One highlight of tonight’s meeting was Shawn Porter (see above) getting an accomodation. Another highlight was about 40 people coming to talk about Fox Den, almost all of them opposing the sale. They made me look like the other guy in that picture. Just kidding.
The people present were concerned about 1) the course becoming a housing development, 2) Stow getting a bad deal on the course.
On the first issue, we can rezone the property, insert a restrictive clause into the deed, or have the contract give the city the right of first refusal on subsequent sales. Rezoning the property for greenspace-only is probably the easiest. The restrictive covenant would be enforceable in court by injunction, so residents don’t need to worry about it a subsequent owner breaking it. The third option is an added layer of protection. We can do all three of these to protect nearby homeowners.
On the second issue, you’re misconstruing my plan. I only want to see bids. I’m not up for selling at half-price. Is there any harm in fact-finding?
Despite ALL of the comments tonight, nobody answered my challenge. If someone did, and I missed it, please contact me. The challenge: One legitimate reason why it benefits the average Stowite to have Fox Den be owned by the city, rather than a private party.
But enough about the course… Tonight was proof that the Good Ole Boy Network is engaged in serious fear mongering. People approached the meeting, convinced that I want to close Bow-Wow Beach or the senior citizens center. I have been the most transparent councilman in this city’s history. Do you remember me ever saying anything like that?
No. But Sara Drew, the mayor and her friends are lying to people, unnecessarily stirring up their emotions. I honestly felt bad for a lot of people, especially the ones with whom I spoke during a break in the meeting. They were tricked into becoming angry at a straw person.
Drew took her lies public when she accused me of issuing a press release about money I was saving the city. She said I’m about “showmanship, not leadership.” Before hearing that, I didn’t intend to bring up my proposals that Jim Costello refused to present in committee — cutting council pay and manager’s salaries. At that point, I had to reveal that I wanted council to be leaders by cutting their own pay before looking to the unions. Same with managers.
Then we had the mayor tell a whopper of a lie, saying she helped come up with the idea for fundraising to buy/train Colt, the new police dog. Whatever. Nothing that comes out of her mouth surprises me anymore.
These people are shameless in lying to folks. But I’ll move on…
Council passed the budget tonight. It was a 4-3 vote. I voted “no,” along with Matt Riehl and Joe Hickin.
They struck down three of my five amendments: 1) 3 percent cut to parks (dickered down from 10, because I could tell that wouldn’t get four votes). 2) 3 percent cut to golf course expenditures. 3) Moving $100K from the Lodging Tax fund to the general fund to avoid using unencumbered funds. As to my other two amendments: 4) Janet refused to entertain my voluntary pay cut for council. 5) I didn’t bother with the manager pay cut, because it was apparent that we’d see another 4-3 vote, and it was too complicated to present orally.
At the end — after they shot down all of our cost-saving ideas, without presenting any of their own — Hickin proposed a 1 percent across-the-board cut of expenditures. Still, four members of council opposed it.
Sara Drew has no ability to think for herself. I’ve given up on her. Costello and D’Antonio seem like they want to cut costs, but they simply need to take a stand somewhere. I’m confident it will come.
In the end, this will probably wind up being a $500K deficit, and $1.5 million if you include the money taken from the roads fund. It’s a sad day for the future of the city when THIS is the best that our elected officials could come up with.
Please know that I am fighting for you. I’m fighting for the over-taxed Stow resident, who loves the city but cannot bear the next time the city asks for money. I’m fighting for the family whose road is deteriorating. I’m fighting for the people on cul de sacs, who wait and wait and wait to get out of their homes on some winter days. I will fight until the voters tell me to stop.
We lost today, but it was only the first round of the fight.