Asheville City Council starts early today, and it looks like a long one: After a 3 p.m. work session, Council members will launch an evening of five public hearings — including a contentious one, as Royal Pines residents will be holding a protest outside City Hall at 4:30 p.m.
Xpress will be there through it all. Staffer Steve Shanafelt, who’s filling in for David Forbes, will post Twitter updates. Follow #avlgov and/or Shanafelt @unknowncity.
For details about the agenda, click here.
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Gordon Smith on eliminating public comments and hearings before City Government: “I’m really excited about doing this”.
#avlgov Russell: Motion to withdraw from current annexation plan, 12 month moratorium.
#avlgov Manheimer seconds Russell’s motion. Newman addresses crowd and annexation history, and the need for annexation.
#avlgov Oast: I think you can do what you’re about to do.
#avlgov Smith: “What I want us to do is be in this together.” Outburst “You’re passing the buck!” [Betty Jackson, escorted out]
#avlgov Motion to table annexation policy vote 5-2. Smith and Newman oppose. Applause from crowd. Five minute recess.
“Exclusion of the public from discussions that substantively affect the public wealth and
future taxation prevents meaningful citizen contributions and creates an unfortunate and often untrue appearance of insider-deal making and non-accountability.” – Vance Policy Institute (of which Gordon was a co-founder) http://tinyurl.com/3yg2sf8
Or maybe we should look at this part:
“All meetings of any board or commission of any city agency or authority at which official acts are to be taken are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times, and no resolution, rule, or formal action shall be considered binding except as taken or made at such meeting”, http://tinyurl.com/3ayfnwl. Shutting off public comment doesn’t seem to jive with that mantra.
Remember when Gordo used to care about the little guy?