(RECORDINGS AVAILABLE AT:
http://historiccambria.com/Public%20Documents/audio%20files.htmMichael Barber showed great leadership in taking on the task of determining the direction the Town should take in establishing an ordinance concerning safety requirements for moped operators. Mr. Barber, assisted by Police Chief Sission, really did their homework. They did the research on other neighboring jurisdictions, legal issues that could arise, the effectiveness of law enforcement to enforce the law, the safety needs of both moped operators and those operating other vehicles. They even took away a new "gottcha" I had found were a law had recently come into force in the State Codes where people who operate a moped over the limited speed of 35mph, are to be treated as if they are operating a motorcycle. Chief Sission had already found it, and Mr. Barber made sure it was brought to the floor during the Town Council's discussion.
The ultimate outcome is that an ordinance has been established that will mesh with the Blacksburg ordinance thereby insuring uniformity in enforcement and in the courts. This is a great display of how a multi-jurisdictional approach can work. (With the economic challenges we face now and in the future, it is also very good practice to work with other jurisdictions. More and more often funding is going to those areas where jurisdictions are working together rather than the playing it solo!)
Both of the disappointments (my perception) came from the Mayor. I thought it was so great of the Mayor to take the initiative to get an advisory committee together to help guide the Aquatic Center to success. It was great to hear that he had received quite a few letters from people who were interested. It was very disappointing to hear that the Mayor and the Mayor alone would screen through those people and pick out the ones that HE wanted the Town Council to consider. I personally feel that the Town Council Members should have access to all of those applicants and make a joint decision of who the members should be and how many there should be on the Committee.
This pattern is consistent with the way the Town Code is written. In my opinion, that is one of the first things that should be changed in the Town Code. Each of the elected officials bring a unique perspective to the table. That is why you have a Town Council not a dictator running things. The Mayor represents only one view. In any situation where it is the taxpayer's money at risk, I figure the more ideas on the table the better. I hope that the committee will include a variety of ages and socio-economic status. I hope that representation takes into account the various ethnic and cultural groups of which the citizens of Christiansburg are comprised. I hope that diversity includes people with backgrounds in education, social services, and medicine are included along with the architects, contractors, realtors, and business people. (History does not show this has been the pattern.) The Aquatic Center and other such entities are not purely business, they are human-based enterprises and to discount the social aspects while focusing on the financial ones would be a BIG disservice to residents of Christiansburg.
Disappointment Number 2: I have seen the Mayor lose his temper and speak inappropriately to audience members before and I pretty much kept my mouth shut figuring anyone can have a bad day. However, when that type of behavior is directed at a member of the Town Council (as it was tonight towards Mr. Showalter who was trying to express the desires of citizens for a study on curb-side recycling for the Town), well that behavior reaches a whole new level. Not only is he showing disrespect for Mr. Showalter, the Mayor is showing disrespect for the people that elected Mr. Showalter and the people whose concerns Mr. Showalter was trying to bring forth. As a citizen, I was offended and angered by this display. Mr. Showalter was trying to do exactly what he had been elected to do, represent the people. I thought it was the Mayor's job to do the same, not to try to silence an 'elected voice' of the people.
Shame on you Mr. Mayor. Maybe you just had a bad day but they sure seem to be coming a lot more frequently these days.