Board of Aldermen 08-13-2019 Page 18
So | have gotten feedback on all ends of the spectrum here. | have had people who feel like we could be
doing many, many better things with $1.3 million dollars. Somebody suggested we turn the park that
everybody thinks is splash pad into a splash pad, fix the elevator. Like I’ve got a laundry list of better things
we could do and it is true that there are better uses in many ways for this. But | feel like Pandora’s Box has
been opened here. I’ve been hearing since | became an Alderman all four years ago that we needed to do
a Full Measure & List. | was not happy about having to do one last minute because the State required one
in terms of a General Assessment but | do think that this is something we’ve known we would have to do.
It is not a surprise to anybody that after 28 years we do need to do one. | think if with that Alderman Klee
and what Ms. Kleiner have understood to be the case, if we are going to have to end up having to pay for
this other ways, I’d rather just do it right now then doing it wrong later. These are the same concerns | had
when we were talking about the huge paving project. At the time | didn’t want to spend that much money
on paving and | wished we could figure out how to stagger it out or spread it out. And fast forward to 3
years later and how many sinkholes later, | think we got at it at just in time.
So | am in favor of it only because | think we need to be forward thinking. | am conscious of what the Mayor
said in that we are only going to be putting this out to bid but we need to allocate money first in order to do
that. | would like to see more reporting to the Board of Aldermen with regards to the process. But |
understand that this looks like something that does need to be done. And then finally | would like to just
acknowledge the Assessing Department. It can’t be easy being under all this scrutiny, having the
Telegraph showing up to interview everybody; having people following staff members around; having the
constant political scrutiny that that office has been under. | appreciate the job that you guys are doing and |
appreciate the duress that you are doing it under. And | don’t think the Full Measure & List is necessarily
an indictment of anything that you’ve been doing. | think it is a long overdue process and | appreciate your
support for it.
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:
Yea: Ald. O’Brien, Ald. Gidge, Ald. Ald. Dowd,
Ald. Klee, Ald. Laws, Ald. Lopez Ald. Caron,
Ald. Kelly, Ald. Jette, Ald. Melizzi-Golja
Ald. Teneza, Ald. Schmidt, Ald. Wilshire 13
Nay: Ald. Clemons 1
MOTION CARRIED
Resolution R-19-159 declared duly adopted.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS — ORDINANCES
O-19-046
Endorsers: Alderman Richard A. Dowd
Alderman Jan Schmidt
Alderman Linda Harriott-Gathright
Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien, Sr.
AMENDING THE ZONING MAP BY REZONING 610 AMHERST STREET FROM PARK
INDUSTRIAL (PI) TO GENERAL BUSINESS (GB)
Given its second reading;
MOTION BY ALDERMAN DOWD TO AMEND O-19-046 IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REPLACING IT
WITH THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS MADE BY THE PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
COMMITTEE
