elpasospeak

I was hoping to see the action when our new city representative questioned the sense in letting the city violate the “dark skies” ordinance at this week’s city council meeting.

The meetings are long and it generally saves time to wait a few days after the meeting so that you can go directly to the item on the video instead of waiting as each item is contemplated.

I did not get to see the lighting ordinance issue.

Instead I got to see something absolutely wonderful.

One of the cellular carriers wanted to get a special variance to install a tower on Montana Avenue.  They needed the variance because the tower would be within 500 feet of another tower.

A citizen addressed the council and objected.  City staff wanted council to approve the variance right away–at the city council meeting.

The citizen pointed out that city staff failed to disclose all of the towers in the area.  Why would they do that?   Is it conceivable that staff does not know where the towers are?  Or is it more probable that they did not want to disclose all of them in the hope that council would not object to just one extra one?

At one point an assistant city attorney cautioned council that by law they only had 150 days to rule on this kind of variance application.  City council needed to take affirmative action at the meeting.

Our new city representative had been asking intelligent questions about the process and the need.  When he heard that there was a 150 day time limit he asked when the process had started.

City staff responded that they did not have a record of when the process started with them.  Thus the 150 day warning was no more or less than a strong arm tactic to fool council into taking their desired action.

Our new city representative suggested a delay until the next meeting and remarkably city council voted in favor of the postponement.

Way to go Mr. Tolbert!  City staff has been misleading council for quite some time.  Your patience and questioning might actually put a stop to it especially if we start disciplining those that lie to council.

Brutus

From Jim Tolbert:

Item 13.1, which would exempt the City from being required to meet the “dark sky” standards, appeared on the May 17, 2016 agenda. It was merely an introduction of the amendment to the lighting ordinance. The actual vote on the proposal is on the May 31, 2016 agenda – Item 27.1. I will raise objections to it and I will not vote for the amendment.

This particular amendment was just one of several updates to the Building and Construction codes. I was briefed about these updates without mention of specifics. Fortunately, because of the vigilance of Elpasospeak, I was made aware of the nature of this particular amendment.

Government works best when it is transparent and the public is not only informed but vocal. Thank you Elpasospeak.

Jim Tolbert
City Council Representative District 2

Item 22.2 on the Tuesday, May 17, 2016 regular city council agenda would allow the city manager to spend more than $500,000 at a time from the Region 19 buy board without taking the purchase to city council if passed.

No bidding, no fuss, no muss.

We deserve better

Brutus

Our city council has told us that they only plan to meet every other week this year.

They met last week and are also met  this week on Tuesday, May 24, 2016.

There is one item on the agenda.  It is the second reading of a proposed ordinance that would “allow for temporary places of assembly on undeveloped lots and in the ranch and farm zoning district”.

This is being hurried through so that the El Paso Balloon Fest can be held Memorial Day weekend at a ranch in northeast El Paso.

I doubt that many of us have a problem with the event being held.

It is remarkable how regular citizens have to wait days, weeks, and months before the city allows a permit or some other normal action to go through.

In this case council is going to convene to make an exception.  It probably helps that the organization making the request is a local media outlet.  Maybe this is part of why our local media gives the city a pass so often.

We deserve better

Brutus