So transparent, like it’s not even there
The Water Street Secret (oops) Closed Committee
AY PAC notes that Murdock and Bodary both made Water Street a major component of their campaigns charging incompetence and claiming that they would be able to turn it around. Robb has also historically been highly critical of the process the city has undertaken to develop the Water Street property. Very interestingly, all three have waved the flag of Government Transparency quite a bit, stating repeatedly that this key quality of government has been missing. Yet almost immediately, transparency has fallen to the wayside – an early whiff of what’s to come?
AY PAC is not against closed meetings or committees. When the process is in accordance with the values of the community, and part of a greater process that is free of drama and hostility, closed meetings can facilitate progress towards our goals. Neither Robb, Murdock nor Bodary are residents or elected officials from Ward 1, the ward in which Water Street exists. A direct request to participate by the Mayor (who lives in Ward 1) was denied by the city council, a vote led by the three previously mentioned.
How and why the two Ward 1 representatives allowed this significant committee to exist without representation from their Ward is another question for another time. As it stands, the lack of representation by ANY elected official residing in or elected from Ward 1 is fatal to the process. By keeping the secret (oops, there it is again) closed committee meetings among just the three of them, the process is both suspect and corrupted.
Sadly, the first proposals to come out of this committee are disappointing at best. A Burger King and student housing are both weak efforts to fill space and show ‘results’ to their consituents. This has earned them the nickname of ‘the McTrinity’. AY PAC hopes that they can do better for us than this.
By excluding the participation of the Mayor and any Ward 1 representatives they have created a flawed process without proper representation. A true democratic process that will generate outcomes in compliance with the goals, plans and values of our city MUST include appropriate representation. AY PAC encourages future committee selections and processes to take this into consideration.
The results speak for themselves.
posted by B. Bashert
Shock-O-Meter Rating (2)
Mission Statement
Advance Ypsilanti is a group of citizens with a deep love and respect for the history and future of our city. We believe the electoral process can effectively promote forward-looking ideas and candidates to successfully achieve a healthy and thriving future. To this end, we will identify, develop, and utilize resources to help voters, elected officials and our community’s leaders ensure Ypsilanti’s quality of life.