Chamber of horrors?
Can someone please explain to me what the deal is with the chamber of commerce?
I bring up the question because I saw a flier for their carnival out at Frenchtown mall.
Is there still bad blood between city merchants -- some who I presume are still members of the chamber -- and the chamber bosses? If I remember right, the chamber upset a lot of people by offering to run the parking validation program in place of the downtown business network.
If I remember right, the chamber upset a lot of people by letting the carnival set up in the parking lot across from St. Mary's Park.
If I remember right, the chamber used to be on Front St. downtown, then it moved to Front St. near the railroad track and now it's out on N. Dixie across I-75 in Frenchtown.
Has the chamber been run out of town or are they a bit too slow to understand that a chamber of commerce should have a very visible location on a main drag in a downtown area that's close to where new businesses might visit attorneys, accountants, courts, staffing agencies and other business oriented services?
Am I missing the big picture on this? Someone educate me.
I bring up the question because I saw a flier for their carnival out at Frenchtown mall.
Is there still bad blood between city merchants -- some who I presume are still members of the chamber -- and the chamber bosses? If I remember right, the chamber upset a lot of people by offering to run the parking validation program in place of the downtown business network.
If I remember right, the chamber upset a lot of people by letting the carnival set up in the parking lot across from St. Mary's Park.
If I remember right, the chamber used to be on Front St. downtown, then it moved to Front St. near the railroad track and now it's out on N. Dixie across I-75 in Frenchtown.
Has the chamber been run out of town or are they a bit too slow to understand that a chamber of commerce should have a very visible location on a main drag in a downtown area that's close to where new businesses might visit attorneys, accountants, courts, staffing agencies and other business oriented services?
Am I missing the big picture on this? Someone educate me.
posted by The Observer at 6/05/2007 11:49:00 AM
24 Comments:
Answer: Michelle Nisley
sorry, I don't know her married title
Perhaps they moved over the parking issues. John Patterson cannot pay his tickets and the city is passing a new procedure to boot or impound the vehicle.
It is easy to blame Michelle - but, she was not on Council when they decided to turn down the festival last year. Nor was Michelle part of the vanguard to remove the parking program from the DMBN - although, I do believe that the Chamber prior to the move had agreed to run the program if asked.
Sadly, the Chamber has suffered from not only dumb decisions internally (moving out of the downtown (i.e. county seat), signing a contract with an amusement vendor before you had a location secured), but by pissy people out of the Chamber.
Not unlike "lobbyist" in Washington and Lansing, special interest is in many aspects, killing the ideals of common good. Think about the whole need for a DMBN, DDA, Mainstreet - ever heard of consolidation - oops - we will have once the assessment of City services comes out.
Don't forget that the Chamber was harmed by many of the downtown business taking sides against them because of personal issues. Some of this is reminiscent of the anti Johnny Tourism campaign that was waged by JP Terrassi, Ed Paisley and others with the whole WOW!Monroe thing. In other words much of this is, again, people in Monroe feeling that they were, are, must be - smarter and better than whoever was, is, could be, doing the job.
No - I think that blaming Michelle is easy but it seems to forget that she isn't the only difficult director that the Chamber has ever had - is she?
The problem with the Chamber (and much of Monroe - City anyhow) is personalities. My favorite politician was Huey P. Long - "Kingfish" who was loved and hated. Those who loved him knew that while he was a flamboyant jackass, at least he was THERE flamboyant jackass. We could learn a lot from that.
On a side note - maybe La-Z-Boy will give the City Hall new furniture to go along with the new carpet in lieu of the parking tickets that John Patterson owes - it is there truck after all isn't it?
The festival was turned down because it was going to take up the main parking lot downtown for five days. They were offered the opportunity to hold it on the streets, but refused. Not so good for businesses to block up all of the parking for five days.
Michelle had something to do with the parking program fiasco. Because of her relationship with Debbie Manns, this gave Ms. Manns the ability to inform everyone that she could have the chamber running the program within 24 hours. Michelle stuck the chamber's nose where it shouldn't have been, without her boards consent, and if that got downtown businesses bent out of shape, then it was probably well deserved.
The talk of consolidating the DMBN, DDA, and Mainstreet was discussed, and with a pretty good plan, but it was shot down by former Mayor Iacoangeli. It was going to work something like this. The DDA would continue to be the DDA and function as the DDA has. The DMBN would fold up into a newly selected Mainstreet board, to be chosen by all parties (City Council, DDA, DMBN) and they would also have pledged all of the DMBN's assets. Thus, there would be only one downtown group working with the DMBN volunteers now as Mainstreet volunteers. Instead, what we have now is a weak Mainstreet with no community buy in, a struggling DMBN that had to fight with the former Mayor over personal reasons, and a DDA which still has not done anything to bring in investment to the downtown area. All they seem to want to do is finance worthless daylong festivals and bond for a project, any project at all, as long as they bond for it. Years ago, the DDA had pledged much of its revenue for investment/development of a condo project in the Lauer Finzel lot, which would have added parking, and greatly improved the West Front St. corridor. It was an extremely worthwhile project to get behind. Renovating Altrusa Park, Standing up headstones at Kentucky Park, or extending the streetscape are not worthwhile if you compare them to the previously proposed project. Perhaps the DDA should actively seek out another investor to do something to clean up the west side of downtown, and in conjunction with them, do something to help bring businesses back.
Alacajun, you are correct that personalities are to blame for alot that is wrong in the chamber and the city. There currently are special agenda groups meeting on a regular basis, discussing ways to misdirect various committees within the city. We have the DDA making decisions more relevent to a planning department than to a group to help out downtown. We have a councilperson who must be versed on what to read at a council meeting. Behind the scene, you have the puppetmaster, Iacoangeli, whose only goal is to come back and inflict as much vengeance on this city as possible. Once again this group was seen together at Fino's. Iacoangeli, Floraday, and Compora. This is a group who is "killing the ideals of common good." This is the real "coalition" who still meet to plan out what way to disrupt everything, no matter the consequences. Look to the next election to see the back stabbing election techniques this "coalition" uses.
By the way, the truck is Patterson's, and he receives the tickets, not La-Z-Boy.
Can't we all just get along?
Man - you complain because I talk about Compora. Now this blog is bad mouthing the Chamber and Nisley, and Iaco.
At least my complaints are about things that happened this year - not 3-4 years ago.
Again - can't we all just get along?
Monroe politics is not nice… It is vicious. Londo had to go after a person in a wheelchair and obtain a PPO to squelch criticism. This was overturned on appeal. Compora and Floraday show up in Circuit court to square off with an old man who only tells the truth and will apologize if shown wrong. Yes Compora lied her ass off to get that PPO.
I don’t know about where IACO stands in this mess, but from the archived information Dave Smith has up on www.historicmonroe.org the DDA was expected to forgo their rights of citizenship in order take their time validating parking tickets. This crap of a few jerks wanting everything there way and the heck with the rights of others is just plain wrong.
Monroe politics is not nice… It is vicious. Londo had to go after a person in a wheelchair and obtain a PPO to squelch criticism. This was overturned on appeal. Compora and Floraday show up in Circuit court to square off with an old man who only tells the truth and will apologize if shown wrong. Yes Compora lied her ass off to get that PPO.
I don’t know about where IACO stands in this mess, but from the archived information Dave Smith has up on www.historicmonroe.org the DDA was expected to forgo their rights of citizenship in order take their time validating parking tickets. This crap of a few jerks wanting everything there way and the heck with the rights of others is just plain wrong.
Still carping about your PPO Smith?
Watching Smith on camera Monday night makes me think that no one has to lie in order to take out a PPO against this jerk, all they have to do is see him in action.
The jerk is a bully and gives men everywhere a bad rap for harassing women.
I see the mayor shut him up. Maybe the mayor has finally seen the light. Having Smith get up and tell the world on camera that the mayor is his friend must've made old Al cringe!
Certainly can't look good at election time for these boys sitting up there to have a nutcase for a friend.
Too late now, everybody knows that the Mayor, Beneteau, Martin and Paisly are his friends thanks to Smith's big mouth.
Wanna bet there will be a whole lot of distancing going on here right quick? Can't have a nutcase for a friend at election time now can we?
I say keep up the good work to Londo and Compora!
All friends at election time are good. Good clean politics would be nice for Monroe, but the last three elections have just gotten worse and worse, although the dirty side seemed to lose out last election, and hopefully the dirty politics will lose out again come fall. If you can't say enough about yourself to get elected, then you don't belong being elected. Mayor Cappuccilli never uttered a bad word during his campaigns, and he won all but one. Keep it clean and run on your own merits. Keep the garbage where it belongs.
There was dirty politics on the Cappuccilli side last time big time. I know because I got some of the garbage in the mail and Cappy's wasn't lilly white! I've heard some of what was said on that side as well, remember that Cappy didn't win by a mandate.
Stop with the innocence will ya, Al and you boys were out there bad mouthing your opponents and you're still doing it so stop with the snow job already! It seems that your pal Al is legendary for dirty politics but if we close our eyes, click our heels together and say it isn't so maybe the people will believe you!
It'll all shake out in November.
Smith will become a liability to you guys if he hasn't already, just you wait and see!
Sorry, I didn't see any dirty politics by Al. On the other hand, I saw "No Cappuccilli" signs, ads in the M.E.N. showing homeowners properties, that happen to rent part of their house out, portrayed as bad landlords, flyers condemning candidates because they were associated with the DMBN, (Mary Conner simply because she volunteers at the Thrift Shop), ads saying "look what I did as Mayor" and I did more than you, which was true. Iaco blew alot more taxpayer money than Al did, so I guess that was right.
Those were just a few, so what dirty ads did Al run? Cause I musta just forgot them.
Yeah, right!
I didn't say Al took out ads in the MEN, I said he sent garbage through the mail.
Maybe he didn't see the need to send his lie packed flyer to one of his own.
I wonder if the current or former Mayor are even members of the chamber - oh, that is what this post was about!
I know both sides did some dirty things last election - name calling, attending civic functions and bad mouthing each other. Guess what, that's life. What is sick is that it continues today.
For those of you on the conspiracy trail here's an idea - do you really think a group comprised of John I. (former planner, former Mayor), Linda C. (current City Councilperson) and Rick F. (current chair of DDA) can really do any harm? Isn't Linda only one vote? Isn't Rick only one vote at the DDA? If John I. had that much juice how the hell did he lose the last election? No offense - if John I. were this great "puppet master" then I would think that he would have picked a better patsy than Councilwoman Compora.
I will agree with the "back stabbing". It has already started. I am amazed that for a job that pays 7,500.00 a year and carries how much "clout"?
Geez - can we talk about something productive for a change? Hey, the rides are up at the Mall for the Chamberfest? Anybody up for some cotton candy and a ride on the tilt-a-whirl?
Let's get back to the Chamber.
It is rumored that the Chamber dumped Paisley as their "accountant" add to the mix Michelle Nisley offering to run the DMBN parking program, which BTW was not fair to all businesses, and you have the reason why their festival is now in Frenchtown.
Seems as though some of our friendly, cooperative and dedicated to downtown business owners just didn't want to put up with the "inconvenience" of the Chamber festival for a few days, even though they may have reaped some benefit from it.
Now Frenchtown Mall shops will benefit from the additional revenue the Chamber festival will bring.
But hey, vengeance will win out over common sense when you're dealing with idiots.
At Frenchtown Mall, the only businesses making any money are the food service businesses. Downtown, the only businesses who benefit from these one or two day festivals are the food service businesses. Well, I guess when I bring the kiddies down to a festival I will also buy some shoes, books, a purse, clothes or some jewelry. No, I think I will just pig out on the elephant ears and corn dogs, and shop when I want to buy something. Besides, the inconvenience with parking hurt all of the service businesses as well. I really don't believe that festivals bring much business to attornies, accountants, or title companies. Guess the one making the comments about how much business will be picked up by Frenchtown Mall doesn't have a clue as to what brings in business. Fireworks downtown brought in every person in the county it seemed, but they all congregated at St. Mary's park or on the lawn at SMCC. The only business that benefitted from that was Subway, but now I guess that Rendezvous would sell ice cream, so hey, lets spend 25 grand to have a festival.lol.
"the DMBN parking program, which BTW was not fair to all businesses"
No it was not. Neither was the solution offered and what do we have now? Much of the same.
"the inconvenience with parking hurt all of the service businesses as well"
Really? So, how do places like Ann Arbor, Wyandotte, Saline, Port Clinton all manage? There are workable solutions - shuttles?
"Guess the one making the comments about how much business will be picked up by Frenchtown Mall doesn't have a clue as to what brings in business. Fireworks downtown brought in every person in the county it seemed, but they all congregated at St. Mary's park or on the lawn at SMCC"
Yes. Sadly our restaurants did not extend there hours with "live music". Maybe working together and bookending events is an idea that is worthy of examination.
"Guess the one making the comments about how much business will be picked up by Frenchtown Mall doesn't have a clue as to what brings in business"
And apparently neither do any of the current business organizations (Chamber, DMBN, DDA, Mainstreet and so on) as things have not changed (aside from appearances) and many are still complaining.
How is the DMBN parking program not fair to all businesses? Every business may participate, without charge, and all they have to do is follow the rules, which apply to all. The number one rule is that the employer and all employees MAY NOT park on the street, and may not validate employees tickets. What isn't fair about leaving the parking for clients and customers? If they get a ticket it is validated, with no charge to anyone. Please clarify what it is that is not fair.
Last anonymous - the reference was to the former set up of the program where a business had to be a DMBN member and to the changes recommended by the former Mayor.
I wonder how the DDA/Mainstreet program would function if their funding was removed. Could they promote downtown? Could they hold festivals? Could they beautify downtown with flowers?
THE ANSWER IS THAT THEY COULDN'T!
That is precisely what happened to the Downtown Monroe Business Network (DMBN) because of the actions by the last moron we had as Mayor. Yes, he was upset because he was asked tough questions during the meet the candidates forum put on by the DMBN prior to his victory as Mayor, but does holding a grudge do anything besides make himself appear to be a baby? The question asked was appropriate for a candidate for Mayor. He filed bankruptcy and beat the city out of money, around $65,000 from what I hear, and he was asked about it, no biggie. Does that give him the right to use his position for revenge? Sure, talk about how unfair it is for businesses to have to pay dues to belong, but most would rather pay the dues than have to actually volunteer to implement the program. Others didn't join because they were the biggest offenders and didn't want to sign a form saying that they would not park on the streets. What is more unfair is for the DDA to use tax dollars to fund a secretarial position, Jones, and there is still no downtown development/ business retention/ business recruitment, but the DDA blows 5 grand on flowers. Spend the 5 grand on signs directing people where to go and where to park, and let Floraday get his own play toy with his own money.
This isn't a zero sum game. If the DMBN wanted to continue to promote not only Monroe but interest for there business I would think they could do that without funding from the City - don't you?
Can't we stop bringing up what occurred two years ago and discuss how the City can move forward and hopefully, move in a good direction?
Here is a thought - the Chamberfeast was fun. Took the kids tonight and had a great time. Sadly, spent way too much cash - but, oh well they enjoyed it. Let's figure out a way to make this work and to have this festival somewhere in town next year.
The DDA / Mainstreet program, when ran correctly is a great augment to but should not be controlling of other interest downtown. If we want we can blame the former Mayor or Rick Floraday all we like if the DDA still wields this much power. But, the real problem is folks not requiring they live within there own management limitations.
Funding from the city for the DMBN?
You must be kidding!
You obviously do not know what you are talking about. When did the DMBN ever receive funding from the city? If you are talking like John did, and think that forgiving tickets was a form of funding for the DMBN, then you are as lost as he was. Sure, having to be a member to validate was necessary, but the program does have costs associated with it. Now with that requirement gone, there are still many paying members who see this as a great program. Also, the list of validating, non dues paying participants has not increased much. Seems that most business people see this for what it is, a benefit which deserves dues participation. Every function of the DMBN was funded by their members and by volunteers. Alot more volunteers than the Mainstreet has garnered, and that is what that organization is supposed to be all about, community buy in. Sure, they have Design blowing money left and right on flowers, and Promotion blowing money on festivals non-promotion for businesses, but where are the volunteers. What you have there are people who are good spenders of other people's money. I admit that festivals bring people downtown for a day, but what about long term? Would any of the people on the various sub committees of the DDA show up to sell hot dogs at an event to raise money? Would they show up to help clean up downtown using their own hands and back? Would they pull weeds along the riverwalk, or actually plant flowers instead of just going out and paying for flowers with tax dollars?
Sorry, you seem to not see the downtown merchants for who they are. All care about the downtown before they care about their own agendas. They are not glory getters who want to "plan" out a little park or stand up headstones thinking this will bring in business. They all work hard at their businesses, and then have to be at odds with a few who think they know whats best for them, even though these people have no risk involved.
Sorry Alacajun, but you are wrong.
Alacajun, you obviously didn't see what was going on with the downtown merchants who truly care about what happens downtown. They have a vested interest in seeing the downtown thrive. There are no hidden motives or bad feelings to get revenge about.
Last anonymous -
Sorry - but re-read my post. I did not advocate giving money from the City to the DMBN. I also do not advocate (in my last post or this post) the DDA getting funds from the City. I was responding to the poster above me who felt that the former Mayor's removal of the ticket program, i.e. funding harmed the DMBN's ability to promote downtown.
Sorry - but, I live, shop and eat downtown on a daily basis. Today I see the river walk being overran with growth, lights broken, graffitti all over the place, fights on the river walk, kids hanging in front of Cafe Classics, drunks screaming and yelling from balconies, and residents by Rays music turning the sidewalk into there own private deck.
My last post was correct. If you are a business owner then do what you need to do - promote, band together, work with everyother group that you can. Your lack of comprehension misunderstood the point.
If, as you say, there were or are more volunteers that work or worked with DMBN than work with DDA / Mainstreet is there a reason why the DMBN is not sending there people to the DDA? Is it not helpful if everyone works together? Can we not all be big boys and girls and work together? You know, I work with a ton of people I think are well, "OT's" (oxygen thief) - so what, you do what is needed to get the job done. Call in the girl scouts, boy scouts, churches, whomever - just clean it up. If you want help let me know - trust me, I already clean up more than my yard. Just stop whining that someone or some group is the problem. The greatest quote ever said; "Never tell someone how to do something. Tell them what needs to be done and let them do it, you'll be amazed by there ingenuity" (Douglas Macarthur). I know with all of the intelligence and initiative our business owners downtown we can get this done - put out a call for helpers.
Anonymous, you read my post and because you disagreed you formed an opinion without seeing what was being said. I never brought up bitterness between business owners and the DDA - the previous poster and you did! My idea was that we all start moving forward. Who cares if the former Mayor was or is a boob? Who cares if the current DDA chair was or is a boob? They are not the major obstacles to this Cities success are they? I am not the oldest person in Monroe but I can recall a time when Rick Floraday did not live in Monroe or when John Icoangenelli was simply a planner with the City. Back then the downtown was failing too - J.C. Penny closing (or was it Ward's - I can't recall - sorry), Kresge's closing and so on. Maybe the best idea is to succeed in-spite of them instead of because of them. I suggested that everyone begin to work together to fix and obviously failing City.
What is most amazing is that in terms of time the DDA / Mainstreet are relative newcomers yet prior to there existence the downtown was faltering - how are they the bain of the problem? Maybe what would be best is if everyone; merchants, building owners, DDA / Mainstreet, DMBN, Chamber (and whomever or whatever) all worked together at the level they each feel comfortable to solve problems.
Besides - in part your argument is that the DDA is the problem - NO. The callous political climate is the problem. Who wants to deal with this b.s.? If there is growth on the river walk behind your business - clean it. If there is graffiti - clean it. If you want to moan about flowers out front of your business (i.e. the cost of them) maybe you as a business person can water them. What is amazing is that the one of the most quaint businesses in town is Maureen Sharps place (Health Matters). Maureen takes care of her own plants and flowers as do some others. This is the type of initiative we need. (Yes, I know you will say that the downtown business have always done this and I don't dispute this. What I dispute is this constant crying and finger pointing).
Just so we are clear. I disagree with the direction of the DDA / Mainstreet. I feel that the DDA / Mainstreet should have been merged with the DMBN. I admire most of the business owners downtown (sadly, I do think that we have several slumlords that ought to be dealt with). I do think that too many people operate with a chip on there shoulder. I do think that the DMBN has gotten an undeserved reputation.
How this clarifies things better.
Fine, whatever you say. No one is to blame for the failing of downtown. No one is the solution either, since this has been going on for such a long time.
I re-read your post, and you are still calling the parking program funding from the city. The DMBN never received a dime for anything, so how is that funding? Because they came up with an extremely successful program, ran with it, oversaw its operation, volunteer to sit on the validation committee? To that extent, you are totally mistaken. This program went without a hitch until Iacoangeli put a hit out on the DMBN, and then tried to sell the idea on the Chamber, who had one or two of the worst offenders in its office.
Answer this please. Had the city implemented the program itself, how much would the same service be costing? Not to mention the fact that there would be more violators of the system because it would not have hands on knowledge of who the offendors are. The DMBN keeps pretty tight books on who is out there, and when someone is found out, they no longer get validated, and in fact, may lose their right to validate tickets to their own customers. Oh, now tell me that the city is "losing" money because of forgiving fines for parking tickets. Who is the parking for? VISITORS TO DOWNTOWN, NOT EMPLOYEES! Parking fines downtown are not intended to be a money maker for the city, so that fails as logic also. To tell the truth, the DDA should actually pick up the costs associated with the parking enforcement officer, since the downtown property owners are benefitting from the parking enforcement, so their TIF dollars should help pay for that service. Just let the finance director at the city know to take the meter maids check out of the DDA budget.
Most business owners clean the fronts on a regular basis. I know that I have seen Todd Jones, Brian or Mary Gail Beneteau, the Hassett boys, MB&T crew, Gabe or Greg Martin, Chris or Jimi Bica, and the list goes on, out sweeping or shoveling in the front of their businesses. Many have had plants or planters out in front as well, but usually sidewalk planters get vandalized. I don't know of any of the above listed people who have cried or finger pointed. Most go about their own business, while others also get involved with the weeding/ planting in downtown, or at least used to when the DMBN did this on a volunteer basis. Usually volunteers do what they do for the joy of helping out and the idea that they may help make a difference, but when your nose gets run into the ground by the Mayor of your own city, you may just get fed up and now sit back and let the DDA, who collects some of your taxes, try and do what should be done. I agree that there should be harmony between the DDA and DMBN, but there seems to be some friction that needs to be hashed out between the leaders of both groups. A problem never did exist before, but there is a big finger pointing at someone, and it is a well deserved middle digit doing the pointing at our former mayor, who always wanted neighborhood groups, but snubbed the one for downtown. Guess if you F*%# up your own business downtown, you should try and do the same to others.
You want a solution, get the DDA and DMBN to work together. Problem with that is that the DDA/Mainstreet is able to operate with a city budget, so they think that theirs is the high and mighty voice. Problem is that the voices to be heard is from the little people trying to keep a downtown alive with their businesses. You tell me which business wouldn't work to help themselves by getting together with the DDA. Problem is that the businesses need signage, parking, business recruitment and retention, promotion, event planning based on volunteers and community buy in. The DDA wants Tombstones, streetscapes, Altrusa park, riverwalk railings and lights, etc. They sound more like the city planning department if you check into the design committee meetings, with the likes of Iaco and his buddy Rick at the helm.
Attract more businesses into the vacant buildings. Let the Mainstreet secretary Andrea earn her money by enticing businesses to come downtown. Use the DDA budget to come up with plans for people to start businesses. Work with the property owners to allow for two or three "start up" months rent free. Have the DDA start a shuttle for County employees to free up parking. City employees already have parking, so I believe that the county is the worst offenders. Have the DDA give out gift certificates to different businesses to entice customer base, just like the DMBN already does on a very limited budget. Have the DDA host an open house for a certain business once a month. Once you get new businesses making a go of it in town, then you can work on the riverwalk, because then you may have people who actually use it.
There are many, many ideas for downtown, but there is absolutely zero in community involvement. The DDA needs to step up and work on getting this involvement and quit with the "planning department" mentality. Start with the "development" mentality, and bring in more business, which will bring in more people. Then maybe extended hours of operation, maybe an art fair on a larger scale like Ann Arbor or Wyandotte, maybe a monthly festival like the old floral city festivals. Right now, the cart is before the horse, and the horse is taking a dump on downtown. Get behind the horse DDA.
Again - I am not now nor in either of my previous post calling the validation program a money making venue for the DMBN - DDA or anyone. I could care less if it is. I was responding to another poster. If you took it that I was or it appeared that way - sorry.
Man, I really think our whole town needs some therapy. This incessant desire to "point the middle digit" at the former mayor. He has been out of office for two years - please move on. Yes, I understand the dislike of or for Mr. Floraday and that he is seen as the former Mayor's boy. I problem did exist before he took office. The problem then and now is that Monroe is not doing well. I will give you that John did not help business and was not a friend to business. Just, give me that even with John in office many business not only continued to do well but we saw some wonderful improvements - again, in spite of not because of. Geez - were only centimeters apart here.
I love some of your ideas. Here's a thought. We have a council currently made of the three businessmen (Beneteau, Paisley and Martin) along with a Mayor who seems friendly to business interest. Councilman Burkett seems helpful (truth is he is my choice for next Mayor - anyhow). Are there any seats opening on the DDA board? Can the council put some pressure on the DDA board to more strictly follow the ideals of the Mainstreet program - which, are not building parks or fixing headstones that (by the way should be standing up however because of the risk of vandalism at this point should be left alone - here's a thought as the President of the Community College is on the Historical Society maybe some of the artisans at MCCC can make replicas (free) and then we can get some local groups to help put them in place - this could make everyone happy and could draw people downtown (even if for a few hours) - just a though). Let's put the pressure on now - it's summer, people will be getting into a political mindset around say August - it's an election year. In my estimation all of our Council, with the exception of Ms. Compora and Ms. Edwards (who I understand is not running) are pretty safe. Again, I don't agree with everything that has occurred but, I can't say anyone has been a deal buster either. Most, particularly Councilman Martin and Beneteau (to me) have done well and have been a very pleasant surprise. Maybe it would help if our council-members examined the constructs of the DDA and questioned if they were operating within those guidelines (I don't believe they are but that is just me). Maybe ask the hard questions like, DDA has an organization committee headed by James Petrangelo, are they building a consensus and if not why? Love the idea for an open-house. This should already be taking place. I also think that we could question why the Promotions Committee (John Patterson and Brad Schreiber co-chairs) have not done this. Look, I live within the DDA boundaries and am amazed at the number of residents that have no idea how far those boundaries stretch - that is the DDA's fault.
Again - I would say that there is much more community support than what we think. The thing about the community is that they are fickle and will only come when called. If the DDA won't do it then maybe others should. Last year Councilman Martin put out a call for folks to help rake leafs. At first everyone thought this was silly. Guess what, I wound up doing it twice with two different groups! Maybe it wasn't so damn silly. This is also effected by the ongoing one side vs. the others side that is so prevalent. Think is isn't so? Why is it always a topic of conversation? I, like most people, could care less.
Buses for county employees - all for it. Get LET to assist us. The County owns a lot on Front Street.
Cleaning up downtown (river walk) can be done through the JAWS program (Jail Alternative Work Service) or the jail workers. This can be augmented by Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Local Churches and other groups. Here is a thought - if a group agrees to help clean the river walk and agrees to take a week during the summer lets give that group a 15% discount for a one month period at any restaurant downtown? Yes, we are "bribing" people to help but, who cares if it gets done.
My point really was that I am tired of hearing who the problems are. Lets find solutions and not even discuss past behavior because everyone can bring up things that support there side. I want the same thing everyone else wants; a good, safe, community with a thriving business district. I would love to be able to do all of my shopping downtown - although I know that is probably never going to happen.
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