroNo]
NOTE: During the Locally Grown sabbatical, I’ll be doing the Friday Memo updates here.
The “Friday Memo,” written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski, department heads, and other City staff, summarizes the staff activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of the City Administrator’s web page.
The Friday Memo information from the Library, Streets & Parks, and Recreation departments would be of interest to most citizens. Here is this week’s memo (PDF). Since it’s the first Friday of the month, the Friday Memo also includes the monthly Boards and Commissions update.
There will be a Special City Council meeting on Monday, 7:40 AM to interview candidates for the interim City Administrator position, and an evening meeting that night for selection of the candidate. There is no City Council meeting on Tuesday due to the City primary election (for one at-large councillor, and the Fourth Ward).
You can view all upcoming City meetings on the City Calendar.
[See previous Friday Memos on LoGroNo]
I’m working through some podcsts from last month’s Aspen Ideas Festival.
My first pick is Richard Florida on “The Great Reset”.
We have inherited an economy – and a set of institutions, management principles, a way of life – which at every level reflects the old industrial order, which has been collapsing before our very eyes. . . .
I’m not totally convinced of Florida’s theses about the creative class, etc. but he has some thought-provoking statistics and conclusions about the nature of economic development, job creation, urban planning, community strengths, what drives the economy, and how to move forward.
Click here to listen. If you bog down, don’t miss the Q&A at the end (beginning around the 42 minute mark ).
The League of Minnesota Cities announced yesterday the appointments to MNDoT’s Complete Streets Advisory Group. I’ve been selected as the alternate to represent outstate/rural cities. I’m looking forward to working with this group of people from across the State to help pave the way (pun intended) for streets designed for people, not only for large motorized vehicles.
In celebration of my appointment, and inspired by some of the bikes I saw on my trip to Belgium and the Netherlands a few months ago, I decided to pimp my ride for the spring. Here’s “Rosebud II”.
MNDoT’s summary page about Complete Streets says,
Complete Streets does not mean “all modes on all roads”; rather, the goal of Complete Streets should be to
1) develop a balanced transportation system that integrates all modes via planning inclusive of each mode of transportation (i.e., transit, freight, automobile, bicycle and pedestrian) and
2) include transportation users of all types, ages and abilities.
Being one of the first DOTs to adopt a policy requiring Context Sensitive Solutions and with its new Strategic Vision, Mn/DOT is already well positioned to support Minnesota in a Complete Streets approach to transportation investment. Three local agencies (Hennepin County and the cities of St. Paul and Rochester) in Minnesota have already adopted their own resolutions for Complete Streets, indicating that Complete Streets are achievable at a local level.
Mn/DOT needs to be prepared to assist local agencies in developing their local Complete Streets approach and to assist their specific project development needs.
To learn more about the idea behind complete streets, see also:
I’m sure I’ll be writing more about this as time goes on.
