Board of Aldermen 11-26-2019 Page 25
Alderwoman Kelly
If | could ask a question of Attorney Clarke, do you have to give a 7-day notice for cancellation of a
public hearing?
Attorney Clarke
No | think you could probably cancel anytime; the 7 days is really relative to giving people notice when
it is going to be so they could come.
Alderman Tencza
| do have a question; | just have a question about the timing of the motion that was made. We are here
in “Remarks by Members of The Board of Aldermen” and the motion was made. It seems to me that it
was more proper to make the motion when we were debating or after a first reading of the bill. That’s
my only concern about us taking it up now, | can’t find in the book whether it is proper or not. But |
don’t know if Corporation Counsel has a thought about that.
Attorney Clarke
It just struck me that the issue had come up because the scheduling of the informational meeting was
sort of new information that had come up recently and I’m not sure that was known when the Public
Hearings were scheduled.
Alderman Tencza
We would still have an opportunity before the Public Hearing | suppose to postpone the Public Hearing
on that. It seemed to me that would be the more appropriate time to take this up rather than right now.
Alderman Dowd
The Department of Public Works meeting where this was voted on had a presentation by the architect
and the construction manager to convince the members of the Board of Public Works on how to vote on
this. That presentation is all that you would probably get anyway, and it is on-line, and anybody can go
look at it. So if the maker of the motion has people that are concerned, | would suggest that they go
look at that meeting if they want information before the Public Hearing. | am not inclined to want to
move any of the votes on the bond to the 23", we are getting into the Holidays, people may not be
here, you have to have 10 votes and | certainly am not willing to move the School Bond. My
recommendation is that this Board vote against the motion that is on the floor.
Alderman Clemons
Unfortunately we just got confirmation that we have no choice about the 23" being the day we vote on
the bond if we keep the Public Hearing as it stands. To me that is a non-issue, but regarding the motion
on the floor, | was OK with it so long as we could have voted on the 23". But as we can't do that, |
think what we have to go back to our constituents with is the fact that this is an imperfect situation
where we are having a Public Hearing. At that Public Hearing there is going to be a presentation, there
is going to be time for people to comment, there is going to be another presentation in the public after
that point and then there is going to be, you know, between the 9" and the 23”, multiple opportunities
for folks to reach out via e-mail, the phone, come and knock on my door, talk to me about it and at the
Board of Aldermen meeting on the 23”, discuss the issue and make your comments before we vote on
it.
Is it a perfect scenario? No. But! think that it affords people enough time to be able to get the
information that they need and have them come and tell us what their informed public opinion is at the
